Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 302: Featuring Rick Bowness + Free Agent Madness

Episode Date: October 15, 2020

On Thursday’s episode of Spittin’ Chiclets we are joined by Dallas Stars Head Coach Rick Bowness. Bones joined (1:15:20) to talk about the Stanley Cup run this season with the Stars, his legendary coaching career, the bubble, and tons more. We obviously get into the free agent madness as well to lead off the podcast, breaking down all the big signings and trades that happened throughout the past week. Could this be it for Toews and Kane in Chicago? Joe Thornton to Toronto? We discussed it all.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

Hey, Spittin' Chicklets listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Hello, everybody. Welcome to episode 302 of Spittin' Chicklets, presented by Pink Whitney. From our friends at New Amsterdam Vodka here in the Barstool Sports Podcast family. We are back to one episode a week, and there is lots and lots to discuss. But first, it's been a week. We've got to say hi to the boys first. Mikey G looking good in the tie-dye early this morning.

Guys, you know, we're back to one a week. You know, we should be happy, but I just can't smile right now. The Bruins, I don't know what the fuck they're doing. So I know we'll get into that later, but I'm rattled by the off-season moves by the Boston Bruins. I'll say that. Gee, one of those Bruins fans who thinks they have to sign every free agent and trade for every guy available on the market.

Until the team beats him in the cup and he raises the cup with said team. Basically, yes. Oh, A2 Whitney. Holy shit, what a way to start the show. That's the Whitdog Ryan Whitney. Where are you right now, buddy? That's not the usual homestead. I didn't think it was that bad.

Just a little chirp for my buddy Mikey. I'm in Pinehurst, North Carolina. It's a beautiful day in Pinehurst. I want to shout out this place. What a spot. We have 12 guys here. We get the next three, four days of golf, so I'm fired up. Plenty of things for us

to chat about. I mean, what happened this week in the NHL was a complete gong show. I think I'll leave it at that, but it's a pleasure to see you guys once a week. I know some people, where's the episode Monday? Where's the episode Monday? You know what, guys? We need a little break.

We're going to one episode a week. The show is better one episode a week either also. So deal with it. And I'm very happy to be here. So I'll leave it at that. I mean, this is literally the fifth season. We've taken a little bit of a break after the season. It's standard operating procedure by this point.

And by the way, when you leave Pinehurst, don't forget to take the tissues out with you in case you get a little emotional. Oh, is that the place where Riggsie cried on the way out? Yeah. Yeah. He's going to never get over that one. I have a hard time keeping track. Last but not least, that little dirty dog out in the desert,

Paul Biznasty. Biznate. What do you mean? What's up, buddy? What do you mean by craziness with the fact that half the guys in the league changed teams over the last seven days? Just an absolute hodgepodge of trades and signings and people upset and people happy and tears and just an absolute mess of an NHL free agency.

Now, granted, it was going to be different. We knew what was going to happen. We knew nothing would be similar with what's going on with COVID and the salary cap and all that, but I never expected to have happen what went down. So why don't we get into it? Why don't we get into some of these big ass deals? All right. Absolutely. And it's funny putting the outline together was like that always sunny gift with that when he's fucking all the things on the board together because you got to cross reference the trades and the signings and all that. So yeah, let's jump right into it. The big fish on the free agent market landed where you can find a bunch of whales. I speak, of course, of Vegas. The Golden

Knights signed Alex Petrangelo, the 30-year-old defenseman, to a seven-year, $61.6 million deal. Comes out to $8.8 million per year at a cap hit and an average annual value. Biz, it's a bonus-laden deal, more than half of the money. $35 million comes in the form of bonuses. He also got the all-powerful no-move clause for the full Monty. Let's go to you first, Biz, for your take. Really, the high-flying defenseman who gets the big bucks, you're going to come to the shitty forward on the podcast.

Well, I'll say this. You know, there was obviously some talks with St. Louis, especially late. I just think they were unable to match anything as far as the bonus is concerned. I was also hearing rumblings that there wasn't going to be a no-move clause in it as well. Now, that might just be rumors, uh i think the writing was on the wall when tory krug signed with uh with the st louis blues it's unfortunate uh peter angel will not be going back to st louis but as he said he's very very excited uh you know to to see if he can take a run at it with this vegas golden knights team and um another thing no state tax i don't know

if you guys heard that ve Vegas is one of those states where you don't have to pay that extra percentage of your salary. So I would imagine that that helped in getting him over there. But one of the last things he said was he says, Vegas is known as like the best place in the league to play right now. He said that. I mean, that's how quick they've made a name for themselves over there. They've made a name for themselves over there. They've made a name for themselves over there.

So they are a juggernaut in the West, and there's probably one other team that can match them right now. This whole deal was nuts because St. Louis and Petro, they were talking right up to the end. But when you bring up, Biz, that there wasn't – I think, Ari, you mentioned the no big bonus and biz, the no, no movement clause. Those are things Doug Armstrong doesn't really want to be a part of. And, and the no, the no move clause is the, that's the ultimate,

that's the dream for any player. The player becomes more powerful than the owner when they get a no movement cause you can't be bought out. You can't be sent down. You can't be traded. You are getting everything. All of that money is coming your ways, and you're going to be 37 years old by the end of it. We've talked what happens at the end of these deals, but Vegas looks at it like this.

We are ready to win a Stanley Cup, and we're going to go out. We're going to get that big fish, and this is a guy. I believe McCrimmon mentioned this is a player that not often are you able to go out and acquire a defenseman like this a true number one now the whole issue is that petro i think he wanted to remain with the blues he brings him a stanley cup he's a captain and he felt disrespected i think when they went out and they got falk last year and wow that money where's that all right well where's where's my money gonna come from And then this year, all of a sudden, you start hearing that it's not necessarily dead leading up to free agency.

But then Krug signs that deal and boom, it was over. And I think no doubt about it, Petros made it clear that Vegas was his number one choice. If he was to go to free agency, it's where he wanted to be. I have a tough time believing that he didn't want to be in st louis if he really could be though and so once you start figuring out i got 35 million in bonuses coming my way with this vegas deal and i won't really have much at all in st louis along with the no state tax and along with the insult of really them not doing what whatever it took to

bring him back to bring their captain back their number one defenseman back it makes sense that he's moving on i don't think that it was easy for either side but in the end vegas gets an unreal player who for at least the next three four years is still in his prime i believe the way he plays the way he skates his presence on the ice it's a great signing now vegas holy shit this team since they came into the league biz has just immediately made impacts on the ice off the ice and now here's the crazy thing you hear a lot of rumblings a lot of things going on there are some vegas players who are not happy and we're not happy as this process played out you got guys whose names are thrown out and rumors who signed there for deals and all of a sudden you hear

patchy ready's name out there you hear marshaty's name out there. You hear Marcia Sho's name out there. Uh-oh. Schmidt ends up getting traded. We got another Alan Walsh situation on our hands. There is no – Alan Walsh, his client's part of the whole situation. Well, what do you know? That's now been said that that's going to be their tandem. Fleury isn't going anywhere. Now, partly that has a lot to do with the fact that Leonard's –

he has shoulder surgery, right? So I don't know how long he'll be out. They say it's nothing serious, but still. Until he's back healthy. This team, yeah, and then Fleury can take a seat on the bench. This team, though, a lot of times in the past few years, it was like guys that teams didn't want that came together and showed how good they were, and it's really changed.

Now, you can look at it from the side as the Vegas ownership and GM says, hey, fucking do your job changed now you can look at it from the side as the vegas ownership and gm says hey fucking do your job maybe you get traded that's the business while some of the players are thinking like god i signed a deal here am i gonna get dealt schmidt schmidt was what in year two of that deal he signed god i don't know if we're gonna get into that right away but well i'm just talking i'm just talking about overall vegas and petro going there it's really it's really showed vegas has become one of those places where you're going there and you by no means are going to be there for your entire deal unless you got the NMC. Yeah, you're legitimately a piece of meat, so just shut the fuck up and put the puck in the net. And they're more willing to kind of really buy into like like, this is not a stable area as a player.

Well, it is for Petro because he's got the no move. But, R.A., I'll throw this to you. It kind of reminds me when Berkey, as a GM, said, you know, we had one big missing piece, and it was that Chris Pronger-type defenseman. And I know he's probably not as mean as Pronger, but as far as his 200-foot game. Yeah, he was medieval times dinner and tournament. But to today's standards, he's kind of like the Chris Pronger of the league. And I'm sure at the end of this deal, it might be a little bit of an overpayment

considering those types of bigger guys tend to slow down. But I think for the next four or five years, he's still going to be, you know, a top, a top 10 to 15 defenseman in the NHL. Now you want to talk, sorry, Ari, just quickly, because I wanted to bring this up even before the first deal we chatted about, but the difference in signings this year, I mean, you look at the first 10 minutes, first 30 minutes of 2019 free agency, 250 million was given out. It took 10 hours in 2020 for $300 million to be given out.

So it just shows that when you want to talk about the bonuses and what had happened with players just really lining their pockets with bonus money every July 1st, it's changed. Petrangelo, I believe, got $35 million. The next highest was Markstrom, who got $5 million in bonus money. Then Taylor Hall got $1 million. And then it went to Holtby, $500,000. So this bonus money then Taylor Hall got a million and then when Holtby 500,000 so this bonus money's going away and the amount of money that was kind of like people are people are

thinking all right well this guy's gonna get this and players I'm gonna get this going to next year and everyone quickly realized like not only are they not gonna get what they think but a lot of guys are taking pay cuts you know you're a UFA and you're not you're not out of the league yet you have you have good years ahead of you and and holy shit, there is no money available. So Petro was the biggest fish in this market, biggest fish in the sea, and you see what he gets, but no one else, no one else was treated the way he was. Yeah, I think it's like a lot of industries,

there's not a lot of people getting raises, and a lot of people are taking pay cuts. So I guess it's a matter of counting your blessings with some guys. And going back to Vegas, they kind of remind me of the Glen Sea, the New York Ranger days, just constantly wheeling and dealing. No guy feels safe. They're a huge market team, and they're acting like it. And you did mention Nate Schmidt.

And unfortunately for our buddy Nate, he was one of the chips Vegas used to pay the salary cap piper, so to speak. Vegas sent him to Vancouver for a third rounder in 2022. And I say unfortunately only because, you know, Nate has to leave this incredibly unique and successful foundation that he had a key role in building, not to mention the teammates he's become brothers with. That's just a little different than I think your typical trade. You know, you're there from day one and you help build that culture,

build that winning culture. So I'm sure it sucks for him, but at the same time, other side of the coin, he's going to have fun wherever he goes because he's Nate Schmidt. And he had a quote about Elias Pedersen saying, I remember Pedersen spinning me into a top last year. Fortunately, I won't see any of that anymore. Another thing that sucks for Schmitty, like you said, business, state income tax. He's going to have to pay whatever he's going to have to pay.

He's making just under six mil for another five years. And they're all getting 28% of their money withheld next year. Yeah. Let me tell you, we can get into this. When he gets to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Yeah, that fucking rains every day. Stay hard, man. In the winter, Vancouver sucks, dude.

In the summer, it's amazing. Let's be honest. It rains 75 days in a row. You go to the Roxy and Biz gets seven kills. All of a sudden, Biz is just rolling around in the sheets for 48 hours, missing a game with three Vancouver women. But listen, Vancouver was possibly going to burn down for the second time if they hadn't at least gotten Schmidt because they lost Tanev,

they lost Stetcher, they lost Markstrom, they lost Toffoli. They are not as good of a team next year. Right now, the Vancouver Canucks have taken a step back. So they bring in Schmidt, right? I mean, they're paying him a lot of money, but only having to give up that draft pick is nice. But Vancouver took a little bit of a beating this year in free agency. I think they were like Detroit in the fact that they made wise moves

with what they had. They didn't go crazy. I still think they're trying to maybe take advantage of a few situations. I'm not going to be too critical of them because last time I was, they shoved it up my hoop by going to the second round. They have to sign those guys and Vertanen's good.

Arbright, I think Arbright. He's RFA. They for sure have money that needs to be paid, but it was a weird day to see Tanev. What a Canuck that guy felt like, right? If you're a Canucks fan, just this leader, he's all of a sudden gone. And so it was a tough day, but Schmidt going there, I know we're kind of running ahead of some of the other bigger deals,

but Petro, congratulations, big money. You deserve it. Vegas gets a good one. Yeah. And going back to your comment, R.A., Schmidt, he took that like a champ. His interviews were awesome. He was smiling the whole time, joking around back to your comment, R.A., Schmidty took that like a champ. His interviews were awesome. He was smiling the whole time, joking around like he usually is, and talk about a very positive human being on the overall scale.

Absolutely. We've got to get him back for round two. He's a pleasure to interview. And also, Vegas traded Paul Stastny and his contract to Winnipeg for defenseman Kyle Dahlstrom in a conditional fourth in 2022. I will say, man, that trade to Vancouver, that almost felt like a favor. Like, here, have this top four, top flight defenseman for just a third rounder.

I mean, I don't know. Well, everybody knew that they were in cap trouble. I was actually surprised. They still are. They still are, right? Vegas is in cap trouble. So I'm surprised maybe there weren't more takers and given up more value.

But he does come with a $6 million cap hit, as you said. And once again, that's why I was critical of Vancouver giving up as much as they did for, is it JT Miller? Oh, I wish you said TJ for the fourth time. No, I got it. I got it. 420th time, get it. Was because everybody knew that Tampa was in cap trouble. So, I mean, in this situation, I think that that was a very –

I think that was a good fair price and good for Vancouver for getting him for a third rounder. Yeah, and good luck to Schmitty up in Vancouver. And one other quick Vegas move, they had unrestricted free agent Thomas Nosek. He is staying in the desert one year, $1.25 million. So, he's not going anywhere. Let's go. The next big move, Taylor Hall.

This was probably the biggest surprise in a week of surprises. The biggest forward on the market went where I bet not many people had him going. Bill's mafia country. Taylor Hall, he's going to have to go to Home Depot and stock up on some trashy tables to smash himself through. And he's landing his $8 million deal win, huh? Yeah, just a shocker here for pretty much everyone around the hockey world. Now, here's kind of how I think it all went down. There was a ton of teams that showed a lot of interest, right?

And I think Columbus was one that maybe would have offered a lot of term, but I still think that all of a sudden, you know, you hear teams willing to do a year, willing to do two years, but the problem was a lot of these teams, Vegas was one, but they were way less money, I think, on a one-year deal. The Bruins are there, and the Bruins are telling them and stringing them along, well, we want you for this, we want you for this, but they're not giving them any answers.

