The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Carter Hutton on the New Jersey Situation and Tampa's Dominance

Episode Date: January 15, 2026

Carter Hutton joins Jeff Marek for a wide-ranging conversation that begins with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning 11 straight games and why John Cooper continues to thrive despite injuries and lineup turnover. The focus then shifts heavily to the New Jersey Devils, including Tom Fitzgerald’s press conference, the pressure on the Devils’ core, and whether the organization has reached the limits of what this group can accomplish together. Jeff and Carter dig into the Dougie Hamilton situation, Jack Hughes and roster expectations, and how the Quinn Hughes speculation may have impacted the locker room. The segment closes with a broader discussion on player development, opportunity, and how internal dynamics can quietly shape a season.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/caReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff#TheSheet #JeffMarek #CarterHutton #NHL #NHLDebate #TradeRumors #TampaBayLightning #CollegeHockey #MichiganHockey #NHLAnalysis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carter Hutton joins us now from DFO Live. By the way, did you watch the Federoff Jersey retirement on Monday? Did you get a peek at that? Where were you at on Sergei Federoff? Because to me, he was as close to a perfect forward as there was in the NHL. He could win the Art Ross. He could also win the Selke. He could play defense on the power play.

Like, whatever you wanted him to do, he would go on the ice, and he would be the best at it. On a team that's full of future Hall of Famers, too, let's not forget. And he had the Wicked style. Those Nike skates were still the best. I still talk about it. I'm going to think we all do. I love the warmups, you know, the skates that they did

and coming out in the Corvette, it just suited them so well. And again, a guy that, like, I never had any flash in my game or cool style. So like a guy like Federoff, I grew up a big wings fan. In my house, it was Detroit Red Wing, Stevie Y, Federo. So those are like the golden years for me. And I think back to Federoff. What I always love is a story that I got to hear when I was playing in Rockford, of all places.

Okay. With the Chicago Blackhawks. So Stan Bowman, General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, right? Scotty Bowman is kind of the assistant. He's just kind of a liaison to the general manager. So he's in Rockford. Scotty takes a liking to me. He just was a big backer in my corner all the time.

He always grabbed me and talk. And at one point, my dad was there. And I remember talking about Federoff and the wings in those days. Just kind of because we had, you know, built. up that relationship and he told me a story about Federoff where he was struggling, you know, just to play on the other side of the puck when he first came over. And so as like a lesson, he was like going to put him on D and to be like, you know, this is what it takes to play. And then Scotty said he had to change his mind doing it because he was his best defenseman.

So it just goes to show you how good Federoff was. And Scotty Bowman for these days, I love him. He was so great to me in my time in Chicago. You know, Scottie was always trying that with a lot. He was such a creative guy, creative thinker, different thinker. I remember, you know, a while back, actually, full disclosure, after I got my vasectomy, I remember my first day on the couch, and I'm like, I'm going to be here for a while, so I'm going to watch the Canada Cup 76, because like all I'm going to be able to do is just like watch stuff all day long. And I was watching one of the Canadian games. And sure enough, Scottie Bowman, who was coaching, line.

up Larry Robinson up front, like put him on wing and then had him like net front. And I'm this, I remember talking to Scotty after that. I'm like, I was seven or eight years old during that tournament. So I don't remember this. But like, I'm watching this thing back like 20, 30, 40 years later. And you've got Larry Robinson up on wing. He goes, I always thought he'd be a great winger. I just wanted to try it.

I just wanted to try it. I just wanted to try it. A couple of things, not from 1976, but from 2006, most notably, today, January 14th. What did you make of the Tom Fitzgerald press for today? Like he's kind of been slagged for not being around, not being, you know, front and center as the New Jersey Devils go through this horrible stretch. Spoke to assembled media today. And the first thing he said is mea culpa.

This one's where we're at, it's all on me. And then went on to say that no trades didn't hamper any deal for Quinn Hughes. And obviously they had interest, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. but what did you make of Fitzgerald's press for today? I think a long time coming, right? When you test the temperature of the New Jersey fan base and where they're at, I feel like a lot of people weren't happy with the fact that there was no communication throughout this whole process, right?

Like he was kind of absent in that sense. And again, I think it's saving face too where, you know, this is a team that is underperforming, right? Like when you look at that Eastern Conference and where they're at, and point production is something that I think is a big topic when you look at this team, right? I think it's 68th right now in the NHL as Yes, but Brad is their leading score. And this is a team that is supposed to be.

