The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Jonny Lazarus on Jason Robertson's Olympic Case

Episode Date: December 4, 2025

Jonny Lazarus jumps into the show live from the Prudential Center — fully suited up in gear — giving a behind-the-scenes look at the New Jersey Devils’ alumni and staff skate featuring names like Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, Jeremy Colliton and more. Jonny walks Jeff Marek through the atmosphere on the Devils’ practice rink, the culture of these game-day skates, and what it’s like sharing the ice with former NHL players. The conversation shifts to league storylines, including the Dallas Stars adjusting after Tyler Seguin’s ACL injury, potential trade fits to replace his minutes, and how teams like Dallas and Buffalo might approach their roster decisions. Jonny also breaks down Jason Robertson’s push for a Team USA Olympic spot, why Robertson’s goal-scoring impact goes beyond the stat sheet, and how players approach showcasing themselves in marquee matchups. The segment wraps with a fun “player-style” walk-off interview as Jonny channels his inner NHLer.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Bauer: https://www.bauer.com/👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/ca👍🏼Prime Video: https://primevideo-row.pxf.io/c/5560083/3303015/20020Reach 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We got to hustle to our next guest because he's only got a few minutes for us, but this could be really cool. He has one half of the impact players, as we call him around here, the host of Morning Cup of Hockey who is geared up. Oh, look at you. Oh, okay, first of all, Johnny Lazarus, one of the things, so every year there's a couple of different agencies that I'll go and I'll talk to the kids before the draft and I'll sort of teach him like what the media landscape is like. how you do interviews, how you do a walkoff, how you do a studio setting, what you can expect. And that's what I give them advice. Like, you know, when you get to a certain, when you get to a market, you know, make sure you know who all the media people are in that market, get acquainted with them, get acquainted with their work, refer to them on a first name basis. And one of the things I always tell the kids, if I had a chance to talk to you, I would have told you the same thing.

When you're doing a walk off interview, that is a free commercial for you. The first thing you should do is. Take your helmet off. And take your visor. That is a full-on commercial for you, Johnny Lazarus. So for me, Jeff, as a kid, I always wanted to walk off interview with Jeff Merrick. And this is how the players did it. So this is my chance to be a player, okay?

That's cool. So we got to get like, should have like a hockey night towel around your neck and the whole deal. First of all, scene set for us. So you're at the Prudential Center right now. Who are you skating with? Is it like actually like Devils alumni? I'll show you here if you can I'm just in the lobby right now but here's the scene oh this is so cool so that's the devil's practice rank they do this every single home game day

so this week they're doing Monday Wednesday Friday I'm coming back Friday but Andy Green's out there Travis Zajack is out there Jeremy Calhams out there yeah Zajax actually on my team I was giving him some breakout passes man he is like honestly went and back in his day I always felt he was like one of the most underrated players in the NHL, full stop. Man that I love Travis Ajax. Oh, what a thrill. That's so cool. It's cool.

Yeah. I got to tell you, Jeremy Colleton is dancing out there. Like, he's unreal. Like, very intimidated by him when I'm going against him. But, yeah, it's really cool. One of my, Kobe will give me shit. And I know the chat will give me shit for saying this. One of my best friends, Lewis used to work for the day.

I say one of my best friends. I have a lot of best friends. Lewis used to do sales for the devils. And, you know, he played at Wagner, Kyle. which is Division 3. So, like, I guess they invite anyone who's played hockey. Like, it's cool. The staff, like, all bring their suits for the game tonight in the locker room.

So they're going to shower, put their suits on and just go right next door to the main arena. And how cool do they get to block off, like, an hour of the day on game day to come out and skate and just have a good time. Like, there's music blast and the vibes are high. It's just, honestly, it's like one of the cooler things that I've ever been a part of. Dude, that is so cool. I'll tell you a quick story. So when John Ferguson ran the Toronto Maple Leafs, every year at the then Air Canada Center

now Scotia Bank Arena he would coordinate a media game and you know how much media there is in Toronto so he'd be like a good game that'd be like a dozen each side or whatever like a lot of media and we would all go because you get a chance to skate at the Air Canada Center and I'll tell you the one thing