And they tell them, listen, it's not going to get done yet. We have to move pieces to bring you in if that's going to happen. And in the end, Halsey doesn't want to wait anymore. He's got Buffalo. He sees Jack Eichel. He's going to happen. And in the end, Halsey doesn't want to wait anymore. He's got Buffalo. He sees Jack Eichel. He's going to prove it to himself. He thinks Buffalo is a better team. And Ralph Kruger had a ton to do with this.

It wasn't just the opportunity to play with Jack Eichel. And now Chippewa Street, holy shit, you got Halsey's big lips and motor fucking fast wheels flying down the wing. You're going to be shit-faced rooting this guy on if he can ever go to a goddamn game again in the NHL, but listen, Ralph Kruger, Ralph Kruger was Halsey's coach. When I think he had his best year besides his MVP year, the best year of his career, just a dominating performance in the lockout shortened year. He loved playing for him. And I think it was really meaningful to talk to him and him to tell Halsey how much he wants him

there. And I'll tell you this. I remember Taylor Hall telling me when we played together how good of a player he thought Jeff Skinner was. So Skinner signs that monster deal and has a horrendous year last year. But all of a sudden, that's a guy. You look at their top six. Looks pretty good on paper. Pretty good, not bad. Pretty not too bad.

Pretty not too bad. Pretty, pretty, pretty Larry David good. I think that Hall will have a big year there. Now, it was shocking because Buffalo has just been so pathetic, right? They've been so pathetic. You're like, Jesus Christ. Now, I said to Hall. Oh, now I know why we couldn't get him on the podcast.

You've been ripping their organization fucking all off season. Eberle told me a couple years ago, I'm not re-signing with the Islanders. And Halsey's like, I just want to go to an unbelievable team. Hall ebbs, re-signs with the Islanders. And Halsey's like, I just want to go to an unbelievable team. Epps resigns with the Islanders and Halsey goes to the Sabres. Suck on that old roomie, you big-eared fuckwit. Thanks for the insider info. Now, I think he's going to go there, and I think Buffalo's going to be much improved now.

They need to get goaltending, and there's a lot of things they need to fix. But talk about having a lot to play for. And you remember when Marion Hossa took the one-year deal from detroit after losing to detroit in the cup finals and ironically pittsburgh then beats him it's not crazy to think of a great player taking one year especially with what's going on now he goes out and lights it up and i think his goal and i know kevin adams mentioned their goal is to get him in in signed as a saber long term i don't know what's going to happen but i truly believe he will have a big year. Taylor Hall's like, no, I'm just using you. Well, people are like, well, they're not.

You're my side chick. I'm just going to dump loads of you. Make sure you're on the fucking birth control. And that, yeah, okay. You're my slap buster. So listen, no, Biz, hold on, hold on. People said that, like, oh, we know, maybe the Sabres do struggle and he gets traded

halfway through the year. Dude, he doesn't want to get traded anymore. Guy's the first overall pick. He's not going in this looking to maybe get dealt at the deadline. He wants to make Buffalo a good team. So you're saying he's the side chick. He's the one who keeps moving around. Anyway, I like it and he seems excited to be there. I know a lot of people are taking like his past comments and the fact he wants to go to a winner. He's already made his money. He wants to go somewhere where he can get a chance at a championship.

Listen, he feels like he can go there and make an impact and make them into a playoff team. Do I think they're anywhere near competing? No. But hey, maybe he goes there. He has very good chemistry in that top six, moving around the power play and, of course, with his old coach. He has very good chemistry in that top six, moving around, the power play, and, of course, with his old coach. And he just finds it comfortable there.

And maybe he does sign long-term. And some of these pieces that they do have end up working out. Who's the one kid that popped off a bit last year? Was it Victor Olsen? Yeah, rookie. Great player. Sick shot. Yeah, good player.

I mean, of course, Middlest stads another guy they need to to all of a sudden blossom and come out of his shell so listen who knows all of a sudden with the addition of a heart trophy winner and now now a rejuvenated eichel he's like oh my god i'm gonna get to fucking play with this guy this is unbelievable now the all more the pressure has been relieved off my back so i love the situation I hope he goes and flourishes, and I hope that it ends up working out much like it did with Skinner, and he gets his fucking payday. He seems happy.

A hungry dog hunts. Is that the saying? Is that the saying? No. Hungry dog hunts? Did I just make that up? There's a little more to it, but I forget the phrase. Mr. Feeney, I love you.

Why am I singing this song? I don't even like you, dog. No, number one on iTunes. Hey, so you got Eichel and you got Hall, two professional guys who are so driven at this point. They want to prove everyone wrong, and so I think that you got a lot to look forward to if you're a Sabre fan, finally.

Hall was still, hey, Hall was in the crease. We were going to get him on for this podcast to talk about it, but we got cock-blocked. He's been doing a lot of press. He's been doing the selfie videos to promote those big juicy lips of his for Chippewa Street. Hey, Chippewa Street, welcome these DSLs

and my flying speed down the wing. Ladies! Ladies! Welcome to the Sundowner. An interesting quote, though. He said, quote, Buffalo is a team that, whether guys realize it or not, everyone around the league kind of pulls for them. It's a good city.

They have passionate fans. They have a fan base that's starving for a winning team and hasn't had that lately. I thought it was interesting just to hear a player say that the rest of the league is actually pulling for one team. Well, he kind of means you're just like, oh, what the Sabres do? They're down 5-1 in the third. Oh, fucking Buffalo.

You know, that's kind of like. They deserve better. Yeah, it's like, oh, fucking A, those poor guys. A couple other quick notes. Buffalo did have a couple of their own UFAs that stayed. Zemgis Gergensens and Brandon Montour, they both re-upped. And Cody Eakin was unrestricted, played for Vegas before. He signed with Buffalo two years, 4.5 mil.

So moving right along, the other big name that went, well, Torrey Krug's rights were never dealt. There's some peck ahead of him. Ooh, all right. So he went to the market, and St. Louis was the one who landed him. Obviously, they got him, like we said before, Petro, seven years, 45.5 mil, comes out to 6.5 mil per year. I feel like there was a little bit of a PR war going on. Elliott Friedman had said Bruins didn't make an offer,

said that its previous offer was no longer on the table. I don't know. The Bruins, I didn't catch their press availability, but I don't think anybody really challenged Sweeney on those particulars. But either way, Krug's gone, moved on to St. Louisis he's not uh what petro is but he's a pretty nice player go ahead biz well this is getting uglier than dre's divorce right now this is fucking just the mudslinging in the media is ridiculous who's divorce who dr dre oh oh he isn't here oh he's got he's got a nasty one it's crazy that divorce is crazy she wants

two million a month and and uh actually she just apparently this is the new news is she just got caught in belt embezzling is that how you say it yeah oh nailed it uh like 350 she wants two sheets a month a month bro when your husband when the x is worth about four billion that's not her like like too much i'm sure you deserve it. Her, like, rider list of, like, what she spends money on was – Let me ride. I mean, you got to chuckle. If you're a judge and you see this, you got to look at it.

She's like, $20,000 a month pussy waxing. $45,000 a week on triple pool boy action. I like green M&M's only, which are charged extra. What a joke. How did we get to Dre? I have no clue. Krug divorce. Oh, yeah, the Krug and Bees divorce.

The ugly one. I think the Bruins are lying their dicks right off their body. That's what I was referencing at the beginning of the podcast when I said I wasn't happy with the Bruins are lying their dicks right off their body. That's what I was referencing at the beginning of the podcast when I said I wasn't happy with the Bruins. I just don't like how they're handling it. So let's put it this way, and let's just be honest about the situation. Bruins were like the cock blocks of free agency.

Apparently they were talking a haul, and they were dragging things out with them a little bit. They were talking about Anderson when he went for Domi. They had interest in trading for him. Yeah, so they're just tickling everybody's balls. Fully they asked about, what's going on in Boston? I do like Craig Smith a lot,

but let me tell you right now, Krug, so maybe you guys can tell me this. Is it definitely official that he was offered the six times six-five deal last December? Oh, okay, so it was in December he got offered the like six times six five deal last december apparent oh okay so it was in december he got offered that well september right i he said it had been about a year since he had talked to them now which way no so he's never said he did get an offer but he i he i he said

that he hadn't heard from him about yeah the last day off last off i got was about a year ago that that's what he he was quoted as saying and again, Elliott Friedman said that Bruins did not make an offer and indicated its previous offer was no longer on the table. Okay, so let's be fair here. So what they're essentially saying is they might have made that six-time-six offer in September, assuming everything was going as planned, the cap was going to go up. But then obviously what happened happened.

And considering he turned that number down, then that number was no longer on the table. So I don't know that that could be very well. And, and, and considering the circumstances of the cap situation, maybe they feel that his market value had dropped and all the power to, to Torrey for going to free agent free agency and taking advantage that i think he's a great player i think it's it's a shitty situation that he's not going to get to play for a place that he truly wanted to be but i feel that that he probably would have

gotten close to i would say at least 750 000 less per year if he would have stuck with the bees that's even thinking if he would have gotten an offer at five and a half, which seems to be wasn't even there with, with what happened with the cap situation. Yeah. And I don't know, I don't know who's going to run the Bruins power play. Maybe they're looking McAvoy could take that step, but it was, it was interesting to see him end up going to St. Louis. And I think that Krug was pissed off at the Bruins and what he thought,

lack of loyalty, and maybe a lack of kind of thinking he's the player that, that he thinks he is right. Like, obviously there is something there that the Bruins didn't want to invest in. And then Petro's going through the same thing. And then he gets his heart broken by St. Louis when Krug signs there, it's like musical chairs of just being treated like meat while also making millions of dollars. So I love Krug on the Blues, though. He competes. Who sent that tweet, Robert Thomas?

Are we best friends now of Krug just running him over in the finals? Great tweet, Robert Thomas. Great action there on Twitter. Now, what I want to ask him, maybe I can go to you, Biz. He doesn't know shit about signing big deals. Ask me. All right. Either one of you just jump in.

I think with Krug, I think it's safe to say there was a lack of communication between him and Boston. And in my blog the other day, I compared it to this girl I took on a date a few years ago. And, you know, it was no spark there. So I didn't call her anymore. And I ran into her in a bar, and she says, what's the matter? You're not going to call anymore?

And I says, well, I wasn't going to call you to tell you. I wasn't going to call you anymore. So I wonder if with the NHL situations, if it's, if it varies team to team, is it standard operating procedure for a team to say to a guy who gave him heart and soul for a decade? Hey buddy, we're going to move on. Thanks for everything. How do they play out? I love the comparison. And I think that a lot of think is a lot of things are

built up internally and when not communicated, sometimes like sometimes what you thought and wasn't a reality actually transforms. And yeah, it just seemed like one ugly domino fell and it got uglier as it proceeded. And there was never really any good, solid communication. I don't know. It seems like Torrey Krug would have been willing to take a discount. So maybe they're looking at like they did offer him that deal, you know, a year ago and, and, and that's kind of like what Marshawn and them are making. So like, if you want to be here, sign that.

So then maybe they're pissed off or they look at it or they look at his play and they think that he's not like the player they want to invest in, which I think is kind of crazy. He's so good on the power play, so good offensively, and he competes like a motherfucker out there. So it is a good point. I mean, it's hard when you look at, like, you're never going to get inside a GM's true thoughts on what he thinks about a guy,

and you're never going to really have a player or a GM open up, usually in this league, especially in terms of why they did or didn't do something. And this is a similar topic to Chicago and what's going on there. Let's get into that later. But it is very true that I think a lot of players' feelings are left hurt and a lot of GMs are left thinking, I don't really give a shit. Yeah.

Or they were just as hurt as he was when he turned down the six-time-six, if, in fact, that was offered a year ago. And Biz, instead of a good old-fashioned hate fuck, you'll end up with Krug and St. Louis. Yeah, yeah. With a relationship analogy. Not too bad. Hey, boys, well, some of these deals are long-term,

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It was good stuff. Such a nice man. Big thank you to Ryan Bonas, his son, who's a scout. And he passed along his information, and he said, you know, he's just one of the boys. And I said, any coach who incentivizes his players by offering them beers if they win, genius. Give them Coach of the Year every year.

Yeah, like I said, a little bit before we get to that. But another team that made some big news, Colorado Avalanche. I mean, they were looking like a wagon in the playoffs until they got banged up. And I don't know, man. Joe Sackick is starting to get a reputation as a GM who's starting to swindle guys a little bit. So, the Avalanche, they obtained forward Brandon Saad and then defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the Blackhawks for defenseman Nikita Zita Zadorov and a defenseman, Anton Lindholm in Colorado.

Also got Devin Taves from the Islanders. He's a restricted free agent. They gave him a second rounder in 21 and a second in 22. Colorado also re-upped restricted free agents, Andre Barakovsky, Ryan Graves and Valerie Nachushkin. So this team is already awesome. They got a little better. Whit, let's go to you first. We got to take on these multiple transactions. Let me tell you right now, Devin Taves is a hell of a player.

He skates like the wind, and it's a great acquisition from Colorado. But he was probably happy playing for the Islanders, a team he loved, his first team. And then Frankie fucking Borelli wore that outfit to his goddamn wedding. And next thing you know, the poor bastard gets shipped out of town. Frankie Borelli looked like a James Bond villain in the 1960s. Who was the Scottish James Bond? Sean Connery. Sean Connery. Sean Connery.

It was one of the, like, I don't know what he was wearing. I think he was trying to look hip. I mean, it was just the poor guy got dealt. I said on Twitter, I think that was the final straw. I think Lou saw his best buddy's outfit at his wedding. He's like, ship him out of here. Get him to the Avalanche or nothing. And I do think, though, that Joe Sackick has figured this out.

He's got – and what a change in times and how the NHL landscape moves and changes. And you look at Colorado and what they just did, getting Brandon Satt and sending Zdorov back to Chicago. What a sad time to be a Chicago Blackhawks fan or an elite player on that team. So as much as we want to blow Sackick and which he deserves it and what a player, and now he's doing it on the GM side, tough life.

He's probably fucking nasty to everything else. Like Pavelski too. Pavelski is going to be the guy that goes, he's a nasty GM someday, but the Blackhawks, can we not even, can we talk about, did you see this Taves article? Did you see this Taves article? Did you see this? Yeah, we can jump into it. Yeah. Oh, my God. Jonathan Taves. I don't get to stroke off.