And this is a team that's supposed to be creating offense and have that creativity to drive that. So I think for this team, it's been an ugly little run here, right? And the Dougie Hamilton saga continues. I think he is a player that where his number is out, when you're paying him $9 million, he needs to produce and he needs to do well. And then on top of the Jack Hughes incident off the ice. And I don't know if we ever got to the bottom of what's going on there. I think this has been a disappointing year in a.

Metro division again, I think that's where as a fan base and as a team, there's just such high priority because of the fact that like it doesn't it feel open more than ever to like try to get to a Stanley Cup final or get to an Eastern conference? Like it's not going to get any easier, right? There's teams

that are going to get better. Look at the Islanders what they're doing. The Flyers, what they're doing. New Jersey wasn't supposed to be in that set. So I think for Fitzgerald, he's got to save face and he's got to be more out there, right, where this team is at. You know, I wonder about New Jersey too. And it would probably have involved at least one core piece to make the Quinn Hughes deal.

Does it look to me like, or does it sound to you rather as it sounds to me like New Jersey is in a place right now where it feels to me like they've gone as far as they can with their core? And this team really needs a freshening up. And I don't know who that piece is or what that piece is. You know, of course, still a lot of noise around Dougie Hamilton. but does it need to go deeper than that? Like Brats have in a tough season. Jack Hughes with the injury and go right down the list. I guess, I mean, our city grit sucks been like a really sort of pleasant surprise,

but you're not hanging your season based on how the rookie plays. Like, does it feel to you like this is a team that they've tried it with this group for long enough? Now it might be time for one player to go. Change the look. Change the chemistry. Change something. here. I think so. I don't think you're wrong by any means. And again, I think Jake Allen's been the MVP of the year for this hockey team, right? Playing 24 games. He's got, he signed that five

year deal and all of us scoffed at it, right? Like, why would he take five years at this? Like, you know, he's a guy that you want to keep around. Jacob Marshroom's been inconsistent. The game, you know, keeping them in there for nine goals, everything that's gone on. But there is some glaring pieces up front. And again, I don't want to put this all in Sheldon Keith because this team has kind of been underachieving in the same sense of where they're out. They had that year where they got in the playoffs and they made some noise. And we thought that was a big. Beat the Rangers.

Right. No one thought that. And like, whoa. I remember talking to Jack Hughes that summer. And I was like, did it kind of feel like your Stanley Cup? He's like, yeah. But at the same time, you got the sense talking to him and talking to devil's players that that was just the beginning.

And now we're going on runs. Now it's going to begin. Here we go. The devils have arrived. speed bump after speed bump. And I think that's where expectations versus being in the moment become so important, right? You can't just kick this down the field

and think like this is where we are headed, right? We've seen this with the Toronto Maple Leafs, right? Like where they had their core and they're built for this. And again, Sheldon Keith being part of that as well, where, you know, it was like in New Jersey, we just need a goalie. Well, when we get a goalie, we're going to be good. We get a goalie, it's going to push us over the top.

Now you have a goalie. You went and got Jacob Marstrom. You have Jay Call. You have veteran guys that can compete. and it's dropped off a bit. So I guess I get concerned. Stefan Isan is out now. He hasn't produced anything like he was.

Plot is another one for me where is it you go out and get him from Tampa Bay. And yes, he was a winner. But how long do you hold on to him as an asset like trying to think he's going to help your team when like his better days are behind him? So those are the guys that concern me when you look at the depth where maybe if you bring in a little bit more players with a little more punch and a little more locker room presence. It can drag a little more out of these younger star players. I think that's that happy dynamic that you see in other teams where you look at Gabriel Landiscag in Colorado and Brock Nelson,

these like veteran guys that have like such more of a presence. And again, it's a different status because I think Nathan McKinnon is more that accountable superstar compared to a Jack Hughes, but bring it in some veteran guys that can like push guys over the top. Look at what Jack Eichael did in Buffalo, right? Like it never worked. It was always something wrong. And then the whole next. procedure. He moves out and he's been a superstar and we don't hear any of that side of it. So I feel like New Jersey could really use that boost in the room just to try to push them over the top of my opinion, Jeff. There's no way really to answer this other than this is what I feel. I still wonder through all of this because everything about the New Jersey Devils going back

to last year with Jim Rutherford has all been about Quinn Hughes. I wonder where the New Jersey Devils would be if that Hornets Nest hadn't been kicked over. I think if Jim Rutherford never talked about playing with his brothers. Because again, like if you're a New Jersey Devils fan, all you're thinking of is we're getting Quinn Hughes, we're getting Quinn Hughes, we're getting Quinn Hughes. And you know, like, you can't lie to players. Like players know. Players get it.

