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Hurricanes’ Thrilling Road Trip: Key Players & Intense Showdowns Ahead · stormTRacker Podcast | Carolina Hurricanes & NHL Hockey

0:34
SPEAKER_04: Well, the Carolina Hurricanes got off to a strong start at home with impressive wins against the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers.
0:43
SPEAKER_04: Next up, the Long State Fair Road Trip.
0:46
SPEAKER_04: And the Canes started well, with a strong 5-1 win over the Sharks, despite missing Jacob Slavin, who didn't begin the road trip with the Canes.
0:57
SPEAKER_04: Canes have dominated the games thus far and have outscored the opposition 15-7.
1:04
SPEAKER_04: With the season now underway, what do we think of the Carolina Hurricanes in these early days?
1:10
SPEAKER_04: What areas are still a work in progress?
1:13
SPEAKER_04: And with five games of the long road trip left, what do we want to see from this year's Games?
1:20
SPEAKER_04: Joining me as always to talk about this and more, Aaron Manning, Katie Bartlett.
1:25
SPEAKER_04: Ladies.
1:27
SPEAKER_04: Hello.
1:28
SPEAKER_04: Okay, so uh great road trip so far.
1:35
SPEAKER_04: And we'll take it.
1:36
SPEAKER_04: And of course, uh the game against the sharks was a must-win because we know that as the road trip goes on, this is gonna be some heavy lifting for the Canes.
1:45
SPEAKER_04: So, particularly wondering how Jacob Slavin is going to surface at some point or what's gonna happen with him.
1:52
SPEAKER_04: The Canes have definitely got their work cut out for them.
1:55
SPEAKER_04: And talking about that, uh I thought we'd kick it off and uh maybe take a look at the decor.
2:01
SPEAKER_04: Um Slavin and Walker put together to start the season.
2:06
SPEAKER_04: I thought they looked pretty good, but with Slavin out, Mike Riley is uh is in the lineup.
2:13
SPEAKER_04: And he played a pretty strong game, I thought, against uh against the Sharks.
2:17
SPEAKER_04: Um he had five shots, he was a plus one, he played over 18 minutes, did some good work on the PK.
2:24
SPEAKER_04: So are we gonna see anything uh in terms of concerns with uh Slavin out, or what are we thinking about that defensive pairing in the D corps?
2:34
SPEAKER_04: Aaron?
2:36
SPEAKER_00: Um I like that um the both of the the pairings with Walker.
2:40
SPEAKER_00: I liked him with Slavin.
2:41
SPEAKER_00: I think that we we all thought that maybe he needed to get just a little bit more, Walker did, and then you know we saw a lot of that last night.
2:48
SPEAKER_00: So um again, early in the season, you're gonna see these guys step up as the opportunities you know grow and as they get more comfortable playing with each other.
2:56
SPEAKER_00: So I think that when Slavin and Walker are really comfortable playing with each other, they're gonna be a great first pairing.
3:01
SPEAKER_00: Um, unfortunately, because of the Slavin injury situation, and we don't have a lot of details about that yet.
3:06
SPEAKER_00: I think that that's gonna be something that unfolds and we'll find out what's going on a little further into the road trip.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: But um you never know when somebody, your seventh defenseman, has to come in.
3:16
SPEAKER_00: And especially if you're gonna draw him in and kind of give him those kind of minutes, like you said, Tom, and and put him up there with uh with Sean Walker.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, I thought he was outstanding last night.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: He was very noticeable, um, not just with that tremendous flip pass to Robinson for that goal.
3:32
SPEAKER_00: That was just fantastic, but also um just being very steady in his own end.
3:37
SPEAKER_00: He he didn't seem to be um having any issues with any of that.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: He's he brings a little bit of physicality, I thought.
3:42
SPEAKER_00: Some nice touch there, you know.
3:44
SPEAKER_00: Everything you want to see.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: And I there there was a lot of praise on the broadcast from Trip Chasey about what a great veteran player he is and everything that like that.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: So, I mean, I think that this is one of those instances where you bring in a guy who, you know, certainly nobody can replace Jacob Slavin, nobody, you know, that the Kanes could could ever acquire.
4:02
SPEAKER_00: So for the time being, though, and especially this early in the season with teams just starting to kind of feel each other out and have those matchups and competition, he's doing great.
4:12
SPEAKER_00: First game.
4:14
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be an ongoing process, but hopefully Jacob Slavin will be back soon enough that you know we won't have to have any second quick guesses or uh second questions.
4:25
SPEAKER_04: Well, and and I think uh one of the guys that certainly has stepped up and is off to a great start this year is uh K.Andre Miller.
4:34
SPEAKER_04: Um he uh he's averaging over 22 minutes a game.
4:38
SPEAKER_04: This is this is really something I think he's playing well.
4:41
SPEAKER_04: Katie, thoughts on Kayandre Miller?
4:45
SPEAKER_02: Well, especially under the circumstances of Slavin being limited, he's stepped up and really taken that mantle, which is uh very impressive for somebody new to the team.
4:54
SPEAKER_02: Uh obviously love his size for his reach.
4:58
SPEAKER_02: He has a very Slavin-esque uh stick work when it comes to how he positions himself.
5:06
SPEAKER_02: And um from puck drop in the Devils game, you noticed his reach, you noticed him tapping pucks away from players, and uh working the angles to keep them from being able to get shots off or to get at least something dangerous uh produced.
5:23
SPEAKER_02: So he he's been very impressive.
5:25
SPEAKER_02: And of course, we have the two goals.
5:26
SPEAKER_02: It's always the bright, shiny uh stats that people notice the most.
5:31
SPEAKER_02: But it was it was very cool to see him uh produce immediately as he joined the team.
5:37
SPEAKER_02: And I think as he settles into himself and settles into the system, uh he's gonna really flourish.
5:45
SPEAKER_02: There's so many comparisons that have been made in many different outlets to him being perhaps like Brady Shea, who was when he came over from the Rangers, but perhaps better because he's got the longer term deal and he's younger and he has a little bit more size and so on.
6:02
SPEAKER_02: So been thrilled with him and thrilled with his ability to step up and lead the decor in Slavin's absence.
6:09
SPEAKER_04: Well, when you watch Miller play, what is it that uh that really impresses you about the way he plays, Katie?
6:17
SPEAKER_02: I think just his positioning is what impr impressed me the most is he seems to really understand and see the ice so well.
6:26
SPEAKER_02: He knows where to cut off angles, when to step up and deny zone entries with his gap control, when to angle himself back a little bit to prevent a break past him.
6:37
SPEAKER_02: I mean, it hasn't been perfect, but it's been really good.
6:41
SPEAKER_02: And as the season goes along, I think he'll tighten that up even better and really be a dominant force on the blue line for the team.
6:48
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and I mean one of the things about uh Canary Miller that as soon as you watch him, it just jumps out of you is his wonderful skating.
6:57
SPEAKER_04: I mean, he's smooth as milk out there.