Rarely ever. Who do I want to stroke off? You can stroke off, Joe. Stroke off. Well, I was going to say we went from the wife swapping to the cucking, and he's just cucking all these GMs over the airways. Okay, sure. Yeah, we'll make that trade. I don't know how he swindled that one but uh he the uh what's his the the the

guy on twitter who always has those awesome tweets he basically summed it up perfectly filipovich he's like he like they didn't make any drastic cap moves they still have plenty of space left there uh they didn't give up any first rounders or prospects, and they have a better team than they did going into last year. And as far as the one question mark at this point, it would probably be goaltending. But they think Grubauer is a number one. Of course, he gets injured in playoffs. But I would imagine if the team is now kicking the way it should be

with that top six and just even looking at their depth who can produce and securing the good solid 6D is you have enough cap space to where if you need to go at the deadline and get a goalie, considering there's a zillion of them now, you can do so. So for what he's done with that team and how, considering in this cap era, they're going to be in a very good situation moving forward to be very solid for the next four or five years, like as in a top three going in every season.

Barstool Sportsbook, before free agency, had the Colorado Avalanches the favorite to win the Stanley Cup next season. Oh, nice. And they got better. I mean, it just goes to show how good they are. Yeah, the old cuck monster. So now I can go to Chicago. Yeah.

Jonathan Taves doesn't really do much media. He'll do media that needs to be done, but in the summer especially, especially, guys, here we go. I'm getting better. He stays, like, under the radar, you know. He's not necessarily involved. He doesn't want to be in the media landscape. But for him to do that interview and to mention nobody ever told us

we were rebuilding and nobody ever consulted with us about any of these deals is shocking. And it shows how pissed off some of these guys are. And you can look at and argue that a GM doesn't owe players anything. You got a guy like Jonathan T taves and patrick kane who've run through formed a dynasty at one point in chicago with an original six team i don't think you necessarily have to listen to the guy and what he says but but player like that deserves to be brought into the mix yeah player like that deserves to be talked to and and and and discussions about where the team's heading and what the GM believes is going to happen

and what he thinks is going to happen and talking to a guy. And after what's happened in Chicago and after Taves giving that interview, there's Lazarus or something who did it at the Athletic. Honestly, I would not be that surprised if at some point Taves and Kane are out of there. Yeah.

Because are they going to sit through just like the doldrums of the Blackhawks like before they got there again? I just – if you're a Blackhawks fan and you know what type of person Jonathan Taves is, you got to be shocked to see him do that interview and say the things he did because they aren't happy there, and by no means are they expecting and cool with just a total rebuild right now. I would imagine the big spark is the fact that they didn't consult them

on not bringing Corey Crawford back, correct? That was the biggest issue, yes. That was the biggest spark. And as you said, and Versteeg actually took to Instagram on his story, and he was like, not only for what they've done for the organization, but if you're considering that your core group and that you actually have respect for them, and a guy that's already helped bring the organization to stanley cop and they've won with him the the fact that they weren't consulted is like it's inexcusable

and it just shows the separation and sometimes in this business there's egos involved and like it's kind of like all the players just fucking play and we joked around about earlier on about the vegas situation well they also haven't provided that organization three stanley cops like this is not we're not we're talking about like a last dance scenario to like the new the new hot blonde in town and it kind of reminds you of that documentary and how out of touch sometimes when the GMs are making these moves, they actually forget it's the individuals on the court that are getting the job done. And I mean, how fitting that it's in Chicago as well. So I don't know.

And even the Saad deal, I'm sure they are probably sick of like seeing another one that at least from the start is like a massive swing where it's like, is this guy consulting anything that he's doing at any point? Is there any type of pushback or other voice in the room maybe talking him off the ledge? And that's where their concerns should be. And listen, I don't know how this trade's going to pan out. I'm not going to be critical of this individual move as far as the Zdorov thing, the Corey Crawford thing,

and some things in the past that haven't looked so great on the resume. Yeah, this could be the straw that broke the camel's back. And they gave me a broken stick. And the stick with me. I mean, our boy Chief's done a great job. I love a good Chief rage blog, but he is right on. You know, when there's a quote from Bowman, I think it was earlier in the year, he's like, oh, I'm paid to manage, they're paid to play. And it's, he is right on, you know, when, when there's a quote from Bowman, I think it was already in the years.

Like, Oh, I'm, I'm the, I'm paid to manage. They're paid to play. And it's like, almost like, like you just said, because these guys won this franchise three, three cup, put them back on the map. You'd think they'd have some to offer. Yeah. I like tapes to come out and say, bottom line is I want to win. The expectation for the other leaders on this team and myself is to come ready to train at camp every year to be a playoff team. This has never been communicated to me for that matter.

A lot of this comes as a shock because it's completely different direction than we expected. It's sad. The fact that Jonathan Tays went on the record with those quotes, given his history, that's a guy who, well, let's not forget.

Let's not forget the firing of Quinville too. I would imagine that they probably weren't happy with that as well. So there's been like, there's been numerous dominoes at this point. And I know Biz usually likes to cross-reference with football, but I'm going to make a basketball analogy here. I know you were younger, but it's almost like when Larry Bird and Kevin McKeown was sort of at the end with the Celtics, and the Celts were starting to get bad, and they wouldn't trade them.

They refused to trade them, and then they ended up terrible for a long time. And I think there's a similar analogy to Taves and they wouldn't trade them they refused to trade them and then they ended up terrible for for a long time and i think there's a similar analogy to taves and cane there if they hang on to those guys just because they made the legacy there they could end up fucking losing the value on them you know what i mean like so it's gonna be it makes so much money too it's it's it's a weird situation how quickly things can change in this in this nhl now i guess it was a long run but chicago looks horrendous going into next year hey if, if they trade Taves and Kane, it's going to be back like when a coin was on and he said that he could yell across the stadium to his kids to sit down and shut up.

Remember when his kids were doing his homework at the games? Yeah, exactly. Be careful what you wish for. And while we're on the Hawks, they did re-up a couple of their restricted free agents. Dominic Kubelik signed for two years, 7.4 mil. Malcolm Subban, two years, 1.7 mil. And Matthias Janmark was unrestricted from Dallas. They signed him to a one-year $2.25 million deal.

And just going back to St. Louis briefly, I forgot to mention, Kyle Clifford ended up in St. Louis as well in a two-year, $2 million deal. He came from Toronto, of course, and Biz Toronto, of course, is another team that made lots of noise in free agency. Oh, baby. Let's take a look here. They brought in TJ Brody, four years, 20 mil. Wayne Simmons, one year, 1.5 mil.

Zach Bogosian, one year, 1 mil. Jimmy Veazey, one year, 900,000. Of course, they did have to move some money because they are Toronto. They lost 20 goals score when they sent Andreas Janssen to the Devils for Joey Anderson. Janssen, I'm sorry, has three years left at 3.4 mil. Anderson is an RFA not signed yet. I know you want to

talk about T.O. Biz. Go ahead. Well, Janssen, that's a tough loss and that's where they thought they could replace somebody cheap. They brought in two guys who could potentially do so. Jimmy Vmy vc he's got to be licking his chops right now with at getting inside that up that second line uh left side roll and they got him at 900 and you know he's he's one of those guys that i wouldn't say he's gambling

on himself because like you know i would imagine that the considering where the market is he probably couldn't have got much more somewhere else but But now he gets to go play in a top six like that, where that's his style of game. So they also had that Robertson kid who I'm not sure he had. I thought he had a solid playoff, ended up getting taken out in game five when sure as shit, Johnson came back and they thought he was ready to go. But Johnson was just kind of the odd man out

where they thought they could save some money. He was making three and a half. And they see that role bringing the other guys they brought in is at least one of those guys will be able to step and do that at a way cheaper cost. One of the criticisms of Robertson is maybe his skating at this point. He's still young. I think he had a 50 goal season the year before in the OHL. So this guy is like, you know, he's elite.

So maybe he'll be, in fact, even better playing on those skill lines. So it was the right move, but that was a tough loss at a proven guy who comes in Janssen, who blocks shots, who is a madman on the forecheck. He can retrieve pucks. I believe he's a fairly good penalty killer so you're you're losing a very solid piece and and went not to take a shot just kind of like a like a kunitz type he's just a honey badger out there just like i don't think i think comparing him to chris kunitz is like yeah that was a shot no no it's it's not even

just a shot at me it It's like a horrible comparison. Like Chris Kunitz is 10 times the player that that guy is right now. Well, maybe not at the time he came over. No. Kunitz won a cup in Anaheim and had like 60 points and shit. It's a horrible comparison. You tried coming after me. I'm coming after you for your shitbag call.

Well, he had 23 goals. What was Kunitz's crew like? Now, I like the guy's game. I like the guy's game. I like the guy's game. But, Biz, the most interesting thing I'm hearing in Toronto is that a lot of guys are just calling Joe Thornton. Come on over, Joe. Let's come over for a year.

Who knows, right? They got Spezza. They got the Vets. Wayne Simmons. I don't know how much he has left in the tank, but how hard is he going to play? He's going to be where he grew up, bringing a lot of jam to that team.

Same with Bogosian. So you see these moves Toronto makes, none of them are ever huge deals because they've paid like six guys, their whole salary cap, but you need these, you need these deals and you need these guys on good contracts to have huge impacts for that team to win. They'll never win unless the guys they're signing for a million bucks are really, really good. That's pretty much how important it is. So VZ had a really tough start to the year in Buffalo, but he's a great player, and I think that he could be awesome there. And I just – I understand where that team is and where they think they need to improve,

and they went out and they tried to do it. Now, granted, they don't have a ton of foot speed, a lot of these guys that they grabbed, and Bogosian and Simmons are a little older, but they're tougher and they're tougher to play against and it is an improvement for the for the Leafs I think well Brody was probably the biggest guy they brought in is for to solidify I love him I love how he moves I love how he skates that's a guy who deserves what was it four years like four and a half or something yeah so basically you're swapping

out Tyson Berry for him and you know we'll talk about Tyson and him gambling himself in Edmonton this year. But just Brody's just a guy who can, you know, play a 200-foot game. He can provide a bit offensively. And he's very confident in his own end. And now when you have a solid piece like that, you've brought in Muzzin the year before. And now we talked about Bogosian and Simmons and adding that toughness, much like we talked about with Tampa Bay and how they added some guys. Listen, I think this is the most confident I've been in a Leafs lineup

going into the season, and I think they, in fact, will make some noise and get out of the first round next year with a lineup like that. All right, we shall see. Another Canadian team that made some noise, Les Arbatons, Montreal Canadiens. They, of course, had already traded for Josh Anderson. They hadn't signed him as of our last show, but they did. A seven-year deal worth $38.5 million comes out to a $5.5 cap hit. Of course, they trade him for Max Domi.

And they also got Tyler Toffoli, who had finished up the season in Vancouver. They signed him to a four-year, $17 million deal, just four and a quarter mil. That's a bargain for a player like him. Vancouver fans not too happy. That franchise coughed up a second rounder and a prospect for 17 total games out of Toffoli. But either way, Montreal beefing up the offense a little bit. Hey, Biz?

I really like the offseason moves, and Tyler Toffoli is the type of guy who's very opportunistic, always finds the back of the net. He did have an off year the year previous in L.A., but that whole team did. The whole team took a massive dump. But, yeah, I think you're guaranteed getting 20 goals out of him. We mentioned the size that they added with Anderson. They beeped up the back end by getting Petrie back

with that nice contract and Edmondson. And then, of course, you got Shea Weber. So, I mean, my criticism of Montreal going into last season is they were probably just too easy to play against given their size. They just, like, were – they were all tiny. And I still believe that you need to beef up and you've got to be able to throw teams around

when it comes to play to playoff games and, and in burger vans taking that approach. And I, I like the moves he's made. He hasn't gone too crazy and to lock a guy up like that with a, with a very fair term to where you're basically getting, getting it guaranteed 20 tucks. I think it's a very solid move. Okay. So Montreal, they need to go on a run. They need to have a good year. Bergevin's job could be gonzo right if they're shit so they need to have a good season now the Anderson stuff's crazy because Anderson he got I'm not gonna say bone but call uh Columbus had all the leverage on his last deal

which was like one it's like one seven or one eight a year for three years and then so this year he went to him and he said hey give me a one-year deal or give me an eight-year deal. That's it. One year gets me the UFA, eight you lock me up. And Columbus, I just keep confusing them. Columbus was not cool with either. They were not cool with either. So they go out and they trade that guy and they bring in Domi

and they sign it for not as much money as Anderson wanted, I don't think, or at least term. And so Montreal makes some changes that they had to make. I like to Foley. I think that you're, you're saying maybe it's a little bit of an underpayment for him already, but he's not a great skater. Yeah.

I shouldn't. Yeah. I'm not going to say he's not a great skater skate. It's, it's not a huge issue, but it's not like the strength of his game. And in this league, it's like,

I thought that was a very fair number, especially with this year, what's going on. And and like i thought it was a nice contract when i saw yeah mike hoffman's still out there i mean there's scores that are still not signed so i i respect montreal having to try to make some moves to get get some stuff done i still don't know if they have the team to like how are they how are they gonna you know beat the Leafs or the Bruins or the Lightning? There's so many teams, I think, that they're just behind, even with these new deals. But you got to respect it for going out and trying to get something done. Are you okay with the Anderson deal?

I see it as kind of like the tuck formula, assuming he's going to turn into that power forward. Mind you, I thought it was a – I think it's a bit of a gamble. He got 27 the year before. Then he has shoulder surgery. Like, you know, if you're a goal scorer, that's going to be a question mark and if you can get back to where you were previous that. Because in order for him to play up to what he's getting paid now, he has to have years where he's getting 25 or 30 30 every year oh yeah if he's not getting

25 a year with that deal it's it's something so yeah he's he's got a lot to prove and i'm interested to see how that one plays out because there was a bit there was a bit a bit of criticism surrounding it and how much coming off major surgery that first year is very tough to be really good and and you you got to think the risk is that he'll be healthy enough to be an elite player and show what he did two years prior. I'll say this. I'd be more confident giving it to Toffoli, given that there's a lot of years where there's 20 in the goal column,

rather than a guy who's done it once and then it's coming off a situation like that where now he's going into a new environment where the amount of pressure to play in Montreal and Columbus like there's no fucking comparison especially when you're being paid the big bucks so that one should be an interesting one to see play out all right well we had a lot of musical cheers with the goaltenders lots of that going on uh this was a bit of a surprise I thought it looked like Jacob Markstrom after his excellent playoffs there was a lot of positive talk about him in Vancouver well that's not where he ended up. He ended up in Calgary six years, $36 million, a $6 million cap hit.