Players, like, that's the, like, I've always said, like, that's the only thing that I've understood in all the years that I've covered hockey. One thing I know for sure, you can't lie to players. players know players know who belongs players know who doesn't belong players know who's good players know the scene players know the politics players know and if that was never public or if jim didn't speculate on it or or just put out there and put it in the dialogue would things be different in new jersey i think so i honestly think that the fact of the matter is players know right and and i totally agree i feel like when i was in the nchel the the amount of stuff that i knew that

was going on or guys moving out or things going on. But when you let the fan base and general public kind of peek behind the curtain and he puts that out into the universe, it changes the whole dynamic of it. I don't know if that was a strategic element of it. It's the same thing we just saw in Ottawa where, you know, Steyos releases the statement where it just causes a lot more uproar than I think needed to happen. So same idea with Rutherford. He says this, which is maybe a strategic side from him with Quinn Hughes and where he's

at. And now of a sudden for the New Jersey fan base and for Tom Fitzgerald, it created havoc. And again, now you have a fan base that is like, you get your hopes up, you get expectations up. And how many times do you see that where there's potential news of a free agent signing somewhere or a trade or a different dynamic? And then all of a sudden, that's all you hear about. But when it doesn't happen, no matter what like from the public eye, when we assume it might

happen, expectation changes. So I think for them, this has been a big dynamic. and the fact that this was supposed to, they were supposed to be good, and they haven't been good. And I think that just adds fuel to the fire. From a player's point of view, I am curious because, like, you understand,

like, the dynamic and the feelings and the understanding of what certain players mean to certain teams. One of the things, I don't think I've ever talked about this, Carter. I'm glad you're here because you have that experience. I've never talked about this publicly. I've never mentioned this. But I've always had a feeling. And again,

played in the NHL. But part of me wonders, if I'm someone on the New Jersey Devils and my last name isn't Hughes, is part of me thinking,

okay, so they're going to bring in all three brothers here and politically, that's going to be the base. And everything is going to be in service of that family. And it almost creates a there's,

And now I'm not saying it has anything to do with the players, but in a player's mind, it's like, okay, everything is going to be done to try to get Quinn Hughes here. So everything's going to be in service to the Hughes family. Where does that leave me? Where does everybody on this team whose name bar doesn't say Hughes, where does that leave us? Is that a thing?

Is that a thing that gets the disgust amongst players? Well, it's trickier because there's not like the nepotism of like head coaches and kids and everything that goes on. But, you know, what jars right to my memory is like the Eric Stahl, Jordan Stahl situation in Carolina, where Jared Stahl was playing in the minors. And Jared was a great pro, but he probably wasn't really that steady of an American League guy. And he got a game in the NHL because of his brother. So now if you're like, like, where does this stop, right?

It's different when you're like, you make these arguments about 13 and 14 year old kids and what goes on and now at the NFL level. I think it is a factor though. It is. But it's the same factor that I felt I dealt with in the sense of like draft house. and guys where you're like, okay, how long is this guy's leash? Like, you get to a point where like, the room knows, people know, teammates know, fans know, like this guy doesn't have it.

And you have other guys that are willing and trying to cut their teeth. So I do think it has a factor on a room where it's like obviously now like Luke Hughes gets that contract. Why? Like if his name isn't Luke Hughes, does he get that contract? Well, here's another one. Hang on, park that for one second. If you switch name bars between Nemich and Hughes. Yeah.

Who goes to the miners? Yeah, 100%, right? Like it is a tricky, tricky situation where like it would change the factor of like your superstar player's brother is there. And yes, it's a good dynamic in a sense, but you have to walk a tricky line when it comes to that. It's hard. Yeah. Or you lose the room. You lose the room.

And I feel like that's the effort that we've been seeing from this New Jersey Devils an inconsistency in their play. See, that's one of the reasons why I always. admired the Siddins. You never got a whiff of that ever. Like I think that, again, like much like, you know, another suite in Borya Salman, I thought the Siddins were two of the toughest players I ever saw in the NHL, not because, like, physically they were imposing, because they weren't.

