The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Jason Gregor on McDavid's Legacy, Paul Coffey's Return, the Girard/Kulak Trade, and more

Episode Date: February 25, 2026

Jason Gregor joins to unpack the men’s Olympic tournament, what ultimately went wrong for Canada, and how this event shapes the legacy conversation around Connor McDavid. The show then pivots to the Edmonton Oilers, Paul Coffey’s return to the bench, and what it signals about the organization’s direction moving forward. A full Olympic recap with big-picture NHL implications — all on today’s episode of The Sheet.Leave a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/TheSheetEmail us: [e-mail] 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-faceoffReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For comment on McDavid, all things, Oilers, the return of Paul Coffee as well. We go to Jason Greger from the Jason Greger's show on Sports 1440 and the DFO Rundown. Gregor, how are you today, sir? I'm good, man, you? I'm well. Too much politics in your hockey lately or just enough or not too much? How are you feeling about the political mix now with hockey? Well, I don't think you can be immune to it unless you think sexual abuse is okay. Like, let's just call a spade of spade here.

That's anybody, that's the, I don't care about right or left. That should have nothing to do with rape and sexual abuse and pedophilia. Like, what are we doing? This should be the easiest thing for people to agree on. And you've got a government doing everything in their power to a whole back ebcene files. Like, I'm sorry, that's, you know what, if it requires the sports people to stand up and do the right thing, then great. But I do think it's a bad decision to want to be used as a pawn because make no mistake, that's all that is, to be used as a pawn to try to get excitement because, hey, you won the

gold medal and that's great. But the person who's honoring you is a person who has being convicted of it, has paid, you know, in a civil court, $5 million, has had multiple, multiple charges. His name was all over the Epstein files. This is all public knowledge. and people just act like, well, it's okay. And it illustrates societal's viewpoint on how, how they all say that they think pedophilia is bad, but actions speak louder than words.

And there's not a left people that are saying, no thanks. That's the problem. The one thing that Wysinski and I were talking about in the program yesterday, it's one thing. And maybe there probably, maybe there shouldn't even be a distinction with this anymore. Maybe this is just where we're at. And we all remember like Tim Thomas with the Boston Bruins, we're refusing to go to the White House.

because he wasn't a fan of Barack Obama. Okay. Do you create a distinction between going as a team, as a tradition when you win a Stanley Cup, for example, as opposed to going to something like the State of the Union, which is just so overtly political to begin with? It's one thing that's, you can be, if you squint, you can make the argument

that celebrating your championship with your team at the White House is ceremonial, but the state of the Union is a different kettle, official altogether, and that is purely, to your point, political propaganda. Well, I'll be honest, I don't know the history. Does the state of the union happen after the Winter Olympics every time? And four years ago, we're winter Olympians going to celebrate? If not, then it's clear that this is just a distraction. So you should at least, I'm not American. I don't know the history of the state of the union. But I would think Americans do. And if this is something that happens all the time, then I'm mistaken. If it is.

then it's clear to me what the goal is. Returning players. I wanted to get to this with you, and we talked a little bit about this on the Sunday show. Connor McDavid. I look at Connor McDavid on Sunday in that overtime because he's done it so many different times in the NHL on the three-on-three.

Just grab the puck and go. And he's looking at right in front of him is Jack Hughes, and he's saying to himself, you know, it's not as if I have Zach Wrenski in front of me here. this is Jack Hughes of Forward. I can do this. And, you know, we're only a couple of days removed from Mitch Marner, dancing three players and going in and ending it for Canada and on a solo mission. Yet here's Connor McDavid trying to do something that he's done on a consistent basis

since the three-on-three was introduced in the NHL. How do you look at that play now? And what do you think this does for McDavid, if anything, as he returns to the NHL? Well, it's three on three. That plays the play you do all the time. It's no different than plays he's done in any other time, especially when you're going up against the forward. Are you kidding me?