That was a big surprise, Whit. I know, like I just said, everyone thought he was going to stay in Vancouver after that play. See, I didn't. I didn't the whole time. With Demko coming up, I thought there's no way that they're going to give him the money that he's going to get and demand out there with what looks like a future stud coming up and making way less. So I'm not surprised at all that he's going to get and demand out there with, with a future, what looks like a future stud coming up and making way less. So I'm not surprised at all that he left. Now, if you're Ken Holland and an Edmonton Oilers fan, you're,

there was a moment you were very upset. I think that Edmonton had that guy and figured it was a done deal, seven years, 5 million a year. And all of a sudden at the last minute, that, that final hour, boom, he goes to Calgary. So not not only not only is he what that's that's how it all went down that's what elliot's saying he had a seven-year deal at five million a year with edmonton and then and then calgary came in and cock blocked them i don't know if they came in last minute they might have been a part of it the entire time i don't know how that went down. But in listening to the – you know, Elliott,

just one of the most trusted saucers in – Oh, yeah. Elliott Freeman I'm mentioning. Yeah, I mean, Edmonton's right there, and they think they got him, and boom, last minute he goes to Calgary. So it's Battle of Alberta twisted up another notch. Oh, baby. And the Oilers are looking at it like, oh, we're thinking we're getting

Markstrom, and all of a sudden they re-sign Mike Smith, right? Yeah, they got him one year at $2 million. So I think Markstrom is going to be awesome in Calgary. I think he's really figured out what it takes to be an elite goalie in the league. I was so happy I got to see him as a younger guy. Florida trades him, and it looks like, I don't know, is this kid going to make it? He's so big, so skilled.

Like he has every tool in the book, and he figured out how to get it done. So Calgary gets a really good goalie, and the Oilers get screwed. I played against that guy in the Calder Cup finals. That's not a shot. I don't mean get screwed. They haven't – Mike Smith, that sounds like a complete shot against him. But if you could choose who you want, right, you're looking at Markstrom as a really, really good number one goalie in the NHL I was just going to say I played against him in the

Calder Cup final about what three or no maybe four years ago and this guy has earned every penny he just signed for he has to be thrilled about that deal and just given with you know the uncertainty of free agency nowadays but uh well deserved I I think he's a tremendous goalie, and I think he's – with his type of character in that locker room they have in Calgary, I think he's going to fit in like a nice glove, and everything's going to be all peachy and rosy, especially in the Battle of Alberta. One other signing by Calgary too, Chris Tannev signed four years,

$18 million, nice little payday that he earned. Well, they brought Ronaldo back too as well, the little wrecking ball, little Luchich Jr. A little blondie, blondie Jr. Well, of course, Markstrom leaving Vancouver left a vacancy there and that was filled by Braden Holtby. He took a two-year deal worth 8.6 million to $4.3 million cap hit. Him and Demko will make for a nice one, too. Demko had a bit of a coming-out party in the playoffs. 0-6-4, goes against, 9-8-5 save percent that she was otherworldly. But, yeah, I mean, Vancouver, if you're a Vancouver fan,

yeah, it sucks to see Markstrom go, Biz, but you bring in Holpe, you got Demko, you know, waiting in the wings. It's not all that bad. I think where they're going to have to spread the money out, I think they made the right play, and sucks the marquee situation sucks i know some fans are going to be disappointed but as you said you you don't have to lock in to a long-term contract i think he's getting paid a very fair number and listen if let's say the holpe doesn't perform up the standards you have a guy who they're basically trying to groom as the next starter.

And, and, and that's a great one, two punch at an extremely good value. A hundred percent. Sometimes I got nothing to add with you biz. Sometimes you just take a fucking 85 mile an hour fastball right over the fat of the plate and just put it four it four rows deep into the second balcony. I like these one episodes a week. You get to soak in these trades. You get to give them a little bit of thought and dissect them

and then overthink them and then second guess yourself. It's great. And then get fucking sued online. And then read the comments about yourself online and just want to fucking jump off a bridge he's getting bullied by people yeah and then call wit and be like fuck these people it's okay though i'm biz no it's pretty much forget uh vancouver also re-upped uh restricted free agent tyler mott of course he had a nice little playoff for himself two years 2.45 million dollar contract uh so he'll be back with the Canucks.

And, of course, Hope he left Washington. He's ostensibly going to be replaced by Ilya Samsonov, but they brought in Hank Lundquist presumably to back him up. Hank, of course, was bought out by the Rangers. He signed with rival Capitals a one-year $1.5 million deal. I know I am praying that we get Capitals, Rangers, whenever the next playoffs come. I think it's pretty intriguing that he went to a division rival.

Washington also signed unrestricted free agent Justin Schultz to a two-year, $8 million deal. Whit Dogg, what do you got on the Hank move? Well, I was just going to say, if Fleury's getting a knife or a sword in the back, what's Hank getting? What means Hank getting? A sword stuffed with a bunch of money. Yeah, exactly.

And I think that his salary with Washington gets him right back to what he would have made in New York. I thought I read that. I love that move. I think that Samsonov is for sure shown that he can be a starter, but to have a guy like that as the backup, who in New York, as we said on a bunch of episodes, he wouldn't have been able to,

I don't think go in being the backup. Whereas here, he probably knows, you know, I'm, I might play, you know, 25, 30 games if I'm lucky. And it's a lot easier mentally going in, knowing that, and he's not going to go in and not try to win that starting job and not try to outperform Sam's. I have no chance, but mentally he knows, you know, right now on paper, I'm not their number one guy. But what a backup to have, a veteran who could teach a young goalie, who can look phenomenal doing it.

And Washington's right back there. They won that cup, and it's been a little awkward, right? They got a new coach, everything's changing, and they're looking to make that next step after a real, real setback. I can't wait to see Ovi's tan once Lundqvist teaches on the routine. Hey, Ovi, Ovi, good luck ripping a high 1T in warm-ups now. Would he say something to Ovi? Probably not, though.

I guess Ovi can do that. I don't know. They were playing tummy sticks on Twitter the other day because they posted Ovechkin's 700th goal, and it was on Hank. So Washington was like, oh, on this day in history, Ovechkin scored us. And he's like, hey, let's let the past be in the past, please. It's going to be all good until fucking Ovechkin dips a Swedish meatball into marinara sauce.

Then all hell's going to break loose. Oh, yeah. Oh, geez. I don't know what he'll think about the cross and the sauces. Uh-oh. He brings some. What's that gross? What's the gross white sauce?

I hate it. What's it called? Marinara. No, marinara is right. Alfredo. Alfredo. He brings a side of Alfredo to Ikea when he's getting some new furniture. Do you think that Ovechkin would ever get furniture at Ikea

and put it together himself? No. No. Well, fuck that. Fair enough. Go somewhere else and pay someone else to do it. Of course, you just mentioned Markstrom went to Calgary, which meant Cam Talbot is on the move. He ended up in Minnesota because Dubnik had already been else to do it. Of course, you just mentioned Markstrom went to Calgary, which meant Cam Talbot is on the move.

He ended up in Minnesota. Of course, Dubnik had already been traded to San Jose. Talbot signed a three-year deal worth $11 million. It comes out to $3.66 million a year cap hit. Minnesota also re-upped, restricted free agent Jordan Greenway, two years, 4.2 mil. Corey Crawford, this was, we just talked about the Blackhawks a minute ago. This was a surprise.

Another one, New Jersey. Two years, 7.8 mil, 3.9 a year. Not a surprise that he went to New Jersey. Just a surprise that Chicago let him walk, considering the role he had in the history there. Biz, any take on Talbot or Crawford? No, other than the goalie carousel just keeps going. It's deep state

right now. I told you. There was that gif. I tried to find it. It was like, yeah, this explains the goalie situation. All they did was move the names over the logos and every goalie corresponded to that new team. I couldn't find it. I tried to fucking find it. Sick take, Ari, but it was just pretty cool. I couldn't find it. Hey, guys.

You tried to find it. I did. Well, it wasn't like a key word, but if you saw it cool. Couldn't find it. Hey, guys, he tried to find it. I did. Well, it wasn't like a key word, but if you saw it, you're like, okay. It actually really simplified a bunch of fucking moves. Another goalie, Matt Murray, of course, he had been dealt to Ottawa. He was a restricted free agent. Well, he agreed to a four-year $25 million deal. Comes out to six and a quarter per year after the trade from Pittsburgh.

Interestingly, only six Penguins remain on the roster from the 2017 Cup team. Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Gensel, Rust, and Dumoulin. Quite a bit of turnover from a Cup team, eh, guys? Yeah, but I don't know. Like, I wouldn't have paid Murray that if I was Pittsburgh. Like, what do you think, Whit? I couldn't agree more.

I totally – everything Nate did goaltending-wise made total sense. I think Jari showed that he's just as good, if not better, right now. He's not as much of a concern injury-wise, and he's costing less money. So they moved Murray, and it was – I think you said – you guessed what he'd want. It ended up being right around what he signed for. I thought he wouldn't get that. But Ottawa's a team who needs to – they need to need to spend money they're horrific and so they don't really

mind they're getting a guy who they truly believes in number one and he's won two Stanley Cups I know it sounds like he's dog meat but it's just his health that's so questionable and his inconsistencies the past couple seasons but in terms of Pittsburgh I understand where they why they went with that move in terms of going with Jari well you, you mentioned health too. And like, he's probably going to be playing a lot more games in Ottawa, especially now with what he's, what he's being paid. Whereas like if health is the issue, like normally like splitting time in the net is going to benefit you because you're not, you're not, you're not injuring yourself while fatigued.

If you're playing every fucking game or at least 70 or 65 of them, you know, with, with the injuries in the past that could come into play so congrats to him though dude he's gotten paid off what he's accomplished and and i mean it's been well earned 25 sheets how are you and also too i think this is worth knowing you talk about health and you know we talk about mental health he's a guy who lost his dad uh not too long ago i mean that's something that some guys just don't, you know, you don't just get over things. I mean, you're always mourning, you're always grieving, and you wonder if maybe a change of scenery

will just be the right thing for him and kind of get his head back up. 100%. That's a big fucking loss for a guy to go through. So one other goalie note before we move it along here. Corey Schneider was bought out by the Devils on Thursday, and then on Monday, P.L. LeBrun tweeted that the Isles would be signing him.

As of press time, he has not been signed. Lou, of course, traded for Schneider back in 2013 when he was the head guy in New Jersey, and Lou gave him the seven-year, $42 million extension that Tommy Fitz just bought him out of, which is pretty funny. Assuming he ends up on the Island, he does have a pair of Russians ahead of him on the depth chart in Valamov and Sorokin. As far as his money, Schneider will get eight of the $12 million he had coming ends up on the island. He does have a pair of Russians ahead of him on the depth chart in Volomov and Sorokin. As far as his money, Schneider will get eight of the $12 million he had coming over the next four years.

The Devils will save $4 million against the cap for two years before it costs them $2 million for the next two years. Biz, what you got? I'm interested to see what that goalie whisperer and what the Islanders can do to help Corey Schneider get his game back. Is it Mitch Korn, you said? Yep. Yeah.

So I don't know. And playing in front of a team who doesn't give up anything. Yeah. It would be a nice way for him to find his game back, and I couldn't be happier for him. And very, very low risk, 700K. How are you? I only made what I signed for, 725.

That was the highest I ever got paid. Now he's on the back end of his career, so still making as much as I did at my prime. You're trying to kick a dog when he's down, and the guy gets bought out and signs for $700, and you're reminding him that he's making what you made? Yeah. Yeah, I did kick him when he was down there.

Or he should just be happy. That's the worst deal he ever got. Before that, he was making cake. It's just, like I said, ironic that Lou signed him at the deal. He ends up getting bought out, and then Lou brings him back with a different team. Oh, Billichick shit. Oh, Billichick, I love it.

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Biz, we ain't done yet. Lots more signings. Obviously, folks, we can't list every single one of them. So if we mention or we don't mention one of your favorite players or favorite teams, you know, these names are very easy to find. You go to TSN Trade Tracker. Hit up Witt on Twitter and complain about it. Yeah, go to Twitter and bitch about it if we don't name your favorite player. I'll give you his number.

Just hit me up. I'll send you his direct line. Now, this one's significant for a reason we get to in a second. 41-year-old Patrick Milo was back in San Jose for $700,000. And the reason this is significant is he needs just 45 games to pass the legendary Gordie Howe on the all-time games playlist. You know, when you're that close, I know he's, you know, on the back nine, to put it nicely.

But when you're that close, man, and the team's willing to give it to you, you got to take that shot at it, no? Oh, no doubt. No doubt. He could probably play another three, four years the way he skates. And he finally got into new skates. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, that is just wild.

The longevity. I know I mentioned it before. I don't know if that gets you in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But, like, I mean, you've played the most NHL or professional hockey league games of all time. Do they include the – what was the other league that Gordie Howe played in? WHA. Oh, they don't include those games?

This is strictly NHL? This is just an NHL record, yeah. I mean, yeah. I mean, that's fucking incredible. Congratulations, Patrick Marleau, and I hope you get it. A couple other deals we want to mention here. Kevin Shattenkirk, switching coasts, going from Florida to California. Signed a three-year deal with Anaheim worth $11.7 million.

Comes in at a $3.9 million cap hit. Whit, what's your take on this one, guy? Well, I love Shatty. So, first of all, congratulations. You win the Stanley Cup. Well, this just shows, you know, you get, congratulations. You win the Stanley cup. Well, this just shows, you know,

you get bought out and you sign with a great team and he goes on and it's the ultimate story of success when they win the Stanley cup and he played awesome. And then you see like, you go from the lowest moment ever getting bought out by a team you grew up rooting for and you get to play for your hometown team. And then all of a sudden you're winning the Stanley cup. You're getting a three-year deal for close to 12 million.

So it's like, never stop believing in yourself. And it also shows players sudden you're winning the Stanley cup. You're getting a three-year deal for close to 12 million. So it's like never stop believing in yourself. And it also shows players who are bought out. I mean, in a lot of times it can be a good thing for you. I know it sounds crazy at the time, but for him, look at where he's at now. He's going out West. He's playing for a team that is going to need D help, but in a great spot. And I think that he deserves it because he,

he did so much good and helped the lightning so much in terms of how he played he wasn't forced to play a ton of minutes so i think anaheim should know that the most success you're going to get out of him is he's playing 20 minutes he's playing on the power play they're not going to try to force him into roles that maybe the rangers did wow nice dismount at the end there got all out you know what it's gum in my mouth under my tongue that was just amazing. Unreal. And to summarize what you've all just said there, Ryan Wilson on Twitter posted this.

Thanks for sending this over, G. How great is Kevin Shattenkirk doing? Stanley Cup champion, earns a raise of $3.9 million. Rangers paying him $6 million to not play for them this year. Kevin Shattenkirk will make $9.9 million this year. Kevin fucking Shetty,irk will make $9.9 million this year. Kevin fucking Shetty, get your bag, boy. Wait, you just mentioned

tongue tricks. Were you one of those guys who could tie a cherry stem in your mouth without your fingers? Oh, yeah. Oh, I don't have an OnlyFans account. I could never do that. I could probably do it with my ear. I'll give you $500 to take the M off. Warren, have you seen my baseball?