6:59
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, um, it's almost effortless.
7:01
SPEAKER_04: And so uh, you know, it's kind of interesting when you've got uh Miller and you've got uh Chatfield out there.
7:08
SPEAKER_04: These are two guys that can really fly, and and uh and boy, it's tough for teams to get much space against those guys.
7:14
SPEAKER_04: So I'm with you.
7:15
SPEAKER_04: I think uh I think Miller's off to a great start.
7:18
SPEAKER_04: Uh he's like uh some of the other new guys out there.
7:21
SPEAKER_04: You know, we've got three right now who are relative newcomers to the Canes, if you count uh Mike Riley out there, all trying to figure out the system.
7:30
SPEAKER_04: And we've talked a lot about this in the past, where you know, the new defense guys they take a little while to get their mojo.
7:37
SPEAKER_04: And and uh, you know, the fact that these guys have certainly had an impact early on, I think, is is a testament to uh Eric Tulski and his ability to get people that he thinks really fit the system, and of course the players themselves.
7:50
SPEAKER_04: So great start.
7:52
SPEAKER_04: Now, let's talk about the pair that's really making noise, I think, back on the blue.
7:56
SPEAKER_04: And and I'm talking about uh Shane Goss Despair and his partner Alex Nikeshin.
8:01
SPEAKER_04: Now, these guys are a combined plus 12 right now, uh, let alone anything else they've done on the ice.
8:07
SPEAKER_04: They have been very, very strong on the defensive side.
8:11
SPEAKER_04: Uh Goss despair leads the NHL with a plus seven.
8:15
SPEAKER_04: Now, that's something you probably wouldn't say at the start of the season that uh Ghost would be leading in the plus-minus at some point.
8:22
SPEAKER_04: Uh he is right now.
8:24
SPEAKER_04: And of course, uh he scored a beautiful goal uh in that game last night as well.
8:28
SPEAKER_04: And of course, Alex Nikeshian, what can we say about him?
8:31
SPEAKER_04: He's doing it all.
8:32
SPEAKER_04: Aaron, what are your thoughts on those two guns?
8:36
SPEAKER_00: Well, they've been so much fun to watch, first of all.
8:38
SPEAKER_00: I think that that pairing is, you know, sure there were some conversations I know we had over the summer about not wanting Nikishan to be on the third pair.
8:46
SPEAKER_00: I don't think he's gonna be there forever.
8:48
SPEAKER_00: But right now, I think Shane Gossespare is an excellent partner to help him get um acclimated to the system.
8:54
SPEAKER_00: And one of the things we didn't even mention here is that Ghost is playing on his off side.
8:58
SPEAKER_00: And that's not the easiest thing in the world to do for a defenseman, but he's been absolutely seamless with it.
9:03
SPEAKER_00: There's been no issues whatsoever there.
9:05
SPEAKER_00: So it's just he's a testament to his ability to be adaptable because you know that is not a skill that every defenseman in the NHL has to be able to play uh on their opposite side.
9:15
SPEAKER_00: Um for Nikishan, I think that you know, it's gonna be a little time before he fully adapts to the NHL game because you gotta do that.
9:23
SPEAKER_00: It's it's part of the process.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: But we've seen some flashes of absolute brilliance already, and that's without him, you know, having actually scored a goal yet.
9:31
SPEAKER_00: He came very close to scoring a goal last night.
9:35
SPEAKER_00: But luckily, um, you know, that that rebound was available.
9:38
SPEAKER_00: So um he's gonna get one.
9:40
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna, it's a matter of time, you know, before that first goal hits.
9:43
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's probably coming anytime in the next few games, I think.
9:46
SPEAKER_00: Um, but but beyond his offense, the other thing is that with Slavin out, um, Nikishan is getting penalty kill time, and he was in the canes, we're perfect on the penalty kill last night.
9:56
SPEAKER_00: So that's another testament to his extremely big toolkit.
10:00
SPEAKER_00: He's he's not even close to scratching the surface of what he can do on the ice.
10:06
SPEAKER_00: And this is all happening while he's adapting to a completely different game and you know, the language barrier and everything else.
10:13
SPEAKER_00: I think he's gonna be a star.
10:15
SPEAKER_00: I really do.
10:16
SPEAKER_04: Katie, what about uh your thoughts on that pair?
10:20
SPEAKER_02: Uh I love them.
10:22
SPEAKER_02: I love what um Aaron mentioned as far as ghost playing on his offside.
10:26
SPEAKER_02: But if you have noticed when they are in the offensive zone, sometimes they switch up.
10:30
SPEAKER_02: They switch because that allows Nikitian to get open for that big booming slap shot of his.
10:36
SPEAKER_02: And he has tickled 99 miles an hour on one of his shots.
10:40
SPEAKER_02: So I can't wait until he finally breaks that hundred mark.
10:43
SPEAKER_02: That will be very, very exciting.
10:45
SPEAKER_02: Um, but I love the fact that they have that dynamic because it forces defenses to have to keep both to keep track of both of them.
10:52
SPEAKER_02: Gostaspare is more of the you know, the the the let's see, smooth operator, shall we say, where he's kind of floating around and he's using his skating and his stick handling and his passing to create opportunities.
11:06
SPEAKER_02: And Nikisha's just out there ripping it and and being the strong man on that pair.
11:12
SPEAKER_02: And they complement each other so well in the O zone, and they've been doing really well in the defensive zone, too.
11:18
SPEAKER_02: They're not fancy, they just play the puck as they need to, they work make sure to get it out, get it to safety, nothing too risky, nothing too crazy, just good solid hockey 101 approach to to the D zone.
11:33
SPEAKER_02: And so far it has worked great for them.
11:36
SPEAKER_02: And other than that, you know, everyone has been posting if for good reason that hit that Nikisha landed last night after Glasses Fair got tripped.
11:47
SPEAKER_02: And it means that's just the thing of beauty.
11:49
SPEAKER_02: You know, we're gonna have many, many more highlights like that.
11:53
SPEAKER_02: And I I am here for it.
11:56
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: The Canes have needed that element in their lineup for a long time.
12:00
SPEAKER_00: It is one of the reasons I think they've struggled so much in the playoffs against a team like the Florida Panthers that is gonna beat you up and take your lunch money all over the ice.
12:08
SPEAKER_00: So they need that.
12:09
SPEAKER_00: They desperately do.
12:10
SPEAKER_00: And I think that um one of the things I really liked about that hit that Katie mentioned is the aftermath when every cane on the ice rushed to make sure that there wasn't going to be any retaliation against Nikishian for that, because that's another thing that has been lacking in the past, their ability to, you know, come in and stand up for each other.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: And it's necessary, it's not something that, you know, yeah, you don't want to in instigate fights all over the place, but you can't let your teammates handle that sort of thing on their own if if they're you know being unjustly challenged for what was a really clean hit.
12:43
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, no, I I tend to uh feel the same way on most of this.
12:49
SPEAKER_04: I think you know, with Nikation, uh again, they're sheltering his minutes, he's sitting around you know, 14-15 minutes a game.