You're licking your chops if you're a skilled forward going up against the forward who's trying to play defense. You're going to take that matchup all day long. And it's literally, you know, Kail McCar misses the puck by what, an inch? If he gets the puck, no one's talking about it. And then even Nathan McKinnon, right, he had a slight hesitation in the defense zone. If he just goes after the puck, he probably bangs it off the boss. No one's talking about it. So I think we can overanalyze at times trying to find a scapegoat. It's three on three.

Now, and I said this before the Olympics, I think it's a disservice to the players that there's no other sport who when you get to the gold medal changes the rules in how the game is played. So just play if you, and if you want to limit time, just play 20 minutes of five on five and then go to a shootout. That's fine. Right? World Cup of soccer does it. Right? You play shorter halves and then you go to to a shootout. But the game itself doesn't change. Everybody accepts that it can't go on forever, so you play to a shootout. That's fine. It's an easy fix. I even said it after 2010. I didn't like the four on four then. That's not. You're playing the whole thing and then you don't do it then. So in the gold medal game, if you want to do it when you've got four games in the quarterfinals and

you're limited in an ice time? Okay, because five on five lasting longer than three on three, normally is the case. But I wouldn't, I would prefer that a gold medal doesn't change how the game is played. And it's an easy fix for 2030, because it's better for everybody involved. And then you go to a shootout and, hey, you got to end it at some point. Hey, we've had some world juniors that were electrifying shootouts. You know, you've had Olympics or electrifying shootouts. I don't have a problem with that. But I don't love three on three in, in the Olympic gold medal game. What do you think this does with Connor coming back here? Is this a, listen, he's not going to play the first couple of games coming back,

but is this a reignited now, Connor McDavid? Like, no one, like always, I've always said this. Nobody likes getting the silver medal. You appreciate it years later. Like, you're retired and then 15 years later, you look back and you say, you know what? I am proud of that accomplishment. But at that time, you don't want it.

Like that thing burns on your chest the minute the ribbon goes around your neck. You hate it. You don't want it. You can understand, you know, Leas Anderson throwing it off into the crowd in Buffalo with the World Juniors. You get it, right? But what do you think this does? I mean, you're right there in Edmonton.

Like, you know, McDavid. What do you think this does to him? Well, it's a good question because when they wanted four nations, he admitted after the fact that there was a little bit of an emotional letdown. And, you know, now there's an emotional letdown, but you're frustrated. It's funny. As humans, we seem to get motivated more for anger than we do for positivity. Like, people would rather rip someone apart than applaud them. It's a really sad state when you think about the psychology of human being. And the truth of the matters, it doesn't necessarily help you.

But, you know, maybe he's going to decide to go to the Michael Jordan. I'm offended. And so this is what is going to be his motivation, right? I don't know. It's hard to say. Obviously, there'll be some big disappointment. I know Connor puts a lot of pressure on himself. But once you get back, you know what, he'll have time to refocus. And hey, the orders are not in an easy street to the playoffs. Now they've got a favorable schedule, but they got to win some games. And you got Anaheim chased them. You got L.A. chase them. Even San Jose technically three games back, six points back. You could do the math. They're technically, they could catch them if they want all three. So you know what? These are big games for Eminton. And now Evanton only has 12 healthy four.

Jeff. So I know Chris Knoblock and we'll see, I don't expect McDavid to practice today, but I still won't be shocked if McDavid plays one, if not both of the games here and maybe just has a limited amount of ice time. But he's the captain of the team. They only have 12 healthy forwards. And I could see him finding a way to get in the line. You know, it's interesting too. Because I can see that too. I can see him playing one of the games and Noblock saying, yeah, we're going to limit his ice time. And then when the game gets going, and then you know what McDavid's going to be like,

and the game juices get going, and then you look at the game sheet at the end of the game, and it's like 23 minutes for Conner McDavid. So so much for limiting minutes, and that's just the way that this thing is going to go. What's the Paul Coffee effect here? You and I talked about this on Rundown as well. You know, he's a great motivator,

a great cheerleader, great for your mental well-being and confidence, etc. What does this do for the Edminton Oilers? this deep end of the season? Well, it's all going to be penned on, I think all parties. Like if you put Chris Knoblock, Paul Coffey on a on a lie detector,

would their first choice of being, yes, this is what we want? No, I don't think that's the case. I think the owner had some influence here. Chris Knobach did tell me that, you know, he could have vetoed this. He did admit that there's kind of being something a little bit missing on their staff.