and I'm not going to name the names but you probably know who they are so again this is all media I mean a couple of assistant coaches would get out like Keith Acton would get out there too but I always found it astounding because it's just like media guys and girls like no one's a star

and there was always a couple of people that took it like way too seriously and were always like way too rough and way too physical and way too aggressive and there were two of them specifically in Toronto media and they were interestingly enough the two that were always the most

anti-violence and anti-fighting media members. We would sit there and go like, he's going to write like 2,000 words about how violence is ruining hockey. Here he is like trying to kill us on the ice at the air, Canada, center. No friends on the ice, right? I get it, but I was just like the funniest thing ever.

It's like, oh, okay, here we go. There's another high stick. Okay, well, there's a slash. It's like, this is a media game for crying out loud. So how, so, okay, are there moments in the game? I'm going to ask about NHL issues here to say, but are there moments in this game where, because like you never really get the player out of you

where like okay he's just going to have a friendly game and it's going to be cool and then like a team goes down three cob and someone says screw it I'm filling the net like enough of this this can't happen and then you start to take it more seriously so this is only my second time here

I know we do like games to five I think best of three and like Zajak has his kid out here Carlton has this kid out here so it's not like it's super intense I think they're maybe you know 13 14 years old there's actually one kid I'm blanking on his name.

I met him last week, but I'll get his name for you another day who plays with the New Jersey Avalanche, who's apparently going to be drafted like OHL this year. He's actually gross. I'll get his name for you, and I feel bad that I'm blanking on it. But he's 16. He's on my team.

He's unreal. But no, it doesn't really get heated. I mean, guys are still trying hard. Like, I'm winded. Like, it's a tough skate. But again, like, everyone's out here to have a good time. The music's going, and it's all about smiling and having fun, you know? Okay, a couple of things here.

On a sour note, we'll start off. So ACL for Tyler Sagan. We don't know how long, the nature of the severity, but this is a guy that's coming off of, you know, hip surgery and getting back to it last year. You just feel like crushed for Sagan. The reality of it is. is it might just open up some significant cap space for the Dallas stars, right? Like the sunny side of the mountain to the shady side of the mountain.

One, you feel horrible for the player. You feel horrible for that room. The guys love Seggs, like the whole deal. We all know how much you mean to the stars. How do you look at this situation now for Dallas? You know what? I honestly haven't really thought that far, to be honest. But I was talking to Jamie Ben a little bit yesterday

and just talking about how deep this team is and how the top end talent is probably the best. best it's been since he's been there um you know you look at their top two lines and say you know was playing top he was kind of in the middle six but getting um second line minutes i believe with uh who was he with last night hinson and uh robertson maybe um you know i think that's what his line was maybe is i'm mixing up but um either way like either way who is dallas going to be able to go get like that's the big thing right i think um a name that comes to mind but he's kind of said out out. He wants to stay in Pittsburgh now, is Malkin with how well he's playing.

Dallas, obviously, a team that's been knocking on the door now for about like five years ready to punch through it. Codry, sorry. Cogree, is that the name you're looking for? No, I just got a little something by throwing it. Country. Yeah, I mean, I guess the money makes sense, right? What's Sagan making, like, seven?

Nine. Not, oh, wow. Okay, so, yeah, that's a clear hole then. So, yeah, I guess Codry's the name, right? Yeah, I don't really have. have another name I can come up with unless they try to negotiate a trade for like an Alex Tuck too and try to fit him in

and maybe sign him long term because obviously Buffalo is looking to make some deals too right? I would imagine so and I would imagine like at a certain point with Alex Tuck and the Buffalo Sabres like they need to know you know A if he's going to stay what the number is going to be I think it's more similar to the Adrian Kempay

contract when you look at the production of both are more similar than different so I look at the Kempay deal and say it's it's an $80 million deal, you know, 10 times 8. Like, that's what it looks like for Alex Tuck. Does Buffalo want to do that? Is that really Tuck's number?