12:57
SPEAKER_04: Um, but they throw him out near the end of the game last night.
13:01
SPEAKER_04: They're putting him out on penalty kill situations.
13:04
SPEAKER_04: Uh they're bringing him along nice and slow.
13:06
SPEAKER_04: And and I think that's that's a smart thing to do.
13:09
SPEAKER_04: And I believe that uh, you know, as he gets more ice time, we're gonna see more of that that talent that he has.
13:15
SPEAKER_04: He just he makes plays that folks just dream about, and he does it on a regular basis.
13:20
SPEAKER_04: Uh the other thing that I've noticed with him is he he's definitely got the green light to go deep into the zone in the offensive side.
13:28
SPEAKER_04: I've seen it many times, way in the offensive zone.
13:31
SPEAKER_04: And he knows that you know there are other uh forwards that are going to come back that uh the canes are one of the best teams for covering when the blue heads into the offensive zone.
13:42
SPEAKER_04: And the other thing I've noticed when he and um uh Gossespare have gotten into some defensive challenges in their own zone, there's some heavy lifting being done by the forwards too.
13:52
SPEAKER_04: They're coming in and helping out.
13:53
SPEAKER_04: The centers are tracking back, they're trying to pick up the puck, get out of there in a hurry, and so on.
13:58
SPEAKER_04: So lots of good things there.
14:00
SPEAKER_04: Um, yeah, we're gonna see some bumps in the road for sure.
14:04
SPEAKER_04: Uh, but boy, the first uh the first three games are are a good indication of uh of some exciting stuff ahead for sure.
14:11
SPEAKER_04: Okay, so um let's move to the forward side, and there's some interesting stories up front for sure.
14:19
SPEAKER_04: Um we were all kind of wondering, you know, how is uh Taylor Hall going to uh kick off the season?
14:26
SPEAKER_04: We talked a little bit about it.
14:27
SPEAKER_04: He was on the fourth line.
14:28
SPEAKER_04: How is he going to be?
14:30
SPEAKER_04: Uh, what can we expect from Hall?
14:31
SPEAKER_04: You know, he's getting older, you know, he's had some injury problems.
14:35
SPEAKER_04: I don't know about you, but it looks like this is a re-energized Taylor Hall.
14:39
SPEAKER_04: He looks like Taylor Hall from four or five or six years ago.
14:42
SPEAKER_04: He's flying out there, he's making smart plays, he's he's constantly in on something.
14:48
SPEAKER_04: And when he was uh patrolling that spot on the fourth line, he and Eric Robinson in particular uh really, really stood out to me.
14:57
SPEAKER_04: So um, Aaron, you want to pick this up on uh those two guys?
15:02
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
15:03
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I think that it's it's interesting because this is a very different construction of a fourth line than you'll see on most teams, and it's a different construction than the Keynes have seen in the past.
15:14
SPEAKER_00: The idea here, I think, is pretty simple.
15:16
SPEAKER_00: The Keynes have always struggled.
15:18
SPEAKER_00: Um, again, we're looking at the postseason.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: They've struggled in the postseason to put up enough offense to get past some of these heavy offensive teams.
15:27
SPEAKER_00: Um, and they need scoring, you know, from everybody.
15:30
SPEAKER_00: They can't, they can't really have a fourth line that is just there to, you know, hit people and and all that sort of thing.
15:37
SPEAKER_00: But they need they need the the to back away from that traditional fourth line, which you know they they seem to have been comfortable doing at times, and get some offense from their fourth because the matchups can be arranged especially at home to give them favorable matchups.
15:52
SPEAKER_00: They can, you know, if you've got guys like Hall who can score from anywhere, you know, you want that from them.
15:58
SPEAKER_00: Um and then Eric Robinson um was complimented by Rod Bridemore in today's media presser for his speed.
16:04
SPEAKER_00: And I think that that has been the key.
16:06
SPEAKER_00: You know, Robinson may not be the most gifted offensive player on the team in terms of, you know, the fancy moves or the or the soft hands or something, but he's by just virtue of being able to get to the net quickly drive that far post and be in a position for a tap-in or a deflection, he can work very well with Taylor Hall.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: And they've already done that, you know, on a couple of occasions.
16:29
SPEAKER_00: So the two of them are very fast, they're very agile getting into the offensive zone, they've taken advantage of some breakaways, and they're the first winger duo, I would say, on the Keynes that when I see them get a breakaway, I think there's actually a chance, you know?
16:46
SPEAKER_00: Because we know that as dearly as we love some of our um great players, even Sebastian Aho, we love Aho, but you know, when Aho streaks in on a breakaway, there's probably a 50-50 chance.
16:56
SPEAKER_00: And then, you know, so often those opportunities fall to Jordan Martinook or Jordan Stahl.
17:02
SPEAKER_00: And we know there again, they can sometimes surprise us with a great goal, but more often than not, you see that breakaway and you kind of sit back and go, oh, this will be cute.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: You know, because you know it's it's gonna sail over the net or go wide, you know.
17:14
SPEAKER_00: And and that's I think having a pair that's actually a threat on breakaways is really, really important for the Canes because they are beginning with the defensive players they have, they're beginning to get those set up.
17:26
SPEAKER_00: And we saw that, like, you know, we already mentioned Mike Riley setting up Eric Robinson on that breakaway, but we've seen it from uh Miller and even Nikishan, where they're finding the forwards and helping them fly the zone.
17:37
SPEAKER_00: And that's important.
17:39
SPEAKER_00: You got to have that.
17:41
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and uh and a couple things.
17:42
SPEAKER_04: Um, now Robinson, interestingly enough, he's got two goals and one assist.
17:47
SPEAKER_04: He's had a number of opportunities of breakaways and other chances uh in this short season, but he's only averaging nine minutes, just over nine minutes.
17:55
SPEAKER_04: I mean, it's it's hard to believe.
17:57
SPEAKER_04: I mean, one of the things that uh they were talking about last night is Rob Brindemore was saying, I've got to get more ice time for for Robinson and Hall.
18:05
SPEAKER_04: Those guys are are definitely earning the rights.
18:08
SPEAKER_04: So uh he's getting the message, and I think you're gonna see uh hopefully a little bit more time for Robinson.
18:13
SPEAKER_04: And I think, you know, the the we talked a lot about this when he re-upped and did his four-year deal.
18:19
SPEAKER_04: He's a guy that's just scratching the surface.
18:22
SPEAKER_04: I mean, he he is getting confidence now, and that's one of the things that you know with these players, once they get a little bit of confidence, you be as very surprised with what uh comes out the other side.
18:32
SPEAKER_04: It's amazing.
18:33
SPEAKER_04: And I think he's starting to get that.
18:35
SPEAKER_04: And uh you can see him, he's he's more comfortable with the puck.
18:39
SPEAKER_04: He's he's definitely heading towards the net, he's getting into the dirty areas, he's doing all the heavy lifting.