Have you seen my baseball? All right, moving right along. Anton Hudobin, he was once again an unrestricted free agent. Dobby. Dobby. Three-year, $10 million deal. Comes out to $3.33 over the life of the contract. And restricted free agent, Radek Foxa, Dallas agreed to a five-year deal

worth 16 and a quarter mil with him, comes out to three and a quarter mil. He's a key player for them, I think, in their top nine. Obviously, Udoven got them all the way to the cup. And one other deal, Tyson Barry, Biz, I know you want to talk about him. He ended up signing a one-year deal on Edmonton worth 3.75 million of course he was dealt from colorado to toronto to get himself the free agency what'd you take on that one biz nasty yeah you know he didn't have a great year last year and then the reboot happened and he you know he struggled inside the bubble um you know i i don't think uh him and babcock necessarily got along early on, and that slow start definitely killed him

and maybe some of his confidence. He's going to go play with two of the best power play players in the world, if not the two best. That's what he does, and that's what he brings. I believe Tippett will be able to instill that confidence in saying just go play your game. Don't worry about anything else. And I think that he's going to be able to get back

to where he was the year before when he was playing with Nathan McKinnon and he was a 60 point a 60 point offensive defenseman and he's doing so at taking a discount I think he's making three and a half this year this I know jokingly our number kept going up I think I had him making 10 a year at one point in free agency 10 million a year but know, this was probably a guy who was looking at, at probably, you know, a six times six type of deal. And now he's on a one year deal at 3.5. So, you know, I hope he, like I said, I hope he kills it. I hope he, he goes there and does what he did the year before.

And he, and he secures his own bag like Shaddy. Absolutely. I think that it was, it it was it was a combining factor of what's going on in free agency what's going on around the league in the world and then him just having an off year so it's just tough timing yeah a couple of games still out there well i was actually going to bring up uh because i was watching football this weekend off that dac prescott injury was terrible. And I saw Des Bryant. Is it true he turned down $175 million?

Okay, so that's what I was going to get to. And I saw Des Bryant tweet something out. And I don't have much idea what's going on with these contracts in the NFL. I know that NFL quarterbacks are getting paid, more so than, like, ace pitchers now. So Des Bryant tweets out, like, you better take care of him, Jerry. And I'm like, oh, shit. Like are they going to like cut him or something?

So I look more into it, and then people are like, what are you talking about? He's like they offered him like $150 to $175 million deal where I think he was going to be making like $28 million a year as a quarterback in the state of Texas. No state tax, by the way. I don't know if you guys know that. And he turned it down to gamble on himself

because I think that he thinks by the time next year he would have signed, he would have been one of the highest, if not the highest paid quarterback in the league. So to me, that is a fucking ego thing. They tried to take care of him. They tried to sign him to a $150 million contract. So if you're going to gamble, and now he's injured, and I would imagine that he makes a full recovery,

and hopefully he's quarterback again. But is that not just flat-out greed? Yeah. We're talking maybe a difference of $5 million per year over the length of a four- or five-year deal, which is like I get that it's $25 million, but I think there was over $100 million in guarantees in the contract that they offered him.

Yeah, there's no argument for trying to go out and trying to prove yourself being worth more money, but in the end, that's what can happen. That's the worst case scenario. But in that circumstance. And in that league, and it's just like, I don't know how, like if you're his agent, are you not saying, and I know the agent, the more he makes, the more the agent makes.

If he takes a deal that is undervalued, then all of a sudden he's screwing other quarterbacks. You look at it like that. But I look at it like, dude, I'm setting'm setting my grandkids grandkids grandkids up for life and and what can happen if i if i what can happen if i don't sign this i can go out and i can make like you said another 40 million dollars on a deal and i and i make 210 instead of 160 or 170 i think it's man i can't reason with you as a person if that's like i know if you want to gamble sure but like in no way shape or form i'm feeling sorry for anyone who's

like like jeopardizes it maybe these guys have insurance out on themselves but like at what level is it like i was kind of like i didn't agree with des bryant's tweet i'm like well they they they literally tried to do what you're saying they tried to secure him with a hundred million dollar and a hundred million dollars in guaranteed money and like exactly a rocket scientist well i mean anyway i i know i'm rambling here but i just thought that that was ludicrous after reading what they offered him awful to see though felt so bad for the guy felt so bad he's crying as he got pulled off just yeah i can't even look at those injuries because it is horrific to see but yeah when you when you hear certain people saying they got to take care of it's like uh no they

don't that's the whole point of this this business yeah yeah if it's not greed it's shitty advice from someone busy by the way stay hot n. Keep killing it with those fucking delayed games and fucking postponed games and whatever else they've been fucking up with. Oh, he's taking shot. They got the game. They're getting the games played. Yeah, I don't know. I just I think the other day, like someone tweeted out.

Oh, it was Chris Mortensen said, oh, it's a couple executives. It said to me, like the way Goodell has handled the pandemic and racial injustice should seal his fate for the Hall of Fame. It's like, are you fucking kidding me, dude? You talk about carrying water. Like, you think the way he's handled the pandemic and racial justice, like, that's going to get him? I mean, he's going to get the Hall of Fame because that's a fucking joke anyways.

But, like, I was like, it's the NFL, man. I don't know. I have my issues with him. But anyways, moving along, still some free agents out there. Mike Hoffman, Evgeny Dadunov, Eric Holler, Corey Perry, it's the NFL, man. I don't know. I have my issues with them. But anyways, moving along. Still some free agents out there. Mike Hoffman, Evgeny Dadunov, Eric Holler, Corey Perry, Michael Granlund, Anthony Duclair, who's going to rep himself. Defenseman Sammy Vatnin, Zidane O'Chara still out there. I don't imagine he's going to go anywhere else other than Boston

if he comes back for another year. Jimmy Howard, Craig Anderson for veteran goalies. What's up, Biz? As if this free agency wasn't crazy enough, there's a few situations here. On the back end, Duclair representing himself. I think this is awesome because I don't know when the last time this happened. This is the biggest.

I hope he did it. Oh, well, this is, to me, the biggest contract of his life and the most important time. And, you know, he's hopping on the phones, hopefully going to cut a nice deal for himself. I think it's a risky play just time. And, you know, he's hopping on the phones to hopefully going to cut a nice deal for himself. I think it's a risky play just cause like, you know, there's, there's, there's so much about the business that a lot of us don't understand. And like, I don't know,

sometimes the communication directly can like, you know, be, be a negative thing anyway. I wish him the best. He had a great year, 23 goals. He was an all-star. It's unfortunate that the season got canceled when it did because when you're a 30-goal scorer, I think it's a nice title to have, and he was on pace to do so. The other thing is Hoffman. So he's a guy who's waiting in the weeds, right?

Normally he was probably one of the biggest free agent forwards as far as what he's been able to produce and how consistently he's done it. Now, he's definitely the biggest name out there right now, but sometimes you wait a little too long and the money's just really not there. So to see how this one's going to play out, I would imagine that he's going to secure himself probably five and a half, six minimum a year, and he's probably going to get a fairly, fairly decent sized term to wit. This is a, this could be a major piece for someone.

Yeah. He's definitely talking. He's talking to teams who are saying, Hey, we, we like you, this could work, but we need to make moves before it happens. And like Halsey, it's like, yeah, I mean, some people don't mind waiting, but at some point it's like, all right, well, what's going on here? Like camp starts in two months. Yeah, Biz Hoffman's coming off a four-year deal that paid him a little over $20 million, a little over $5 million a year.

And, yeah, he's been, I mean, his last few goals, 29, 36, 22, 26, 29. This is a guy who puts the puck on the net. Someone's going to pay him. I don't think he's going to get underpaid. But, all right, boys, I think that wraps it up pretty much for free agency. We ought to send it over to Rick Bonus right about now. Yeah, for sure. Rick Bonus, been around the game forever. Great guy, friendly person. We really appreciate him coming on. So right now, enjoy this. Rick Bonus, head coach of the Dallas Stars. Okay. I want to let you know this interview

was brought to you by Cross Country Mortgage, America's crazy good mortgage company who make it easier to get the financing you need fast. Go to CCMLens.com slash NBD to learn more about your future home buying or refinancing experience. NMLS 3029, equal housing opportunity. Well, it's an honor to welcome our next guest to the show. His coaching career began 38 years ago when he was a player coach for the AHL's Sherbrooke Jets, or Reg Dunlop style. He's been behind the bench for more games was a player coach for the AHL's Sherbrooke Jets, a little Reg Dunlop style. He's been behind the bench for more games as a head coach or an assistant than anyone in NHL history.

And, of course, he just led the Dallas Stars to their first Stanley Cup final appearance in 20 years. And he also played 173 NHL games after breaking in with the Atlanta Flames. Thanks so much for joining us. Rick Bonas. Gentlemen, how are we doing tonight? We're doing good now that we're talking to you. the Atlanta Flames. Thanks so much for joining us. Rick Bonas. Gentlemen, how are we doing tonight? Doing good now that we're talking to you. First off, we want to say hats off.

Congratulations on the run you guys had. We know it come up a little bit short, but it was a hell of an effort. Everybody was rooting for you. And second, where are you unwinding after this ridiculously long season? Well, right now we're back in Dallas. We're going to spend the month of October here. We've got a summer home up in Nova Scotia, Canada, and that's where we're going to head for November. Of course, it's not a summer home. Now it's a fall home.

So anyways, we're going to get up there for November. But listen, it was a great run. Very proud of the guys. Going into this whole thing, you had to prep your players an awful lot of the guys um uh you be going into this whole thing you had to prep your players an awful lot of of the obstacles that we were going to face in terms of your living conditions so uh the players had to buy in before we even got there that you're living in a bubble uh you're going to be very there's going to be tough constraints on what you can and cannot do so the players had to be in the right frame of mind going into that bubble.

And our guys completely bought in. They did so here in the three weeks of the training camp prior to going to Edmonton in terms of looking after themselves and staying out of restaurants and staying out of clubs or whatever so they wouldn't get the COVID. And they were that committed. So that carried over into the bubble, into the playoffs. So we didn't have a great round, Robin. There's no question.

But once the playoffs started, our guys, again, they had completely bought in. And we got an awful lot out of them. I'm very proud of their efforts. Very proud of their commitment. Because, again, people don't understand how tough that was, living in that bubble for nine-plus weeks. And the team that could handle it the best was going to the team that could keep advancing and hats off to our players for handling it as

well as they did and that huge commitment from not only them from their but their families a guy like Corey Perry has a two-month-old boy Griffin didn't see him for like over almost 11 weeks uh Sakara left his family in Slovakia in the middle of June to come over. Doesn't go back until this whole thing is over. So it's not only the players that made sacrifices, it's their families and their children that made huge sacrifices as well. So again, I couldn't be more

proud of our team. Rick, I loved your philosophy of saying if you win, we'll give you a beer. And I just, I considered it genius. It really worked. It brought you all the way to give you a beer. And I just, I considered it genius. It really worked. It brought you all the way to a couple wins away. Now, at what point did that click in to incentivize them with alcohol? Well, 1990.

Yeah, exactly, exactly. We hope they weren't drinking too much away from the team. But, again, we had this big suite, and there was card tables and ping pong and a golf simulator in there. So the guys really did a great job hanging out there. I don't think they were – I know they weren't drinking in there. The only place they could have a few beers was in their room. That's it.

You couldn't go to a bar. There's nothing open. So they had a few beers in their room. Good for them. Whatever it took to get through that maze, you had to do it. Rick, I'm curious. As the game's changed in the past few years and you've seen more player-coach relationships

where it's not necessarily the hard-ass coach that has as much success anymore, you've seemed to always be a guy that's been very close with players you've coached, whether it was as a head coach or as an assistant. So I'm just curious, like when you stepped away from playing and became a coach, did you know right away you were going to be a guy? I mean, I want to say players coach while also holding guys responsible. You were very friendly and didn't ever make them feel like threatened like some coaches have in the past.

Well, I'll tell you the story. And I wasn't a regular player and I bet that but there was one game and I said I sat on the bench the whole game I didn't get a shift so anyways I went into the coach the next day and said you know coach give me something that I can work on so I can actually get on the ice and play a little bit. And he looked at me and said, well, you've got to work harder. And I looked at him and I said, listen, man, that's all I've got is work. I can't work any harder. So I kind of said to myself, then, you know, if you're going to, and I wanted to get into coaching, there was, I knew that when I was 25, 26 years old, I wanted to stay in the game. But if you're going to get into coaching, you're going to be honest with the players and you're going to get into coaching, you're going to be honest with the players,

and you're going to have uncomfortable conversations. You're going to have to tell them things they don't want to hear, but at least you're going to be honest and upfront. Now, if they don't like it, they don't like it. They get mad at you, they get mad at you. But it's better, and Ryan and Paul know this as well, that a player wants to know where he stands, and they know if you're BVSing them.

And just be honest, look them in the eye, and they know if you're BVSing them. And just be honest. Look them in the eye and just tell them the way it is. Don't make things up and don't hide behind other things. If there's an issue with the player, you've got to deal with it. So I'm not a guy that gets labeled a defensive coach, offensive coach, players coach, hard player. I've never been one of those guys. I'm just trying to be me, and I'm going to be honest with my players.

I've always believed. And even in the 90s or 80s, when I started, there was a lot of hard line coaches that do it my way. And I was never a believer of that either. So I've always tried to build a good rapport with my players. I've always tried to have open communication. It's probably cost me a couple of jobs over the years being like that, but that's okay. I'd rather do it my way. I'm going to fire me. They're going to fire me doing my way. So I've

always just tried to be, have an open line of communication. And again, as Paul and I know, you've got to have uncomfortable conversations. You've got to tell players things they don't want to hear, and then you hope they can handle it like a man, like a true professional. So that's kind of been my philosophy the whole time I've been a coach is that I'm going to be a good communicator. The door's always open. I'm going to talk to them every day as much as I can, and we'll let it go into place. Now, that being said, you always have guys that don't like you

and get a little upset at you, and that's all part of the program. That's what we all sign up for. So that stuff doesn't bother me either. As a coach, if you're honest with your player and you're telling them exactly how you feel, then that's all you can do. Then it's up to the player to deal with it. I would say you probably got put to the test right away, Rick.

I mean, you were 27 years old, player, coach in the NHL. How awkward would it get with your teammates? I mean, were they fighting with you over ice time? How do the personalities clash when you're doing the player-coach thing? You know what? When we did – that was the first year. Winnipeg, we put a team in the American Hockey League. They had been in the old Central Hockey League for years.

And they decided to put a team in the American League. Well, honestly, we weren't ready. We didn't have enough players to go in there. We were actually bringing guys out of the Quebec Senior League who had retired from playing pro for a couple of years, but we needed bodies. They were just thankful to get a job playing hockey again. So, honestly, it wasn't that big a deal.