But they got beaten up on a, on a consistent basis, night in and night out, and they never changed. It never affected them. They took it, and they came right back out, and they played just as hard as the shift before when they were getting slashed. and crotch teched and punch. They never changed, ever, ever changed their game. It's, we all think it's great because the show business of the, the brother act and oh,

wow, isn't this great? For a lot of teams and a lot of people who don't have a brother on the team, it can be tricky. It can be tricky to navigate, right? Like, I'm not off base on this. No, I don't think, like, I think Luke Hughes has done well and he's produced, but he's like, you have to think opportunity as well, too, right? I think we saw that last night with Kent Johnson, right? Where it's like Rick bonus comes in.

And it goes up to 21 minutes where it's not just being on the team. It's the opportunity within the team, which matters so much more than just games played, being on roster. Because if you're not in a situation to succeed, you have to move on. I think Alex Texier is a great example of that. In St. Louis, he's not getting the opportunity. He thinks he can. Mutually leaves the contract, goes to Montreal. Now he just signs a two-year deal.

So it is like the right fit and opportunity as well. That's a great point. And I'm glad you mentioned. I got a couple of things here with you. I want to get to Tampa here in a second because now it's 11. And I just keep looking to myself and I go like, listen, Jared Bednar has been outstanding with the Colorado Avalanche, but what is it going to take for John Cooper to win a Jack Adams here and half the lineups got the hospital bracelet on?

But the debut of Rick Bone is behind the bench with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ken Johnson's name clearly pops for a lot of people and the elevated minutes. anyone else. I mean, Boon Jenner thought was outstanding, but like that's a vet and he's getting that ice time and he's going to get that production. It seems as if the organizationally,

it was we got to get Kent Johnson going here and that wasn't happening with Dean Eveson. Yeah, and I think for me as I look at this, it feels like the smoking gun a bit here, like why he was relieved of his duties. And again, it's like, you know, Don Waddell as a general manager, right? I feel like this is a tricky line to walk for a head coach and GM.

not knowing how their relationship is, but like a GM's building towards something where a coach kind of has to win in the now, right? And if he sees holes in Kent Johnson's game and he's trying to limit minutes because he's trying to win on a nightly basis where a general manager or the new coach, Rick Bonas comes in,

it's like, hey, you come in, take over your system, but this kid needs to play and he needs to be in a better situation. So I do think we're going to see a lot more jet greaves with the Columbus Blue Jackets. I think he's been awesome. There is potential. I think this could be a big turnaround for this team.

And again, Dean Evanson is a very hard-nosed coach. So I think he built that platform of the way they need to play defensively. But now it's like we have to play our guys that are going to build. Because it's not the NHL anymore, Jeff. It is in the sense there's a much more of a developmental league going on than it used to be. Interesting.

Okay, let me get your thoughts before I let you go on the Tampa Bay Lightning. 11 games in a row, like I don't know how many games it is, specifically they played without Ryan McDonough and Victor Headman. There's been, you know, and now Braden Point is out. it sounds like they dodge what could have been a massive bullet there, but nonetheless, 11 in a row for Tampa. You know, as I've always said, I gave up, you know,

betting against Tampa years ago. Because every time, every time we were, every time we're calling for a priest, you know, every time we call for a priest around the Tampa Bay Lightning, they come back to life. And this most latest incarnation

is the 11-game winning streak for Tampa. I don't know what more I can say about John Cooper. Why don't you try to add a couple more things to, to this impressive resume that somehow doesn't include a Jack Adams. You know, the story that I think of right away when I think of John Cooper is we're playing Tampa Bay in the global series. And they were sputtering that year. They weren't doing too great. I was with the Sabres.

We went over to Sweden. And we had a night where it was like green light. Those are going out. It was fun, right? And I remember Kevin Chatton, Kirk, Patty Maroon, a bunch of guys played on that team and Shen as well who I knew well. And I remember we went out that night and partied. And then the next day we got to the rank. and we kind of got like our hands slapped a little bit.

Like we were out too late and a bunch of stuff. And then I remember talking to Shattie with Tampa Bay Lightning, Kevin Shatton Kirk and him being like, all John Cooper wanted to know is if the Tampa Bay Lightning stayed out longer than the Buffalo Sabres. Like he was like so pumped that his boys were out like later. And again, like it has nothing to do with hockey. It has to do with like the relationship of like you need to treat men like men.