18:44
SPEAKER_04: So I'm really excited about him.
18:46
SPEAKER_04: Now, Hall has now slipped on to another line, and I think Katie, I'd like you to talk a little bit about uh this second group now with uh Logan Stankhoven, of course, at Santa Rice, and uh we've got Jackson Blake on the right.
19:01
SPEAKER_04: What do you see with those guys and now Taylor Hall in there as well?
19:06
SPEAKER_02: Well, if there was a stat that we could create that was called work ethic per 60, I think Hall, Stenkhoven, and Blake would be the top line in the league in that particular stat.
19:21
SPEAKER_02: They just work their tails off.
19:24
SPEAKER_02: All three of them are constantly moving and motoring.
19:28
SPEAKER_02: Um, one of the ways that that work ethic per 60 would be measured would be in all of the penalties, especially that Jackson Blake has drawn.
19:36
SPEAKER_02: Right.
19:36
SPEAKER_02: Just because he's driving to the middle, moving feet, crossing through the um crossing through the zone.
19:47
SPEAKER_02: They are working really hard.
19:48
SPEAKER_02: And we saw that beautiful goal that Gostasper um scored um against San Jose.
19:56
SPEAKER_02: But what started the whole thing, he didn't get a point on it, but what started the whole thing was Blake playing the body along the walls in the defensive zone to get it out.
20:06
SPEAKER_02: And then that creates the rush up the ice with Hall and Stenkoven, who finally finds um Ghost streaking in through the middle for that goalie.
20:16
SPEAKER_02: And that's about as easy a goal as Ghost is ever gonna have because the the speed and the work ethic of the of the forwards pulled the defense and pulled the goalie to where he had an open net to shoot at.
20:28
SPEAKER_02: It was a wonderful goal.
20:30
SPEAKER_02: But that is just the bread and butter of that line.
20:33
SPEAKER_02: And if they are able to keep up that energy and that work ethic and that motor and that determination, they are going to be so successful this season.
20:41
SPEAKER_02: Now they still need to work a little bit.
20:43
SPEAKER_02: I think they have some defensive details that can be cleaned up a bit.
20:47
SPEAKER_02: Stanhoven still needs to get stronger in the face-off dot.
20:50
SPEAKER_02: So it is not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination, but it is for three games in in a very good place right now.
20:59
SPEAKER_04: Well, and and we heard that uh, I mean, Logan Stankhoven was saying, hey, what I really want to do is improve my defensive game and the face-off side of my game as well.
21:08
SPEAKER_04: So he put those as a priority and said, you know, the offense will take care of itself.
21:13
SPEAKER_04: Um and I I kind of see that uh he's sitting at, I think, just under 47% in the face-off dots.
21:20
SPEAKER_04: So that's a little bit light, but he's getting help from some great ones.
21:22
SPEAKER_04: I guess both Jordan Stahl and and Rod are spending a lot of time with him, so it doesn't get better than that.
21:27
SPEAKER_04: So those two guys, I'm sure, will get him going.
21:30
SPEAKER_04: But I think the other thing you see with with Stancoven in particular, uh, driving this line is that uh they're they're really a north-south line.
21:39
SPEAKER_04: They like to get the puck and head out and go.
21:42
SPEAKER_04: And uh, and I really like that.
21:44
SPEAKER_04: They they definitely are getting all kinds of opportunities.
21:47
SPEAKER_04: Uh Jackson Blake, he's leading the team in shots.
21:50
SPEAKER_04: He's had 15 shots already.
21:52
SPEAKER_04: So, I mean, this guy is firing the puck.
21:54
SPEAKER_04: Every time he gets it, he had a beautiful goal.
21:56
SPEAKER_04: Uh, you know, and he he you know, he again um looking to go to the next level this year.
22:02
SPEAKER_04: And so many folks are thinking, you know, he could he could definitely add a lot more points this year as well.
22:08
SPEAKER_02: So his confidence is so high right now.
22:10
SPEAKER_02: It is so high.
22:11
SPEAKER_00: His confidence out there that shot last night, yeah.
22:15
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he's motoring.
22:17
SPEAKER_02: It's beautiful.
22:18
SPEAKER_04: He looks like a different player from you know when he started last year, of course, and and he finished the year strong, but but he's now feeling like he's he belongs, and and now it's can I get to the next level?
22:29
SPEAKER_04: Stankovern to me is a bit of a revelation.
22:32
SPEAKER_04: I think he's got talent that's uh I don't know how high his ceiling is gonna be.
22:38
SPEAKER_04: Um, because he is such a fine player, and and he's learning you know, some of the nuances of of being a full-time center.
22:46
SPEAKER_04: And once he gets that, I mean, offensively, we see what he does all the time.
22:50
SPEAKER_04: He's in on the game, he's always in on the play, making something happen.
22:54
SPEAKER_04: And uh, and boy, he's gonna get his points as well.
22:57
SPEAKER_04: And one of the things that I think is a byproduct of these two guys, particularly Hall and Stankhoven, is that uh that second power play unit, and I guess Blake's on there as well, has been showing a lot.
23:10
SPEAKER_04: And you know, you remember that Hall last year, we've talked about this in the past.
23:13
SPEAKER_04: Hall last year seemed to really connect with uh Stankhoven.
23:18
SPEAKER_04: Those guys got some chemistry, and I'm sure, you know, as Rod was watching the game the other night, he thought, I'll just put those guys back together.
23:24
SPEAKER_04: Let's see what happens.
23:26
SPEAKER_04: So uh great stuff with that line.
23:28
SPEAKER_04: And and you know, you talk about the whole question of going up against the Panthers.
23:34
SPEAKER_04: And one thing the Panthers did is they threw four lines that could hurt you.
23:38
SPEAKER_04: Like they could score, they could make things happen.
23:41
SPEAKER_04: Even their fourth line was a tough line to play against.
23:45
SPEAKER_04: And I think you know, the Canes, if if Aho's line gets shut down, you know, previously, you know, we're hoping that maybe Jordan Stahl's line would chip in a goal or two and you might get something else.
23:56
SPEAKER_04: I think the intent this year was to run four lines that could could really have an impact.
24:01
SPEAKER_04: And so far, uh that strategy by Tolski is is paying off.
24:06
SPEAKER_04: So one of the guys that we talked about before, uh that you know, we kind of I don't know, weren't so excited with him.
24:15
SPEAKER_04: I wasn't.
24:16
SPEAKER_04: I just wondered where he fit in all of this this year was Will Carrier.
24:21
SPEAKER_04: But I gotta tell you, so far so good.
24:25
SPEAKER_04: Katie, what do you think about with Will?
24:28
SPEAKER_02: Oh, I've loved his game so far.
24:31
SPEAKER_02: He is just in everybody's face.
24:34
SPEAKER_02: It doesn't matter.
24:35
SPEAKER_02: D zone, neutral zone, offensive zone.
24:38
SPEAKER_02: Um, I actually picked him yesterday to uh in one of the expos to be the first goal scorer halfway through the first.