I had been the captain of the team the year before. So to win as a player coach was always supposed to be for a couple of months. It ended up being a full year. And then the next November I was 28 and, um, they fired Tommy Watt in Winnipeg. They asked me to come up and start, you know, be an assistant coach then and I was younger than some of the players. Um, so, but I really didn't have any issues with the players. I'd always, again, I was the captain and the leader of the team,

so I just kind of took that role and just went with that. But really no complaints about ice time. I bench myself more than I probably should have. But I give other guys ice time. But it was funny to come off the ice and just go stand behind the bench. And then here, given the coach, there's one story.

I share this with everybody. So in Sherbrooke, the penalty box was right beside the players box. So somehow I, anyway, I'm getting into misconduct or whatever. So I'm actually standing in the penalty box, leaning over the glass and coaching the team.

And the referee comes over, he's yelling and screaming at me. You can't do that. You can can't do that and you got to sit down and shut up i said you show me in the rule book where i can't coach in the penalty box and he looked at me and he had no answer and he skated away and that was the end of that one so anyways when you're a player coach it was two different things pop up for sure you got the megaphone across the ice, big white board. You're drawing up plays from the box. I was going to ask you the opposite. If you were like Jackie Moon, like writing up plays where all the guys would do all the work to find you back door for tap-ins.

That's what I would have been like. That would have been a win as a head coach for sure. First power play, you run the half wall. Second power play, you're up top of the point. Listen, even the minors, I wasn't good enough to get the power play, you run the half wall. Second power play, you're up top of the point. Listen, even the minors, I wasn't good enough to get the power play, so I wasn't going to kid myself. I wasn't putting myself anywhere near a power play because then I know I would have taken a little fun abuse from the guys.

But, no, I stayed off the power play. Yeah, joined the club. You mentioned golf earlier, the simulators. Your son, Ryan, tells me you're a junkie, golf junkie. Yeah, no, I love the game. I think most hockey players get the summer.

Yeah, no, I really enjoyed the game. I used to be really good. Then we had kids and I stopped playing. When Ryan and Ricky, my oldest son, got older, we started playing again. You know what? The best times of my summer are when I've got my boys on the golf course. There's four hours out there, just the three of us,

and whoever else is playing with us. And no phones, trying to talk to them, and it just gets quality time. So, that's the highlight of my summer when I get to golf with my boys. So, no, I love golf. No TikTok? No TikTok on the golf course? You're not on Instagram, Rick? No.

First of all, they'd have to explain to me exactly what that was. So I would take a couple of holes. But here's my Twitch name. No, none of that. Yeah. Well, I just started shaking when you said you became bad once you had kids. I got a young guy, so I know, oh, man, it gets a little tougher. But I'm a golf junkie as well, so I love hearing that. I want to get back into the coaching, the questions about just the beginning.

I mean, I think you were 36, 35 years old. You get the Boston Bruins head job, 91, 92. A nine-year-old Ryan Whitney was loving that Bruins team, Ray Bork. And what a first year you had. I mean, it was just an incredible run. I think you guys lost in the third round. But take me through how excited you were to get an original six job that young with some of the players that were on that roster.

Yeah, that was a big thrill. It was my first real head job. I spent nine years in the Jet organization from 80 as a playing assistant coach and all those things we went through. But in the spring of 89, they had fired John Ferguson Sr. in Winnipeg. There was big changes going on. I could have stayed in the organization, but I had a chance to go work for the Boston Bruins,

and I'd always been a fan of Harry Sinden. So really I went to work for the Boston Bruins, and I'd always been a fan of Harry Sinden. So really, I went to work for the Boston Bruins because of Harry. I coached two years in the farm team up in Portland, Maine. So that was a great experience. But it was a big thrill for me to coach the Bruins because growing up in Halifax, you know, in Scotia, we were always closer to Boston than we were Montreal. And my mom's brothers had lived in Boston. So every winter, Dad would take me down.

We'd go to a Bruins game. Every summer, we'd go to a Red Sox game. So New England and the Maritime Provinces in Canada are pretty much the same. Great people and friendly people and lifestyle and the whole thing. So to go and actually coach the Bruins was obviously a big thrill for me. So to go and actually coach the Bruins was obviously a big thrill for me. The only bad scenario was Cam Neely only played nine games for us that year. That was the year he had his big hip issues or thigh issues.

And he only played nine games. I think we went seven and two with Cam in the lineup. And I was bugging him when I see him. You know, Cam, maybe if you hadn't been hurt so much, I might have kept that job a little bit longer. But anyways, it didn't work out. We, we had a great year. It was a thrill coaching Ray Bork. Never seen a guy like Ray. They're still having coached anyone like Ray that could play and dominate a game as much as he could.

And would come off the ice after a tough minute and a half shift, he'd be rest 25 seconds and look at you and nod and he'd be ready to go again. Just a great player great captain and just an outstanding person well it was a big thrill for me to coach Ray and Cam you know Rosie Roziska came in had a big year Stephen Leach had a big year for us but that was the year I think we went through 56-57 players we had a ton of. We just kept bringing guys in and out the lineup, trying to find something that worked. We really didn't become a good team until after the Olympics.

Teddy Donato, Joey Juno, Stephen Hines came in, and then we really took off as a really good team. And then they carried us through the playoffs, and that was a big thrill. But, you know, I mentioned earlier, it probably cost me a job doing things the way I was. Well, prior to me coaching the Bruins, it was Terry big thrill. But, you know, I mentioned earlier, it probably cost me a job doing things the way I was. Well, prior to me coaching the Bruins, it was Terry O'Reilly, longtime Bruin, big, tough guy, fan favorite. Mike Milbury after him, longtime Bruin, big fan favorite. And then I came in and nobody actually knew who the hell I was.

And I did it, you know, I wasn't the yelling and screaming that Mike and Terry were. And I just did it the quiet way. So, but again, that's the way I wanted to coach. And that was the way I was going to do it. And it probably cost me the job there. And that's fine. I do it all over. I do it the same way.

You got to do things your own way. But for me, growing up a Bruins fan, growing up a Red Sox fan, to actually have a chance to coach the Bruins, even if it was for only one year it was a huge thrill and a big part of me you know my career I'm very proud of that year we had with them and I wish it could have been longer but that's uh hey you roll with the punches right yeah I always wanted as a as a Bruins fan Rick why you only were only here for one year considering the success you had I was didn't sitinden say you weren't a Bruins-type coach basically

because you weren't a yell or a scream? Wasn't that his sort of synopsis of it? Yeah, basically that was it. And they wanted Brian Sutter to come in as soon as Brian got fired in St. Louis. I know throughout Brian's career, I think Gary was always trying to trade for him. He was your typical Bruin player. And I played with Brian in St. Louis, a great person, great captain, and they wanted Brock to come in and coach the team, and that's fine.

I wasn't going to change the way I do things. And again, Brian was more like Mike and Terry, and Harry just thought it was a better fit. So that's safe. That happens. You go with it. And I know you didn't have him all that long, but Adam Oates came out to that team. He was another addition. Did you know how good he was before you got him,

or did you realize, wow, this guy is even better than I thought? He's better than I thought, and a great person again. Just a great passer and composure with the puck and smarts and the ability to see the ice. Steve and Leach played with him. He had just a great year playing with Adam. We traded Craig Janney and Stephan Cantel

to St. Louis for Adam. That was a great trade. Harry made a great trade bringing Adam in. A big part of the success of that team. A small little blade, but just a tremendous passer of the puck. All you have to do is look at Brett Hulse's numbers when you play with Adam.

Adam was a huge help to us. Great leadership in the puck. And all you got to do is look at Brett Hulse's numbers when you play with Adam. But Adam was a huge help to us. Great leadership in the room. Great leadership on the ice. Just a very calm demeanor. And again, with all the players that we had coming and going that year, Adam was the perfect guy to come in and just, he would settle things down. And he was a great guy to coach.

And he was a big part of the success of that team, for sure. Ottawa Senators, were you there their expansion year? Yes. That is a long – that is a yes with a sigh. That was a yes with a sigh. You're probably the reason they changed the rules to make it so much easier for all these expansion teams considering the start that you guys had. Was that 100% the most difficult year as a head coach you've ever dealt with yes and that was without a doubt that's why they

changed the rules the next year i think when we draft we came in with tampa uh 92 uh every team could protect two goalies uh i think six seven defensemen and basically 10 or 11, 12 forwards. So you were getting everyone's third string goalie. You were getting their eighth and ninth defenseman in the depth chart and the 12th to 15th forward in the depth chart. So we were so bad that they did change the rules the next year when Anaheim and Miami came in. Now, the one thing Tampa did right away was they went out

and they made trades against Darren Pupa. They solidified the one thing Tampa did right away was they went out and they made trades against Darren Prupa. They solidified the goaltending situation right away. We didn't make any trades. Going into it, they said we're going to have four or five tough years here. We're going to build through the draft. If we lose, we lose, but we want to build through the draft.

That philosophy is fine and they're telling everyone, don't worry, you're going to be here. When this don't worry, you're going to be here. When this thing turns around, you're going to be here. Well, they fired the gentleman, Mel Bridgman, the general manager, one year into it, so that kind of changed things in a hurry. But, no, again, Ottawa was so bad that year that they did change all the draft rules the next year for Anaheim and Miami,

and they certainly loosened up a lot for these teams. We paid, Ottawa paid $50 million, I think, to get in the league. Now, what are they, $650, $750? So the teams that are paying that kind of money, they deserve to have a good roster. And just look what George McPhee and Vegas did, obviously, three years ago. So good for them. But, yeah, we were bad.

That was a tough year. I think we didn't win on the road until just about the end of the season. At that point in the league, even if you got into overtime, if you lost, you did not get a point. So getting to overtime was a thrill for us. But we weren't getting points for losses in overtime. But it was one of those scenarios, and Paul, Ron, you guys were allowed long enough. When you're looking at your lineup, and then you're looking at the lineup on the board,

and you're saying to yourself, I hope they bring their seed game tonight. If they bring their seed game, we've got a really good chance. But that was a tough year. But it was challenging personally from a coaching perspective. I had Elian Vigneault with me. I had E.J. McGuire with me. And it was a challenge every day because I said, listen, guys, this is going to be tough.

We're coming in with a positive attitude every day. So no matter what happens, you're coming in the next day, be ready to go and be energized. And Elian was great and E.J. was great. Again, we did the best we could, and we were just a bad hockey team, as simple as that. Yeah, I was on a couple of Oilers teams. And the coach, you know, they come in some days,

and they're just so upset. And then they think, all right, well, two weeks later, we've got to maybe try to be the nice guy. I guess you understood from the beginning we're so overmatched. It's no point in just ripping guys' heads off here. No, and the guys are working their butts off. You know when they're working. You know when they're competing.

You know when they're giving you everything they can. That's all you can ask for as a coach. Now, if they're dogging it and they're not doing things they want, well, that's one thing. But the guys worked their butts off that year. I will say that. We just were not very good. And when you take that approach.

18 Bissonnettes out there. That's the problem. All the trash buckets around the league and the roster. Imagine having to watch me work the half hole. Excuse me. Fucking R.A. would have been a backup goalie on that team. You should have been player coach on that team too, Rick. Yeah, yeah.

I actually probably could have helped it. backup goalie on that team. You should have been player coach on that team too, Rick. Yeah, yeah. I actually probably could have helped it. Unbelievable. It wasn't just the first year too, Rick. You were there for three-plus seasons. Oh, yeah. And it was a struggle. It didn't get any better.

How frustrating would it get for you? And, B, did it start to affect your confidence in your job at all? It did, for sure. And I think you look back on it, it's easy to second guess. I had taken the Bruins to the conference finals, and my dad always told me, you know, you probably jumped a little too quick because I think I got fired in Boston on a Monday, and then I was hired in Ottawa on a Friday that same week.

I probably jumped a little quick, but you know what? They make the promises, look, everyone's going to be here five, six, seven years until we get better. I had a young family and I wanted my thing. We had moved to Portland for two years, Boston for a year. I wanted to get them in an environment where, okay, we're going to stay put here for four or five years. And it ended up happening that way.

But it was more from my family. I knew it was going to be a struggle, but it was more get the family settled down. You always feel bad when you're moving around every couple of years. So it was important to me and my wife, Judy, okay, we got to get them in a little more stable environment here. That's really basically the big reason we took that job. I had another year in Boston. I could have sat out, but that's not the way I wanted to live.

I wanted to get right back into coaching. Again, it was a challenge. It made me stronger. It made me use your confidence at times, absolutely. When you're getting pounded 8.9 and 8-2 every night, you take a good look at yourself. And I know now I'm a much better coach than I was then. I probably wasn't ready for that job in terms of I was a young coach

taking over an expansion team. With that kind of talent, I was probably – I look back, I know I could have done a much better job. But that being said, that would have probably meant another three, four wins. It certainly wouldn't have meant under 20 more wins. But it helped me. You question yourself, you take an honest look at yourself every day, and it probably made me stronger in the long run,

probably made me a better coach. Right. That's what I want to ask you next. What kind of lesson or lessons does a tough experience like that teach you over the long haul? Well, again, you're looking at yourself every day. Like when we lose, but the first person I look at is me. I don't point fingers. I said, what could I have done better? Preparations, sister, tactics, whatever. I always look at myself for, there was a lot of that going on that year. So, but again, it challenges you and it makes you look at yourself and it makes you look at the way you're doing things. And it makes you look at the way you're playing the game. And it forces you into those situations that you're not going to sit there and say, well, we're not, we're not very good.

So we're supposed to lose. We never took that approach at all and that's why elaine was a big help and ej was a big help we challenged we challenged ourselves as coaches every day okay did we do the things here are we taking the right approach with this player are we taking the right approach with that player we're using them in the best situation situation so it was it was a lot of soul searching and taking a deep look at ourselves every day and again i think that's why down the road uh i'm probably better off for it although that was living hell i gotta tell you man that was tough i would not want to wish that on anyone to tell you that uh given your personality and we mentioned those expectations when your head coach made me to be a little bit louder and firmer did

you settle right into being an assistant for those long periods of time when you were in Phoenix and Vancouver very well? And were you able to connect even more so with the players given how that's allowed to happen more naturally being the assistant? Yeah, I enjoyed that. I actually did. When I went to Phoenix,

Bobby Francis was a rookie coach in the league, so I helped him a lot. I really enjoyed it. I've got six guys I've got to worry about here, worry about them with the goaltending and the penalty kill. I really did enjoy that. You build, as you guys know, the more time you spend with your players,

the better the rapport you have with them. When you have just a small group like just running the defense and working with the goaltenders, I really enjoyed that. I really enjoyed my time in Vancouver doing that, working with young guys like Tanov and Edler and watching them develop a young Kevin Bieksa, helping them become good pros and real solid players for their team

and helping them with their careers. So I really enjoyed that. And the same thing when I went to Tampa working with Victor and the young defenseman we had there at the time, and Sergeyev came in a couple of years later. So I really do enjoy that role. Just working with the young defenseman, working with the penalty killers. And again, you're working with a smaller group and you, and you do build those bonds but they you are you you do become closer to that smaller group than it is with the 2025 guys

yeah your son said you became very close with Kessler and Biexa was Biexa one of those guys like every game he'd do something to make you laugh just chirping guys on the bench listen they were the best friends and I think I had to break up a fight one day and practice between the two of them so those two would keep you on your toes but i'm playing they're just great competitors and kevin biaxon not a big man but a huge heart and one tough competitor absolutely fearless he would take anybody on he would take a run at anybody if things weren't going good for the team you can can see he'd chase the game all over the ice to get big hits and get everybody going.