Does he want to stay, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. If not, you know, like, listen, his wife is from out west. Maybe they want to go back. Edmonton seems like a great landing spot for someone like Alex Tuck. But I'm with you. Like, don't disqualify a team like the Dallas stars. Let me ask you one more thing before you get back on the ice. I know you got to split here.

I had this fantasy yesterday about that Dallas Rangers game. And the fantasy went like this. And it involves an old highlight from an old Toronto Maple Leafs Buffalo Sabres game, and it involved Miro Chetan. I thought it was Max Siphon again off, but I was wrong. And people texted me and DM me right away. 8161. Yeah, I know, right?

Like, come on, Merrick. So that Jason Robertson scored a huge goal in the game last night and skated by the Rangers bench and did the call me. to Mike Sullivan in USA hockey. Your thoughts on Jason Robertson right now in the Olympics? Yeah, last night he was honestly pretty quiet. I don't think Dallas really generated a ton of great-eight chances against the Rangers. Like, you got to credit the Rangers for how they played last night.

But Jason Robertson has been the hottest goal score in the league. And I had the chance to talk to him yesterday. He said, like, flat out, you know, Mike Sullivan doesn't get to see a lot of me. He's been in the East for 10 years. I play in the West. We see him twice a year. like this is definitely a game that adds a little flavor Glenn Gulleton said that as well

you know it's obviously it's not in the back of Robertson's mind I think it's in the front of his mind that he wants to prove himself and make this team and team USA needs goals right Robertson's also a guy who can play heavy while he didn't score last night the first goal that Coppa Bianco scores for Dallas

Robertson's battling Braden Schneider right in front takes Igor's just Erkin's eyes away you know Robertson probably won't get an assist on that play but if he's not there at the net front that puck's not going in So, you know, that's probably something Mike Sullivan's looking at too. Hey, you got a guy who can score 35 to 40 goals

and he'll also mix it up in the front of the net. Like, who wouldn't want that? You know, obviously, a guy who could score in the power play, too, he does it all kinds of ways. The one thing I'd say Robertson doesn't have is, like, quick feet, but it's not like he's a bad skater. You know, he's not afraid to get in the mix. He doesn't shy away from physicality.

He's got a really good shot. And again, like, right now he's just, he told me, like, when things are going as well as they're going right now, when you shoot the puck, you're not even necessarily picking a spot. You just think it's going to go in if you get it on that, right? Like that's what happens when a goal score is hot, when a goal score is not. Like he said, he went nine games before this without scoring. And he's probably over making a little bit too much and trying to pick a spot, pick a corner.

So he's a really, really nice guy. Even if he had a hat-trick last night, I wouldn't think he'd be the kind of guy who would walk by and do this. Yeah, I do the phone. Let's go. I don't know if that's in his bag, but he's the guy that's easier to root for, that's for, that's for sure. Okay. Okay, player interview. You're about to go out there.

You're an NHL or Johnny Lazarus, okay? Give me player talk here. I want player talk. Okay, John Lazarus, about there to go out there. You're playing on a line with Travis Zajak. How much of a thrill is it for you to play in a line with someone you grew up watching? Yeah, you know, Zajak tormented me for years, but, you know, I got a lot of respect for him. He's a hell of a player and, you know, works his bag off.

He's a guy who does anything that the coach has asked for. So a huge honor for me. Am I doing enough sniffling? Big honor for me. And, you know, hopefully we can go out there. they're and steal two points here. I was going to say these two points are huge against this team. It's going to be a tough out.

What do you need to do to be successful? Probably put pucks behind there, D, take away the walls, force pucks up the middle, and, you know, kind of attack there off the rush. So we got a lot of speed and a lot of skill on this team, so hopefully we can put it all together and have a complete 60 minutes. Good luck. Go have fun out there. Thanks, Jeff.

Appreciate it. I sweat 16 hours last night every day this week, every day this month. I can't get out my head, lifestyle, ambitious day-to-day, because you can call it all right. I went to the dark man, you tried to give me a little medicine. I'm like, nah, man, that's fine. I'm not against those methods. it's me myself and how this

going to be fixing my mind I didn't want a bracket I turned on the music I do want to make it I turn on the music fixing up

help out and get you sometimes losing I've been on the days that went wrong I'm not.