24:46
SPEAKER_02: I was this close on my prediction, he was the second goal scorer halfway through the second, and it was a rebound goal because I think that's gonna be where his bread and butter is is he's not a pure goal scorer, but the people that he is on the ice with, whether it's Stahl, Martinook, the defenders, like he was cleaning up that uh Nikitian rebound on the chance that um that he created, he is going to have a nose for the puck, and he is not gonna be afraid to get into the crease and to be banging away at the the loose pucks that there he was gonna have just a ton of opportunity to do so.
25:18
SPEAKER_02: So it was very heartening to see him get that because it felt like he was so close those first two games at cashing in, and he got rewarded bus um last night against San Jose, and that was fantastic.
25:31
SPEAKER_00: Aaron?
25:32
SPEAKER_00: Well, I think you're right there, and I think that, you know, like you said, his bread and butter is gonna be those kinds of goals.
25:37
SPEAKER_00: It's he's never been a huge goal scorer, and he doesn't have to be if he keeps playing like he is right now.
25:42
SPEAKER_00: So it's great to see him get one, you know.
25:44
SPEAKER_00: But I think where we were missing some of that last year is that um he was dealing with injury, and you know, when you come back from that, it's just not and he still managed to be impactful in the playoffs, just not um enough.
25:56
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't enough.
25:57
SPEAKER_00: And and that's I think that where the the challenge is gonna be to keep him healthy for a whole season.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: That has been a challenge in the past, so it may take a while um for them to figure out how best to do that, you know, whether he needs to maybe uh one of the things I'm seeing from other teams with some of these kinds of players is that they are giving them practice days off, you know.
26:16
SPEAKER_00: And they if it the canes practice like they play, they practice hard, they work hard at all their practices, you know, it's it's you don't come away feeling like you just skated up and down the ice.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: It's it's practically like playing a game.
26:27
SPEAKER_00: And that is something that players that have left the canes have commented on, sometimes not so favorably.
26:31
SPEAKER_00: But in if it's gonna be like that, it might actually be as the season wears on in an effort to keep Will Carrier, this version that we're seeing right now.
26:40
SPEAKER_00: It would be, I think, well within their um range of good options to consider letting him skip practices whenever there's not anything particular for him to do, you know, because you want to keep him healthy.
26:52
SPEAKER_00: You want this version of Will Carrier when you get to the playoffs.
26:55
SPEAKER_00: So I'm hoping that that's gonna be the way it is because he's definitely showing better than he did last year.
27:01
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and you know, he remember he uh he had a 16-goal season three years ago with uh with Vegas.
27:08
SPEAKER_04: And he's a guy that, you know, when you watched him with Vegas and in the playoffs, he always was very impressive.
27:13
SPEAKER_04: He was that one of those guys that usually patrolled that spot in the fourth line, but you really liked what he did.
27:18
SPEAKER_04: He brought a heavy game, he was he'd chip in with the odd goal and he made something happen.
27:23
SPEAKER_04: And I think, you know, coming to a new team last year never really got as mojo with the canes.
27:29
SPEAKER_04: And I think this year he comes back fresh, he's feeling great, and uh he's got a very clear role alongside uh the two dads, if you want to call them that, both uh Stahl and Martinuk.
27:40
SPEAKER_04: Uh and I think as a line there, they've been really, really effective.
27:44
SPEAKER_04: So again, that's a line that all three of those guys, you just want to you you want to take it easier with them because they're gonna be critical as we head into the playoffs, and we don't want them uh, you know, uh too tired, that's for sure.
27:58
SPEAKER_04: So um the line that we haven't talked about, kind of interesting, is the top line of the games.
28:04
SPEAKER_04: Uh and we had a lot of expectation for the line of uh Sebastiana, Seth Jarvis, and of course Nikolai Ehlers.
28:12
SPEAKER_04: Um still finding their way.
28:16
SPEAKER_04: Katie?
28:18
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think it's just gonna come with some with highly skilled players, it just takes a little bit of time, and they their puck possession numbers are great.
28:26
SPEAKER_02: Their underlying numbers look fantastic.
28:29
SPEAKER_02: They are creating and generating a lot of chances.
28:31
SPEAKER_02: Now they're giving up more than you would want to see from a Sebastian Aho-led line, especially with Jarvis out there.
28:36
SPEAKER_02: So they I I'm more interested in them tightening stuff up on their defensive details because I think the offense is just going to naturally proceed.
28:45
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'd like to have seen Aho score by now.
28:48
SPEAKER_02: I think Ealer's taking some time makes sense, but um, at least Jarvis has produced none, although none of his three goals has been on five on five.
28:57
SPEAKER_02: It's been in other circumstances, but he's he's feeling it.
29:01
SPEAKER_02: He's ripping the puck, so he's getting those touches.
29:03
SPEAKER_02: And I think it's just a matter of time.
29:06
SPEAKER_02: It will come.
29:09
SPEAKER_00: I thought watching them last night, they they frequently looked like the most dangerous line on the ice.
29:13
SPEAKER_00: They're just not a hundred percent clicking yet.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: And I think that we will see them do that um over the course of this road trip as things go on.
29:21
SPEAKER_00: It's it's not gonna be um that much longer before Nick Nikolai Ehlers gets his first as a cane.
29:28
SPEAKER_00: I don't think, you know, he he came pretty close last night on a couple of occasions.
29:31
SPEAKER_00: Um Aho's definitely shooting the puck more.
29:33
SPEAKER_00: I think you said he has had seven shots so far, you know, and and um that's that's for Aho.
29:39
SPEAKER_00: I mean, over three games, that's I mean not a lot, but for Aho, that's still a lot.
29:43
SPEAKER_00: It is for for someone who passes as instinctively as Sebastian Aho does, taking seven shots on the net over three games is not something we can complain about.
29:51
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, he's not gonna be your seven-shot a game guy, you know, and uh Jarvis has been actually taking that role.
29:56
SPEAKER_00: He's been shooting a lot too.
29:58
SPEAKER_00: So I think that it's just a matter of, you know, when I was watching Ealers entering the offensive zone last night, there were a couple of times when he would come in and he would start circling uh in a way that's very reminiscent of uh Martin His.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: And I think that once they get that in sync to where they know how his speed is creating that uh that rhythm for them, kind of like how Ghost was on the three on three the other night.
30:25
SPEAKER_00: You know, when they see Ealers doing those same things and they can position themselves to take advantage of the fact that he is confusing the defenders.
30:33
SPEAKER_00: And they don't know where he's going to end up or what he's going to do if he's shooting, if he's passing.
30:37
SPEAKER_00: You know, they don't they don't really know because he's coming in so fast.
30:40
SPEAKER_00: So just getting getting all that rhythm together.
30:42
SPEAKER_00: I think that uh Ealer spoke of as chemistry, but I really think it's just the rhythm of playing with a player who can move that fast and you know control the puck as long as he does.
30:52
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, I mean, uh for sure, they're getting their opportunities.