And Kess was the same way. He was a hard-nosed guy, great skater, big, strong guy who loved to compete and loved to annoy people. So the two of those guys playing against him every night, it was tough for the opposition. But again, just great competitors and great again working with young players you see them get married you see them have kids and you see them growing from young players uh anxious to grow and then watch them grow into men with

families like that's all part of the process as i age like i am so i've really enjoyed that but i love working with those two guys they were they were a, but a lot of fun, I can tell you that. I can't imagine the things you get to see the twins pull off, let alone in games, also in practice. I mean, what was it like being around two guys that were that perfect together and that able to dominate in a way that really hadn't been seen before, just knowing where each other were the entire time they were on the ice? You know, as a coach, there's certain guys you stay out of their way.

You let them play, right? You don't coach them. The twins are that. You just stayed out of their way and they're going to play the game their way. And LA and try to make some changes here and there. They're going to play that way. They were so much fun to watch. And those blind passes. And the worst thing you can do when you're playing against them is chase them. They want you to chase the puck, right?

Because then they're just going to make you look so bad. But listen, two of the nicest kids in the world. And great, great players. Great confidence. Great poise with the puck. And Henrik, unreal passer. Danny, unreal finisher. But just to watch them and frustrate the opposition with their blind passes

and no looks and put them into areas, and all of a sudden, Danny's there, Hank's there. It was a lot of fun to watch them. But, again, certain guys, they're so good, you just stay out of their way and you let them play. And that's the kind of approach we took with them. And just, again, it's fun to watch them play. But if you're a father and you have a daughter,

you would want them to marry someone like the Twins, just the best people in the world and true competitors. And they showed up every night. It was their leadership just on the ice in practice, showing up every day, ready to go. Like you never had to get after them. You never had to challenge them. They were ready to go every day in practice. They were ready to go every night in the games. And they were just fun to be around just because you just, before the game even started, you know, okay, they're

going to be going, they're going to help us win this game tonight, no matter where, no matter four games in six nights, back to back, it didn't matter. They showed up and played. And just a real thrill to be around those guys. And, again, watch them play and frustrate the opposition so easily. And they made it look so easy because of their ability to read off each other. So, yeah, great duo. Rick, when you said that you would want your daughter to marry him,

Witt was pointing to me on the Zoom chat, saying, oh, yeah, he was going to chime in there. Biz has heard that a lot. You son of a bitch. You're a great guy. You son of a bitch, right? That's the kind of shit that's going on behind the scenes here at fucking Spittin' Shit. This guy just rags on me nonstop, Rick.

Anyway. Well, I see it in your commercials on TV all the time. Oh, my God. You seem oh my god a lot of fun with those the time for heart is shot all that which commercial would that be how painful are those let's be honest rick you can just lay into us right now you've been nice the whole interview now it's your time to lay into us no they're pretty good the mistletoe and the uh overpowering with the what was it 84 84-mile slap shot? Oh, the muffin man, Ryan Whitney.

I shot for tips, Rick. You know how it is, Coach. You shoot for a tip. You had your eyes up, and you're looking for sticks, yeah? You were this unselfish guy back there. Find the stick, find the open guy, and you put it on the tape or somewhere where it can deflect. Yeah.

Okay. Hey, Rick, I've actually mentioned you before because, you know, Shane O'Brien, the guy who played for you, and we got together one night. We got together one night in van after a game, and he's like, Hey, Whit, this is unbelievable. Before the game, Boulness is talking to us. He says, Watch out for this Whitney on the power play. He's a great passer.

He's pumping your tires. He loves you. I was like, Oh, my God, I'm a new favorite coach in the National League. Well, I'm sure I've shown enough clips of you doing that, planting sticks and your eyes up and moving across the line. So you were very good at that. Yeah, but he got kicked out of his billet house when he was going to the U.S. Don't listen to Biz.

Don't listen to Biz, Rick. There's many, many men who would want me to marry their daughters as well. Rick, let's talk about the Dallas Stars. I mean, we kind of want to start off with it. I would imagine spending all that time in there with such a special group and coming up short has probably been hard. But what have you dissected from it now after there's been a little bit of time to kind of ingest what happened?

Yeah, no. a little bit of time to kind of ingest what happened. Yeah, no. You guys have been around long enough to know that everyone who always wins the Stanley Cup, they say you got to be healthy and you got to be lucky. We wish, listen, Tampa won. They beat us fair and square. They were the better team in that series. We wish we had been healthy and taken a real good run at them.

And we took them to six games but we feel with a healthy lineup that we could have done even more damage but again give them credit they uh they had lost dammer we lost a lot of key guys uh it's unfortunate you get to that stage that you're not healthy but just because again all the sacrifices you make and you get to the finals you want to be able to put your best team on the ice and give you the best chance for it. But, hey, you roll with the punches. That didn't happen for us.

But, again, from a coaching perspective, you can't ask for more than what our players gave us. They gave us everything they could. That game six, you could tell for two periods we had nothing left in the tank. We cranked it up in the third, obviously, facing elimination, and that was great for them but again from the coaching perspective i couldn't ask for more than our players gave us uh we wish we had been healthy but that's again

in playoff hockey you're going to get your injuries we had our share um but we we we walk out of there holding our heads high that we went as far as we did. We're all disappointed that we can come that close and two games away from winning the Cup. So hopefully that's the motivation for next year, that we can take this team and take it right to the finals again and then take another run at it. Now, as you guys know, this league is tough. There's no guarantee you're going to get in the playoffs for starters,

especially in this Western Conference. A lot of great hockey teams out there. But if we get the commitment from our players that we got in that nine-week bubble then i like our chances a getting back in the playoffs and b have taken another good run at it and i know if we can get back into that finals that we'll handle better this time around but again i couldn't be more proud of the guys from a coaching perspective we got everything we could out of them they were were out of gas, and that's happened. So, again, we'll take that motivation into next year, and hopefully we can build on that.

Rick, one guy I think, I mean, we were familiar with here in Boston, but maybe a lot of people weren't, was Anton Hudobin. I mean, he's kind of been a 1A, a 1B, a backup. He's been in a bunch of different roles, and he really rode this team. I should say the team rode him to the final. What type of character does he bring to the locker room? Every team he's on, he seems to be like the most popular guy in the room, full of antics.

What was your experience with him like? Yeah, the same. Listen, he's a fun guy. He doesn't take it too seriously. He goes on the ice in practice. He has fun. He's got that Russian accent. You never know what's

going to come out of his mouth so uh he he has he enjoys the game like you want your players you're playing we all know the grind we go through uh and a regular 82 game schedule everything else you've got to enjoy coming to the rink that's a big thing for me too as well as a coach i always wanted our players to look forward to coming to the rink, that it's not a job. And Dobie never looked at it as a job. He just comes to the rink. He's in a great frame of mind.

He's ready to work. I talked to him getting off the plane when we landed back from Edmonton. I said, Dobie, great job, man. We had a great run. You're a competitor. He said, I'm going to compete. He said, they can cut my leg off, but I'm still going to compete. That's the kind of attitude he has, but he's just very well.

Like the guys, he's a lot of fun. As you know, you go as you like playing in front of, he's certainly at the top of the list. The guys love playing in front of him because they know it'd be a hard thing to describe his style. And I'm not a goalie expert in terms of style, but his style is his job description is stop the puck. So whatever it looks is unorthodox or he just he'll dive in front of shots. And that's just the type of personality is that's the type of competitor he is. But he's got a great sense of humor. The

guys love being around them. And that's all that matters that they love playing in front of them. And he competes and does everything he can to give you a chance to win the game. At the beginning of last season, Jamie Benn and Sagan got called out by the – was it the CEO or the president, excuse me? Yeah, yeah. Were they aware that that was going to happen and how much of a 180, if in fact you thought there was validation and what he was saying from their play how much of a 180 did they make after those comments and was it something they just chuckled

off or did they take it extremely personal um they did not know what was coming no none of us did uh they had they had been off to a slow start they'd be the first to admit that i think on the surface they chuckled it off. Deep down, it really, really bothered them. I think anyone who gets called out like that from the president of the team, it's going to bother them, especially the notoriety of that whole statement and everything he brought to them and to the team. So that was uncomfortable.

But, again, I think on the surface, that's not going to bother us. Deep down, if you're a competitor, which they are, it has to bother you. It has to bother you when you get called on like that and you get singled on like that, that you're the reason the team is struggling, that you've got to give a lot more. So it was unfortunate. I give them credit because it didn't it didn't really affect the way they played they kept working until they got things going but I know it hurt them very much and but you would talk to them and you'd never know that and that's you know that's being

too professional okay we just got dumped on okay we got to deal with it but we we still got to be there for our teammates and our team, which they were. So a tough time for them. I give them credit because you don't remember any complaints from them or attacking back at the president. So they dealt with it internally. Did it bother them? Absolutely. Would you have known it was going to bother them? No, not by the way they handled it. So just being good pros and good teammates, putting the team first. And again, they just had to move on from that. I mean, you talk about getting a chance to coach Ray Boruck and how close you became with Victor Hedman

and his rise to becoming the best defenseman in the league. And now you get a chance to work with this Miro Heskinen. And I can't imagine seeing somebody that is this quick, this fleet of foot at this young of an age, just coming to his own, especially this year and in this playoff run. So how exciting it is coaching and how exciting is it? Excuse me, coaching a guy like this. And what is, what is this, what is the ability here that he could have in the future? What's his,

what's his ceiling ceiling? Great job. I got you. What's his ceiling? Ceiling. Great job, Miz. Nice. I got you. I'm going to get married to my daughter. Why are you guys on the show together?

You got each other's back. Miro's got Norris. Miro's got Norris trophy written all over him. You got to remember, he's 21. It took Victor six, seven years to figure it all out. And Ryan, you know, as a defenseman, young defense, it takes a long time in this league. But the one thing about, a couple of things about Miro.

First of all, it's his, he knows how good he is. And he's very, very humble. There's no arrogance. There's no cockiness to him. He's coachable. But deep down, he knows how good a player he is and how good a player he's going to be. What's always struck me about Miro,

and what I noticed last year as a 9-year-old, is his poise with the puck. He handles the puck like he's been in the league 7, 8 years. It's unreal, the poise, the confidence that he has with the puck. He's a totally different player than Victor. Different size. Victor's far more physical because of the size. Well, Miro is not the biggest guy, but he learns how to angle.

He's like Nick Lundström in that way. Just angle the guy, use your stick, put him in a bad situation. And that's where Miro is so good defensively. But when he gets that puck and he wants to take off, it's unreal what he can do. And he can make something out of absolutely nothing. And sometimes your power play, your breakout isn't. It's completely out of sync.

You pull the goalie, it's completely out of sync. I always say, just give the puck to Miro. Just let him go, and he'll figure it out going up the ice. That's how good he is. But he's such a humble, humble guy. But when I was coaching with him, just when I was focusing on the D last year and for the first couple of months of this year,

he's one of those, when we're watching the game, I'd say, Miro, did you see that? Yeah, got it. And you don't have to show him video because he sees it and he memorizes it and he fixes it. And he'd come off the ice and he'd say, Miro, yeah, I got it. And some guys need a lot of video. They've got to see their mistakes.

They don't, because the game happened so fast. Miro knew every time he made it, he knew exactly what had happened. And when we're watching, you know, we point out individuals. Remember the time we played this guy and watched for that move. Yep, I got it. And he does. His hockey IQ is off the charts. Just a great, great kid. But his ceiling is Norris Trophy.

And at some point, after two years, he's not getting the recognition that he should because we're in Dallas. And I don't think, you know, we just don't get a lot of recognition down here. Last year in the playoffs, I had a bunch of media, when we played St. Louis in that second round, a bunch of media texting me after a while, I should have voted for Miro Heisman. I didn't know he was that good. And now we go here again

this year, and his Norris trophy votes weren't that good until the playoffs. And then they're all saying to me again, we should have voted more for Miro. But he does have Norris trophy written all over him. And again, you're looking at a kid who's 21, and he's only been in this league for twoiro, but he does have Noah's trophy written all over him. And again, you're looking at a kid who's 21 and he's only been in this league for two years

and he can be a dominant player. You look at that game six against Calgary, we're down 3-0. We're not playing well at all. You look at Miro, okay, Miro, we need something. He goes home, gets a power play goal, gets us right back in the game. That's the impact he can

have on a player. When you need a big play, whether it's defensively or offensively, helping the power play, he delivers. And he wants – he's another thing. He wants to be on the ice. You've got a lot of guys that are good players, but in the pressure situations, they're out there 20, 30 seconds. They can't wait to get off the ice. Miro wants to be on the ice.

And when the game's on the line, he doesn't want to come off. He wants to stay on the ice. So he wants the ball, and I love that about him. So he's far more competitive than his physical play will tell you. But, again, he wants to be the guy. It's his team. Basically, he will take this team over, and it'll be Miro's team. Rick, not to age you, but that's got to be music to your ears

when you don't got to show them the iPad. Remember that? Please remember that play as a gag. You're like, oh, thank God. Exactly right. Listen, when I started coaching this league, I was younger than some of the players. Now I'm old enough to be Miro's grandfather.

So that just happens over time, I guess. Exactly. You guys got some pretty good young players up front too. Who's like the one guy that surprised you where you're like, oh my God, this guy's like game is accelerating at an insane rate. Because, you know, there's a few household names now that you guys made it as far as you did, as far as the Heviranthas or Kivirantha, excuse me.

Gorgiev, I believe. Is that how you pronounce the Russian's last name? Geryanov. Geryanov. Or Geryanov. Jesus Christ. Sorry about that. That's all right.

No, those two guys. So Dennis was with us all year. He scored 20 goals. So listen, one of the fastest guys in the league right now. He's a threat going down the wing. And he's able to be the defensive wide and cut into the net. He is fearless that way. So tremendous upside with him. Keevy came up from the minors. He only played 11 games for us.