Right. Like sometimes in the NHL, it's like, well, you can't have this. You can't have that. Like you're talking about millionaires that have independence and go do whatever they do when they're not with you. And I think John Cooper is just a great example of like letting the room direct itself and putting the right things in place. I think something we've seen time and time out. And for this Tampa Bay Lightning, maybe, you know, we thought their run was over because we've watched Florida Panthers. Or was it just a little bit of exhaustion?

And now they're back to like where they need to be and they're rested. And And And And Andre Vasquezquez looks unbelievable. And he's been so good. And this is with headman playing in, I think, 18 games. games, 12 points, doesn't even have a goal. Like, they're only going to get better from here. In a division right now where the Atlantic, like, I don't know if they just see the opportunity to be like,

hey, we can really mark our flag in this division. I think that's something that we've seen here. J.J. Mosier and Darren Radish. Like, I remember when the trade was made, I was like, okay, well, I know why they're doing this. You know, I know why they're making the surrogatechav trade. I get it. They wanted to bump them up to second pairing,

and it really wasn't there. They won the trade. Tampa won, we didn't say it at the time, but Tampa won that trade, right? Like, look how good JJ Mosier looks. And he's been rewarded with a really healthy contract. Like all of a sudden, like we always talk about next man up, it's like they have this factory in Syracuse that they just like keep. And again, it's not as if they're drafting high in the first round every year. As a matter of fact, they're trading all their picks.

It's just, I don't know what it is when you join the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now for Rattish, it's opportunity because of the injuries. Ditto, you know, for J.J. Mosier, more opportunity here. But all of a sudden, they've discovered like, oh, yeah, look, Tampa's got a new elite pair and have, like, they've extended their window now because of it by a few more years. Like, just when you think you want to wrap up with the Tampa Bill Lightning, Radish and Mosier pop. Like, okay, well, like, window stays open, I guess, a few more years because of these two. Yeah. And I think that's something that they've built and they've taken some chances because it does feel like Andre Vaselisky.

Doesn't Vaselesky feel like he's 100? Right? Like he's been around forever. But he's not, right? He still got a lot of tread on his tire. I know he's that back procedure the other year. And I just think that there's a lot more potential still in Tampa Bay. And this is a team that I think when the deadline comes, like I still don't see them just being a passenger,

especially after last seat and in Gord and Borkstrad and guys that can win. So I do feel like Tampa Bay's window is still open just because of the way the East looks. Like it just doesn't feel like when we look like at a top heavy central division, what Carolina? Like who else has really staked the claim of being like, hey, we are teams that are going to be for real. The least have obviously come on as of late. But Zach told me to say that before I came on the show.

So you know, I honestly don't know what happens in the East. It's wild. Yeah, the East is a weird creature here because it's like there is a sort of element of Tampa is the only real team that we believe in who have distinguished themselves. I love the Detroit story. I'd love to see playoffs in Detroit. There's a barn we don't even call new anymore.

It's a newish barn that hasn't had playoffs. The Islander story is a fascinating one. And a lot of that obviously fueled by not just Matthew Schaefer, but like a whole new sort of wave of optimism within the organization. But I don't know if that's legit or fool school. Like up and down, like outside of Tampa, And Carolina. Like those are the only two I look at.

And I don't think that Carolina is done. I don't think that that team is done. I still think they'll take, you know, big swings by time trade deadline rolls around. But you're right. It's jump ball. It's jump up. Montreal knows they still need to fill out the roster too, but they're tucked into a playoff spot. Final thought on that.

Yeah. I just think that some teams are in different categories, right? When I look at Carolina, it feels like they need to win. They need to make moves. but then when I look at like Detroit, it feels like if they don't make the playoffs here, it feels like now or never for Stevie Y. So I think teams are in different kind of templates of like expectations

versus like reality. And I do feel like it's going to be a dog fight just to be in a good spot pre-Olympic break. So you have a little bit of wiggle room and breathing room to come back fire. One more top six forward and one more veteran defenseman for Detroit. I don't know if Eisenman goes out to get both, but I think he comes back.

with at least one. That's what it kind of feels like to me. Those are the needs, and I feel like he comes back with at least one of them. If he gets two, then Dylan Larkin's going to be happy, and he's not going to be sniping and his general manager of his year-end availability like we saw last year. All right, great stuff. Listen, man, doing double duty. Right on the backs of DFO Live, you hop on here.

Really appreciate it, bud. We'll talk soon. Thanks, Jeff. There is Carter Hutton from DFO Live, and you seem popularly all over the network here. That's at Daily Faceoff.