30:57
SPEAKER_04: Uh I think Jarvis looks like he's gonna have a breakout season this year.
31:01
SPEAKER_04: I think he's he's definitely gonna be uh right right there in terms of uh goal scoring.
31:07
SPEAKER_04: Oh who I think he can hit 40 goals this year.
31:09
SPEAKER_04: So uh he's definitely he's definitely in the game.
31:12
SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, again, I think uh they've got to find a way to you know to start scoring five on five.
31:19
SPEAKER_04: And one of the luxuries the canes have had, of course, is that they've had lots of other people doing that.
31:24
SPEAKER_04: So they you know they've got to find their way, and you can't expect the other guys to keep scoring at the rate they're scoring at.
31:30
SPEAKER_04: So I think uh definitely the top lines got to start to find their way.
31:35
SPEAKER_04: And we'll uh we'll keep an eye on that.
31:37
SPEAKER_04: Um so uh you had some interesting stuff too, Katie.
31:41
SPEAKER_04: You had a hockey vis chart that uh that you were kind of playing with.
31:45
SPEAKER_04: What did you see uh on that chart?
31:48
SPEAKER_02: Well, that particular chart that I sent you showed the power play shot um shots taken comparative to re league average.
31:57
SPEAKER_02: And I know that's been one of the gripes that's been going on right now is that with all of the scoring the Canes have done, it doesn't seem like their power play is producing like they need it to, you know, tailing back to last year.
32:10
SPEAKER_02: But what that particular chart shows is they are generating a lot of chances.
32:15
SPEAKER_02: And so just like we talked about with the top line, just needing to get that familiarity together five on five, they're also needing to build that familiarity together with the power play.
32:26
SPEAKER_02: And as they tweak and adjust and keep the pressure on and keep those good habits that they've had so far, the the chances will come.
32:35
SPEAKER_02: And it's been nice having Ealers.
32:37
SPEAKER_02: The zone entries have not been nearly the difficulty that they were in the past.
32:42
SPEAKER_02: It is getting better.
32:43
SPEAKER_02: And so I would not be surprised within the next couple of games if the power play starts to click and starts to produce a little bit more as they get more comfortable with each other and um and get more comfortable with uh with the system as it runs now.
32:59
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and you know, as you talk about zone entries, uh we see uh frequently Aho and Jarvis uh will bring the puck up the ice and they'll get it into the Ozone.
33:08
SPEAKER_04: Occasionally it'll be Eaglers as well.
33:10
SPEAKER_04: And I think on the other, on the other power play unit, of course, uh Logan's Tank Hoven has been phenomenal uh bringing the puck up and getting it into the zone.
33:18
SPEAKER_04: So I think that has not been the problem.
33:21
SPEAKER_04: Uh they're just they're just not uh able to finish off.
33:24
SPEAKER_04: Now, one of the things that I wanted to mention uh is as we talk about this is that one of the guys on the power play, and on that number one power play is uh Andrey Svechnikov.
33:35
SPEAKER_04: Now, Svechnikov uh was kind of demoted to the fourth line, and we talked about Taylor Hall slipping up beside Logan Stankhoven.
33:44
SPEAKER_04: And the other guy that I thought we'd talk about along with uh Svechnikov is Kokini, Kasperi Kokiniami.
33:52
SPEAKER_04: These two guys are kind of, you know, they're just not there yet.
33:56
SPEAKER_04: So what are we thinking about with Svechnikov and Kokiniami?
34:00
SPEAKER_04: Uh Katie, you want to kick that off?
34:02
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'll start with um Svech, because I think Aaron has a few opinions as far as KG is concerned.
34:09
SPEAKER_02: Um I think, you know, I referenced before that second line in their uh work rate per 60, and I think that Svetch hasn't just gotten his motor up to that same level as the others yet.
34:21
SPEAKER_02: If he can find a way to maximize all the other details, whether it's the play off the puck or the play with the puck in the dirty areas, I think he'll come around and he'll get there.
34:32
SPEAKER_02: And it could be that playing on that fourth line or third scoring line, whatever you want to call it, could end up being good for him because it will help him simplify his game a little bit more and focus on just doing the things that he knows how to do and can do well and not have to try and press too much and overthink things.
34:53
SPEAKER_02: Because when Svetch gets in his own head is where he gets him his own, he gets himself crossed up.
34:59
SPEAKER_02: And then when he gets crossed up, he just limits himself as an option either to distribute to his teammates or to be a target when his teammates have the puck.
35:08
SPEAKER_02: So you know, we'll see how it goes.
35:10
SPEAKER_02: I I hope this doesn't turn into a long-term situation with him.
35:14
SPEAKER_02: We really need him to be a factor on the team because he pres he possesses a physical presence as well as a skill set that nobody else on the team does.
35:26
SPEAKER_02: And the stall, the Martin, look, the carrier, they have the physical presence, but not the skill.
35:30
SPEAKER_02: A lot of all the other forwards have a lot of skill, but they don't have his size and physical presence.
35:37
SPEAKER_02: It really feels like he's kind of the pivot point that if he can get going, it's going to really jump start the Keynes offense to being even better than they've already been.
35:48
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
35:50
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
35:52
SPEAKER_04: Kokiniami, Sarah?
35:55
SPEAKER_00: Well, I have spent a few uh minutes here and there the last couple of days talking about Kokiniami on on Twitter.
36:01
SPEAKER_00: And I think people who've seen those posts probably know where I'm I'm what I'm thinking right now.
36:06
SPEAKER_00: But um I think that his first two games, uh, the first game was good, the second game was not as good.
36:12
SPEAKER_00: The first game was, you know, the first game he was he was definitely um a factor in one of the goals and was, you know, certainly not shying away from the play.
36:21
SPEAKER_00: He had a hit, he had some other things too.
36:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, second game, again, against the Flyers, a little bit less uh involved than you want to see.
36:28
SPEAKER_00: Um face-offs have been a little bit of a struggle, um, but uncharacteristically so, and I don't think that that's a long-term concern for the Kanes because he's never been, you know, below 51, almost 52% um since he's joined the Hurricanes.
36:42
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, knowing that he had that eye injury before in the preseason, you just think maybe that's a factor and he'll probably get back up to speed.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: But the reality is that when you choose to healthy scratch a player who is making almost$5 million a year, and you do it two games into the season when there hasn't been any really egregious problems, there hasn't been anything that you would say, well, he has to be out of the lineup because he did this or he did that.
37:08
SPEAKER_00: No.
37:09
SPEAKER_00: Um, you're looking at a player who is a soon-to-be X-Kane, in my opinion.
37:14
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think that Rod Brindamore has made his decision about who he wants in the lineup, and I think that Kokaniami is not part of that decision.
37:23
SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I know that the that for the Canes, this is an embarrassing situation.
37:27
SPEAKER_00: They overpaid by a tremendous amount of money to acquire the player.