He scored one goal, but he had an impact on every game that he played. In fact, there was one game in Colorado. I remember for Velski grabbing me between periods and give me Keevy. I want to play with Keevy. So the players on the bench and his teammates see he's very effective. For a little guy, very effective on the boards. Mace plays. He's fearless. That game he scored three, we weren't expecting him to score any.

So that offense was nice and won the game for us. So there is some offense. Dennis has far more offensive upside than Keevy. Keevy will be a much better two-way player. But they're both young kids with great futures ahead of them and a big part of this team moving forward. Rick, I want to bring up two guys who came over in the offseason, Corey Perry and Joe Pavelski.

How important were they? How essential were they to not just on the ice but in the room as well during the cup run? Well, their impact was really in the playoffs. It really was. And you could see the experience and you could hear the experience. So in the locker room between periods, you'd hear Corey speak up, you'd hear Pav speak up at the right time, saying the right thing,

and just as important, in the right tone of when to get after them a little bit or when to calm things down. So the tone of what they were saying and the words of what they were saying were very important. Then they would get on the ice, and you could see their experience. They weren't panicking with the puck. You put Corey top of the circles down in the offensive zone, he still has the great hands, still has the great poise,

and he made a lot of good plays. So that's good from a young player's perspective that, okay, in the heat of the playoffs, you still have to make plays. You still have to have poise, and Corey did that, as did Pavelski. As we all know, and Ryan, you probably would have loved playing with him because shooting for tips, he's great around the net by getting that stick on pucks. And rebounds and tips and deflections, he's the best at it.

So he scored a lot of huge goals for us because of that ability around the net using his stick, but also the poise of where to put the puck on the goalie and get it in behind him. He didn't panic with the puck around the goalie, slamming it into his pads. He put it in the right spot, scored huge goals for us. But that's the experience that they have, and that's the value that they brought to us for this playoff run.

So we wouldn't have got as far as we did without the two of those guys, for sure. Well, Rick, I know it's kind of been made a story that you're not exactly sure what's going on next year. If you wanted to come back and earlier in this interview, you made it sound like you would be in trying to get back to the finals. Do you know what's going on? Have you even thought about how much longer you want to do this? You're a dinosaur in the league.

You've just been here forever. I don't think anyone ever wants to see you go anywhere. That's a compliment, by the way. A dinosaur is a compliment. That's a compliment, by the way. All right. A dinosaur is a compliment. All right, that's good.

I'll take that. Hey, I was a minnow. I was a cup of coffee. You've just been there forever. Can't get rid of you. I'll take that as a compliment. Considering the show and the company I'm with here right now, I'll certainly take that as a compliment. But I will be back next year as the head coach.

Jim and I have talked about that uh we talked monday i needed some time after i didn't know if i you know probably because we hadn't went to the finals and it was i really enjoyed that whole experience of being a head coach again haven't had that experience so for so long so i really enjoyed that when i took this over um we we just said, we'll talk about it at the end of the year. And I, and I said, then if, you know, maybe I go back to being the assistant of the job I really enjoy as well, but I really did enjoy this whole playoff run. So Jim and I talked on Monday, they want me back. I'm willing to come back.

We're going to talk next week about a contract, but at this point, I will be returning next year as the head coach, how much longer we're going to go. Who about a contract but at this point i will be returning next year as the head coach how much longer we're going to go who knows as long as i always tell judy and the kids listen the first day i wake up and i don't want to go to the rink and then i know i'm going to retire but i still love getting up i still love going to the rink i still love the practices love the games love everything that comes with the job so as long as i'm enjoying it i'm going to keep as long as they want to it, I'm going to keep, as long as they want to hire me, I'm going to keep coming back. You forgot to mention Bud Lights there in there. Oh, yeah, well, that keeps you going.

That keeps your sanity. Well, congrats, Rick. I'm glad to hear you're going to be back from the year. Plus, it's a little bit easier when it's not the 93 senators out there either, right? Yeah, then he had 9,000 Bud Lights. Yeah, that might be undercutting it that year all right well thank you so much for joining us sorry you guys uh fell short there but a magical run uh you guys will bounce back you got some young studs in the pipeline and uh and you're going to get your star goaltender back too

we certainly hope so yeah no thank you for thank you. You guys have really enjoyed the show. We really enjoyed talking to you. So all the best to you guys going forward as well. Thanks a lot. We appreciate it. Have a great offseason. All right, man. I want to send a huge thanks to Bones, man.

That was a fun interview. Just talking a little bit on here, you get a real sense why people in the game love him so much. Just a lot of fun. The guy just lost the Stanley Cup, and he sounded like he wanted it. He just has such a joy in his voice. Yeah. All right, gang. Is your student loan payment too high? Is water wet? Well, refinancing with earnest could help you lower your monthly payment. If you've been making the same monthly payment on your student loans for the last couple of years, odds are you could

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Earnest student loan refinance loans are made by Ernest Operations LLC, NMLS number 1204917, California financing law license number 6054788, 303 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, California 94107. Visit earnest.com slash licenses for a full list of license states. More numbers. More numbers. Exactly, man. Lots of numbers this week. Significant trade I'll let you know about.

New Jersey picked up defenseman Ryan Murray from Columbus for just the fifth rounder in 2021. Columbus dumps $4.6 million in salary. New Jersey improves their D for at least one season anyways. What was your reaction on this one? I was surprised. Ryan Murray's a good player, man. This guy, he was a really high draft pick.

Maybe hasn't necessarily lived up offensively to where he was drafted, but a solid defender who jerseys definitely could use. I think that there was rumblings that Columbus was trying to make room to try to sign Petro because they traded this guy, and it was very surprising when I saw that. But I think the Devils love that trade. I think that's a great defender, true top four NHL defenseman.

And Brian Murray has got to be a little surprised himself, I think, because he found a role in Columbus. The team had success, and all of a sudden he's gone. So it's exciting, but probably a little rattling at the same time. Wow. Could you imagine Seth Jones, Petro, and Wierenski on the same blue line? That is fucking nuts. Imagine.

Unless you're just making that up. Whit, I had to bring this up to you. I don't know if you've ever been there. For sure, for sure you had to have been in this place already. Wayne Gretzky's Bar and Grill is closing down. Oh, up in Toronto. Yeah, I haven't been there. Up in Toronto.

Very unfortunate. They used to have this place on top called Oasis Patio. Oh, buddy. If you were a hockey player and you went for it, unbelievable. It would be like – it was kind of like the patio version of the Roxy, like impossible to leave alone in that place. And sure enough, like to make – I got a chuckle out of this one i get a text from my mom and she goes hey wayne gretzky's is closing down remember when dad took me there for my 20th

wedding anniversary my dad took my fucking mom to wayne gretzky's bar and grill on their 20th anniversary hey i was like i'm getting it in tonight okay the ultimate like well in 20th anniversary package is the fact that we also stayed at the skydome hotel and so we got to watch the blue jays game while we were in our hotel room because the room 6 000 feet this was one of those guys beating off watching the game they had a call yeah my old man's fucking teeing off on my mom next door and i got fucking joe joe carter teeing off on fucking fastballs on the field if you get a nosebleed the blood actually just floats because you're in space you're so high up above the game how's that for the hey and how about we us getting dragged around in the 20th anniversary

wedding anniversary isn't that like a weekend yeah leave the kids at home like he's probably like fuck i'm gonna get paul i'm gonna have paul see gretzky's restaurant you know i'm gonna show him this is where you're gonna wheel broads in a few years yeah oh i thought that was classic camille i was my my old man wayne gretzky's Bar and Grill for the 20th wedding anniversary. How are you liking that one, Mom? How are the fish and chips? I was up there a few years ago, and it's actually pretty cool. It's almost like a Wayne Gretzky museum.

They have tons of his shit on display, and they have his old helmet. Dude, this thing was like a fucking peanut shell. Like, there was nothing in it. Paper mache. Basically, like a piece of plastic on his head. So, a couple more notes moving along uh both david postanak and brad marchand had surgeries uh they could miss the start of the 2021 season i don't know how you're making that proclamation considering we

don't know when it's going to start uh and biz you did mention the uh craig smith signing with boston the three-year 9.3 million dollar deal a little over three million dollar cap hit and boston also brought back unrestricted free agent kevin miller a one-year3 million dollar deal a little over three million dollar cap hit and boston also brought back unrestricted free agent kevin miller a one-year one million dollar deal this poor guy he's been such a warrior for the team he's fucking knees all banged up he hasn't played since even before the stanley cup so ideally this guy will come back and have a significant presence on the bruins once again these media members that have to actually keep track of all this shit that we just talked about this whole podcast it's fucking insane there were so many moves made you need to eat adderall

for breakfast to keep keep in line with all these trades i like craig smith going to boston he plays that style he's hard to he's 20 goals five times in his career yeah right around then so one of those signs that might not blow your socks off, but if you've seen him play, you know what he's all about. He's a great addition to that lineup. We've got a couple of significant retirements as well. Justin Williams retired after 19 NHL seasons. Three Stanley Cups.

He also had a very nice statement, which he thanked basically everybody who helped him succeed along the way. 1,264 regular season games, 162 playoff games, which is essentially two more seasons. Of course, he won the Cotton Smite back in 2014 with 25 points in 26 games. And let's see, he played in nine game sevens. He had 15 points, seven goals and eight assists. I will not call him that nickname because he doesn't like it.

But what a career. Went from the juniors to the NHL, never played a day in the minors. Unreal stuff, Whit. Yeah, this guy did it all. Love seeing that he had a consmite to that second cup in LA. He was a beast and just did it all with class, did it all with professionalism and never, ever wavered from like showing up every single night and doing his job. you look at i think he played 82 games eight times or seven times like i mean the the stamina the ability to stay healthy and like a lot of it is luck but a lot of it is just how smart of a player he was so yeah i remember playing against him it was like somebody that like everyone around the league had so much respect for

over 1200 games i know you said that all right in the three cups and just really did it all. So former first round pick that ended up doing all the damage with the team who didn't pick them. So it was teams who didn't pick them. It was Philly who took them late in the first round years ago. So congratulations on an amazing career. I'd love to get this guy on and shoot the shit with them. Perfectly said with Kent. Can't touch on that. All right.

Moving along. We have another congratulations on a retirement uh to danvers masses own megan duggan she retired from the game she was part of the national team for 14 years she won let me see there's a quite a list here an olympic gold she was the captain of the team in south korea two silvers seven world championships three national championships at wisconsin a patty casmeyer award which is sort of the women's hockey equivalent of heisman trophy uh clocks and cup for the cwhl championships left wisconsin as its all-time leading scorer and megan she was instrumental to the unprecedented unprecedented success that the american women's program has

had over the last two decades uh she was also huge when it came to taking a stand for equal pay, when the ladies basically put their asses on the line and dared the higher ups to replace them on which they won that contest. So, so kudos to Megan. She had a tremendous impact on and off the ice. Just amazing. And it went to cushion academy where our boy Keith Yandel went and she did it all. I have so much respect for her. And I think that she'll be remembered forever

as kind of a legend in USA women's hockey. No doubt about it. Fucking resume. Jesus. Seriously, huh? I know. I'm looking at this shit. It's like one gold, two silvers in the Olympics,

so many golds in the world. It's just telling everyone to suck it. Is she the Hayley Wickenheiser of American hockey? No, no. But she's right up there. It's like C everyone to suck it. Is she the Hayley Wickenheiser of American hockey? No. No. But she's right up there. It's like Cami Granato. Cami Granato, yeah.

Oh, Cami Granato. Okay. Well, a couple of legends there. I know we touched on it earlier, Frankie Borelli's wedding duds when we talked about the Taves trade. Honestly, man, I thought he looked fantastic. I know he didn't have a tie. Oh, it's him. You just got to torture him.

He didn't look that bad. He's just a little awkward. He didn't have a collar on at a wedding. He was trying really hard, but I didn't hate it. It's just you got to bust Frankie's balls. He didn't do the same to me. I thought he looked awesome. I just thought it was funny that you were ripping on him.

It looked kind of like how Drake dresses now when he dresses up, got the mock neck on. Henry, you look like a gangster. Before we finish up, boys, did you happen to catch any of Bill Burr on Saturday Night Live that fake commercially did? Amazing. Not giving a gangster. Now, before we finish up, boys, did you happen to catch any of Bill Burr on Saturday Night Live that fake commercial he did? Amazing. Not giving a fuck.

I thought the Sam Adams commercial was funnier than the monologue, but is that what you call it, the monologue at the start? Sam Adams. He's like, is today the day to his son? He's like, get the Section 8 cornflakes. Yeah. Yeah, it was perfect because, like, that's how most, like, typical Bostonians react when they have a Sam Pumpkin.

It's like, what is this? But then by the end, if there's nothing left to drink, you'll fucking swallow 15 of them to fucking finish the buzz off. Oh, he is so funny. And the monologue was great because everybody was crying about it. It's like, dude, you hired a comedian to do comedy on a comedy show, and now you're going to fucking cry about it. People just need to learn how to change the fucking station all right boys any uh final notes you want to add

before we close up shop for this episode uh we just dropped some driver head covers some some head covers on the barstool sports store we also all the uh pink uh breast cancer awareness merch and we have a sandbagger coming out next week so stay tuned for that a quick question g as far as the head covers by the way they're gorgeous uh people were asking if we're eventually going to do different colors than the og spit and chiclets colors would that be a possibility oh yeah we hooked us up with a uh with an awesome head covered big stuff coming golf wise yeah we got some big stuff in the pipeline big time and if Last thing I was going to say as far as branded content here is Boikies, the boat ride.

I know we've said it a couple times. Check it out on our YouTube channel. We're going to be having those sandbaggers rolling out, so we're going to try to keep you guys occupied when we're on our break in November with just interviews and other things coming out to keep you entertained in the offseason. Well said, boys. All right, buddy. Have a fantastic weekend. Then we'll catch you next week.

Love all you listeners and except for the people who don't like me and fuck off, but love you guys. Bye. See you guys. As always, we'd like to thank our terrific sponsors here on spit and chiclets. Big thanks to our longtime friends at new Amsterdam, vodka and pink Whitney. Big huge thanks to our friends over at Roman for taking care of the fellas. Big thanks to everybody at Simply Safe for keeping us safe during these crazy times.

Huge thanks to our new friends at Cross Country Mortgage. Hopefully you're taking advantage of them. And a big thanks to everybody over at Earnest. Hopefully you students are taking advantage of them too. Have a great week, everybody. Have a great day. Beautiful day. Sky falls, you feel like a beautiful day.

So let it get away. Over the road. She's got no destination. In the mud. In the maze of her imagination. Thank you. It's a beautiful day.