I think that they've got a pretty quiet staff. maybe not as much experience as a guy like Paul Coffey's had. So, no, now Paul Coffey's not an X and O guy. He's not running over tons of video. And I've talked to players in the past about this. His biggest strength is in-game and just how he manages the emotions of the players. They make a bad play. He's not, he's just saying, hey, you're good.

Go back out there and make a good play, right? Now, obviously, if you keep making the same bad play, he'll come down on you. But he's more so challenges guys like before games. right or on a practice day to say hey you're capable of being better but in the game he's all about positive reinforcement on players which we just talked about earlier Jeff and the difference it has and like i remember viny de harne telling me the thing that shocked him was you know day harney being in the nchel for a few years it was like their first or second video review and usually the video review is here's evan bouchard going back and here's him making a play and this is how we outlet the puck right

and it was and it always seemed to be those guys because he does it a lot well coffee's in there and he's showing Vinnie Deharnay coming back to get a puck and he's like look at that right on the tape see Vinny you can do it and then he shows bushard and he shows and he shows everybody and the guy left there saying yeah I can do it right like there's there's ways to remind people of their capabilities and I think that's what coffee strength's going to be here and you know they'll need it because emminton again at the end of the day they need to limit their goals against and you know what they actually were on a pretty good run until their final six games before the break and then the wheels fell off their penalty kill went from 10th to 27th. They allow nine goals on 14 kills in a five-game stretch. It's unbelievable. So their penalty kills should get back to normal. They need some saves from their goalie on the PK. They need some better reads from their defensemen. And they need more investment on fewer turnovers at the offensive blue line by the fours. Before I let you go, I do want to get a couple of thoughts here from you on the trade of the day, the Pittsburgh Penguins. So Kulak is off to the avalanche. You and I talked about the avs wanting some a little bit more

size on the back end. So Colorado picks up Kulak. Sam Gerard, finally. finally gets traded after years of rumors. Goes to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A second round pick goes there and not lost on a lot of people is the Penguins, and this is probably where the second round pick comes in here too. The Penguins doing the avalanche is solid here.

2.75 is Kulak's salary, $5 million this year and next year for Sam Gerard. I refuse to believe that Colorado is done. Colorado still has moves here and the Penguins helping him out. to create some cap space. What do you think of this move from both sides? Well, I love it for Colorado.

I'd said this for months. There's no way Colorado's going to the playoffs with Gerard and Malinsky in their bottom four. He can't do it. All you got to do is watch the games, man. You need some size. And those two guys are both too small. And Sammy Gerard, you know what?

Hell of a player. But size matters when everything's equal in the playoffs. And it's all good teams. And you're 5'9 with probably the shortest stick in the NHL. there's just certain things you cannot do. That's true. And you know, you got Malinsky, who's also, I think, you know, 511, maybe, probably means he's 5, 10.

But he's a hell of a player. So you can have one, but you can't have both. And so Brett Kulak, from his days back in Montreal, this guy has shown he plays well in the playoffs. He elevates his game. And I think this is a really good move for Colorado. But more importantly, as you said, the cap space. So now they've gained an additional two and a half,

which at the trade deadline is worth much more. So I think they're open for business. I think they'll probably go out and try to get another defenseman, I think in Colorado. So the Aves got a really good team. I think they feel like this is the year you've got to go for it. So I won't be surprised if they had another D-Men and another fort. I think they still would be looking for a center.