37:31
SPEAKER_00: They signed him to a long-term deal, and they can't seem to figure out what to do with him, you know, because he's not a second-line center, and it's not that's not his fault.
37:40
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's a lot of people say, oh, he should have stepped up and he should have done this.
37:43
SPEAKER_00: You can't make yourself play.
37:46
SPEAKER_00: I mean, if every player on the team could suddenly decide they want to be a first-liner, then they, you know, then that would be great, wouldn't it?
37:52
SPEAKER_00: But they can't.
37:52
SPEAKER_00: You can't do that.
37:53
SPEAKER_00: You can't just decide you're going to be better than you are.
37:56
SPEAKER_00: So he wasn't fit for that role.
37:59
SPEAKER_00: And the third line center role is going to be occupied by Jordan Stahl for at least the next two seasons because he signed for those.
38:07
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's realistic to expect one, two, maybe even three more.
38:11
SPEAKER_00: So depending on how well he stays in condition and whether he's willing as he ages to take a lower role.
38:18
SPEAKER_00: All of that means there's no place for Yasperry Kokeniami on the Canes.
38:21
SPEAKER_00: And it really has been that way for the last couple of seasons.
38:24
SPEAKER_00: They just didn't have anyone to take the 2C role.
38:27
SPEAKER_00: Now that they do, now that Logan Stankoven is looking so good in that role, they really need to trade him as of yesterday.
38:35
SPEAKER_00: And putting him in the press box for one game, possibly two, we don't know yet if he's going to play against the Ducks, but I highly doubt it.
38:42
SPEAKER_00: It's just Rod Brindemore kind of forcing Eric Tolski's hand and saying, This is not a player I want on my team.
38:48
SPEAKER_00: So there are a number of teams in the league that really need a third-line center.
38:52
SPEAKER_00: There are plenty that would be willing to take Kokanyemi even at his current contract.
38:57
SPEAKER_00: It is not an overpay.
38:58
SPEAKER_00: Look at how much Christian Dvorak is making with the Flyers.
39:01
SPEAKER_00: And Dvorak is no more offensively minded and has no more skill set, you know, even his face-offs, which are have been at times elite, have gone up and down over the last few years.
39:10
SPEAKER_00: So, and I've seen that in Montreal.
39:12
SPEAKER_00: So you look at the comparable, you know, you say, okay, if Dvorak can make$5.1 million, then there's really no reason to shy away from a team that wants a third-line center picking up Kokinyami.
39:24
SPEAKER_00: So I think a trade needs to happen.
39:27
SPEAKER_00: And if if they can't get it done quickly, then they need to revisit what they're doing because you can't sit a player who's making that much money in your press box just for an unlimited amount of time.
39:37
SPEAKER_00: Especially when there isn't a specific reason as far as his play.
39:41
SPEAKER_00: He was not bad in those first two games.
39:44
SPEAKER_00: He was not doing anything that he shouldn't be doing.
39:46
SPEAKER_00: There was nothing that he specifically caused, you know, alone in any way.
39:51
SPEAKER_00: I think he was only on the ice for one goal against, and that was a breakdown in communication that involved uh Kokanyami Robinson and Nikishin.
39:59
SPEAKER_00: So all three of them trying to get the puck out along the wall, and nobody really knew who was supposed to be standing back in case it popped out the wrong way.
40:06
SPEAKER_00: So those kind of moments are gonna happen early in the season.
40:09
SPEAKER_00: So I mean, I just look at this and say, this has nothing to do with how the player is performing.
40:15
SPEAKER_00: This has to do with the decision that has already been made.
40:17
SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna be looking forward to seeing where he goes, and that's fine.
40:21
SPEAKER_00: But uh the canes don't need him, and it's high time they moved on.
40:26
SPEAKER_04: Katie, are you uh of the same mind?
40:31
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think so.
40:32
SPEAKER_02: If you're not gonna play him, what's the point?
40:34
SPEAKER_02: They've got other guys that can step in if needed, and if somebody gets hurt, they've got plenty of options down in Chicago as well that are um primed and ready to contribute.
40:46
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, for for the good of KK as much as anything else, I I hope that they find a good fit for him.
40:54
SPEAKER_02: Hopefully they don't move on just to move on, but they find a place for him that will um that will actually be good for him.
41:00
SPEAKER_04: Well, it's interesting.
41:01
SPEAKER_04: You mentioned Chicago.
41:02
SPEAKER_04: One of the guys that has impressed us every time he's been up has been Justin Robidah.
41:06
SPEAKER_04: And uh boy, he uh he looks like he's he's the real deal as well.
41:11
SPEAKER_04: So I uh I'm sure that if they make a move and don't bring in another centerman that uh that they've uh they've got some thoughts that Justin could be a help later on.
41:22
SPEAKER_04: But you know, the other thing that uh is a bit of a telling point, we saw some of the comments that Rod Brindamore has been making.
41:29
SPEAKER_04: He made after the game last night, and he's made some comments today about uh Mark Jankowski.
41:36
SPEAKER_04: He he loves Jake.
41:37
SPEAKER_04: He likes his face-off acumen, he likes his penalty kill work.
41:41
SPEAKER_04: Uh he obviously likes his uh his uh five-on-five work as well.
41:46
SPEAKER_04: So he's definitely endeared himself to to Rod, and that uh further puts the nail in the coffin, as you'd say, Aaron, that uh that uh Kokinami's probably got very few days left of the hurricane.
41:59
SPEAKER_04: So we'll have to see how it plays out, but uh not a not a great situation.
42:04
SPEAKER_04: I think we were all kind of hopeful that that uh Yesperry would find his way and and start to be a key contributor to the canes because he does have a lot of talent.
42:14
SPEAKER_04: And uh and in the right situation, I think he can he can contribute a lot.
42:18
SPEAKER_00: So quite frankly, he has too much talent to be playing 10 minutes a night on the fourth line.
42:24
SPEAKER_00: And ultimately, even if he's tried to step up and change things and be the guy, whatever, it doesn't matter.
42:29
SPEAKER_00: You're playing 10 minutes a night and you're playing a role that a guy that makes, you know, a million and a half or two million can play.
42:35
SPEAKER_00: So there's no point for the player's sake in dragging this out any longer.
42:40
SPEAKER_00: There's no point.
42:41
SPEAKER_00: And that's where you know, this is also a player who I am fairly sure has hopes of making Team Finland's Olympic roster, at least as a backup.
42:49
SPEAKER_00: I don't think he has high hopes of maybe making the actual team, but they're gonna have some extras in case of injury.
42:55
SPEAKER_00: He's not gonna get any looks at all if he's sitting in a press box, and he's not gonna get very many if he's playing 10 minutes a night on the fourth line.
43:02
SPEAKER_00: So he needs to be moved for his good, and the team needs to move on from a situation that frankly has become embarrassing for them.
43:10
SPEAKER_00: This is a failure.
43:11
SPEAKER_00: They failed with the offer sheet.
43:13
SPEAKER_00: And they need to just like they failed when they took on Miko Rantenden without signing him, making sure he would sign long-term, you have to get out of those situations.