To that end, there is one defenseman. I had a really good Olympics that I wonder about. And I kind of wonder about them a little bit. Like if the Oilers are still like frisky for a right-hand shot defenseman with some snarl, I wonder about Rasmus Ristelainen, the Philadelphia Flyers, with either the avalanche or maybe, and again, like, look, I was making the point off the top of the show, like Stan Bowman was there.

He saw all of this, like on display. Ristelana has one more year on term too. So it's not as if you're just getting a rental. I wonder about Ristalinen. As you talk about the avalanche, and I really do in a lower key, wonder about the Edminton & others with him too. Well, I think Eminson's number one need right now

is the second pair right shot defense. man. I think Jake Walman can play his offside. I think their teams better if he's playing left side. Yep. So they need a right. And I looked at the guys, you know, like Colton Pereco would be unreal. I just don't think they have the cap space or lack of cap space to make it work right now. Then Connor Murphy in Chicago is a definite option. Stan Bowman knows him very well. Yep. The order's penalty kill needs help. Who's who plays basically on their top penalty kill unit in Chicago all the time? The number one penalty kill unit in the NHL, I should say, Connor Murphy. I think he's a big option, 4.4. I think that Zach White Cloud in Calgary hasn't been

there long enough to have any sort of emotional connections to the fans and say, oh my God, we can't change a trade a lifelong flame to Evanton. Look, the Rangers just traded Susky to the Islanders, right? Because he wasn't there that long. So it's different. And there's even Kovicevich in New Jersey. So there's some right shot defensemen available for sure. And, you know, right in there is Reese the line. And I know that, you know, his name's been out there for a while. with emminton i know people will look at his numbers he's never being on a good team buffalo really hasn't been really good and when you play you know more of a defensive defense but on bad teams your analytics are never good jeff they just aren't so you got to dig deeper than than that to look

at it and i think my concern for him unfortunately is injuries i don't you know what like two triceps injuries so is you know third time a charm that's where would i acquire him yes but i'm not giving up as much as maybe flyers want because I've got a little concern about health. Yeah. So here's my thing about Edmondson, and this is such a tiny little note, but this goes back because he mentioned Ristelina with his Buffalo Sabres days as well. And I'll go back to the Toronto Maple Leafs when Nazim Kadri was there as well. Every single time these two teams met, Cadre and Ristelan fought.

When you look at like two players who like legitimately hate each other in the league, we've slept on this for a while, not because they've been apart, but Cadry and Ristelain and Stelan. So if Calgary doesn't move Cadry, and I still kind of think that they do, like Dallas and their other teams all over Cadry, I would love to see Ristelan in Edmonton

just to renew that. Just to renew the hatred between those two right next to each other down highway. I think the NHL needs to pay attention to what fans like. Everybody who wasn't a hockey fan was talking about the four nations

because the rivalry. So they need more rivalry games. In the COVID lockout, Jeff, we had teams with travel and they play two games in one city, sometimes three. I know. And I get why. But do more of that in the regular season. You don't have to do a ton of it, but every team should have five of those a year.

Every team in the league should have five. It creates a little bit more animosity, more rivalries. And if you have more emotion in the 82 or 84 game regular season starting next year, it's better for the whole league. It's better on travel. Guys aren't moving from, you're going to a four-game road trip. and maybe once you go to L.A. two games, and then you go to San Jose for two games. Guess what? You're not traveling.

You're still playing your four games, but you're not traveling night tonight. So there's options I think you could do. And hey, if Rees-Lyne and Cadre get back and they hate each other, I'm awful. You need rivalries in all of the teams. I think it's way back. Amen, brother.

Okay, I know every day for you is busy doing a million hours of radio and podcast. Every day. We'll let you get to it. Griggs, thanks as always for stopping by, pal. Anytime, man. Have a great day. That's not every day.