43:21
SPEAKER_00: And the fact that it's dragged on really two more years than it needed to, at this point, you have to wonder why.
43:27
SPEAKER_00: What was the reason that they didn't move on last season be when they really should have?
43:32
SPEAKER_00: So, whatever the case might be, it'll happen now and it's it's overdue.
43:36
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, and and and you're right.
43:38
SPEAKER_04: And and I think, you know, it's a good point on the team Finland because we've talked about that before, is that that could have been the ultimate kind of uh encouragement for him to uh to really and the catalyst for him to really go and play his best.
43:52
SPEAKER_04: Uh, because you know, he had an opportunity to be one of those extras on that squad for sure.
43:57
SPEAKER_04: Um, yeah, look, the decision that was made to bring him in at the time, look, he was third overall uh the year that he was drafted, right behind uh Sveshnikov.
44:07
SPEAKER_04: So this guy was highly rated.
44:08
SPEAKER_04: Sure, he was drafted higher than just about anybody who would have picked him, but but still a player that that over time he had some attributes that you definitely love in the centerman.
44:17
SPEAKER_04: He's a big guy.
44:18
SPEAKER_04: He he boy, his first few years with Montreal, he showed a lot.
44:21
SPEAKER_04: So, you know, I I understand the decision to bring him in.
44:24
SPEAKER_04: I don't think that was a bad decision.
44:26
SPEAKER_04: It just didn't work out.
44:27
SPEAKER_04: And the same thing with Ranton.
44:28
SPEAKER_04: You take a swing, you know, sometimes it just doesn't work out for you.
44:32
SPEAKER_04: And I think you're on the right side of this, though, is that what you've got to do is find an elegant way out.
44:36
SPEAKER_04: They certainly did that with Miko Rantinen, and I think uh did an outstanding job of uh turning what could have been a very difficult situation into something that worked out very, very well for the Keynes.
44:48
SPEAKER_04: They have not done that with uh Yusperi Kokaniami yet, and maybe that's what the problem is.
44:52
SPEAKER_04: They haven't found the deal that they want.
44:55
SPEAKER_04: And uh we're just gonna have to wait and see what that looks like.
44:58
SPEAKER_04: But I think at this stage, a couple of draft picks would be just fine.
45:02
SPEAKER_00: In any case, the Keynes are low on draft capital, so yeah.
45:05
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, exactly.
45:06
SPEAKER_04: We're a little bit light next year, so we could we could definitely fill the cover.
45:10
SPEAKER_04: In any case, uh lots going on with the team right now.
45:14
SPEAKER_04: We look at uh, you know, we've talked about the forwards, the defensive core.
45:17
SPEAKER_04: Just wanted to mention one thing on the goaltending side as we finish this part of the uh podcast.
45:23
SPEAKER_04: Um, Brandon Bussey, you know, he's interesting.
45:26
SPEAKER_04: Uh, didn't know a lot about Brandon when he came over.
45:29
SPEAKER_04: He had been very highly rated uh with the uh the Boston Bruins and in their chain.
45:35
SPEAKER_04: He uh he was outstanding as rookie year, and he was on the all-rookie team.
45:39
SPEAKER_04: Uh, he played in the All-Star games.
45:41
SPEAKER_04: McKeynes, heading into last season, said this about Bussey, and they said he needs to be in the conversation as among the top young net minders outside of the NHL.
45:53
SPEAKER_04: His strong play with Providence is the reason why Boston felt so comfortable moving Linus Omark.
46:01
SPEAKER_04: The big six foot four Bussey has a pendant for the highlight reel save.
46:05
SPEAKER_04: His play tracking ability and increased movement are terrific.
46:11
SPEAKER_04: So, this guy, incredibly highly rated.
46:14
SPEAKER_04: We didn't know much about him, of course, because we had no reason to play pay attention to him.
46:19
SPEAKER_04: Um, I was concerned when we lost Caden Primo, but uh gee, maybe it's gonna work out great for us.
46:25
SPEAKER_04: Um, Aaron, any thoughts on uh Brandon Bussey?
46:30
SPEAKER_00: I liked watching him play last night.
46:31
SPEAKER_00: I thought that he was, you know, you you always kind of braced yourself for those first couple of shots against when it's a brand new goaltender on the ice, and he just was very calm and made the saves with no trouble at all.
46:41
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, give it considering how many breakaways the Kanes gave up, especially in the first period, you know, he was very solid in tracking all of those and making sure that those pucks did not go in the net.
46:51
SPEAKER_00: And that was really important because you start out down a few and you don't get any maybe on your end, and then all of a sudden it's a very different game.
46:58
SPEAKER_00: So he kept them in it until they got settled down and figured out what they were doing defensively.
47:02
SPEAKER_00: And that's you can't overrate that.
47:04
SPEAKER_00: Um, he's I think about a year older than Primo.
47:08
SPEAKER_00: I if I than Caden Primo, I think something like that.
47:11
SPEAKER_00: Um something like that.
47:12
SPEAKER_00: So so you know, we're talking about somebody who's very much in the same um group of as far as how old they are and and their their potential to continue to develop.
47:20
SPEAKER_00: I think in a perfect world, the canes would have wanted to keep uh Primo, but they were not um you know, you can't always you can't always control that at the beginning of the season when goalies are being placed on waivers.
47:32
SPEAKER_00: So they they they made a calculated move.
47:34
SPEAKER_00: There were a lot of goaltenders on waivers the day that uh they lost Primo to the Maple Leafs.
47:39
SPEAKER_00: So they did their best, but it didn't work out.
47:41
SPEAKER_00: And uh Primo did, by the way, get his first win last night also with the Maple Leafs.
47:46
SPEAKER_00: So so they both have have uh you know a win.
47:48
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it wasn't his first NHL win, but it was his first win as a member of the Maple Leafs.
47:52
SPEAKER_00: So I thought I'd mention that.
47:53
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, if the Canes could get Primo back, if if uh if the uh Leafs end up bringing, you know, getting their injured guys back up into the lineup, you know, they may decide that they want to bring him back in.
48:03
SPEAKER_00: But in the meantime, um Busy looks great, and I don't see any reason why he shouldn't continue to be their third goaltender because right now with Kachetkov's injury and not knowing the timeline on that again, they definitely need somebody there backing up Freddie.
48:17
SPEAKER_04: Okay.
48:19
SPEAKER_02: Yep, pretty much.
48:20
SPEAKER_02: I mean, don't want to go crazy with one game against one of the NHL's worst teams.
48:27
SPEAKER_02: Um, and that this is this is as much a Keynes issue as a busy issue, but you give up all of those grade A chances against uh to Vegas or Colorado or Dallas, and more than one of them is going to end up in the back of the net.
48:43
SPEAKER_02: Um so the you know, got gotta temper expectations a little bit.
48:48
SPEAKER_02: But for the task he was given for his first game, I mean, phenomenal start.
48:53
SPEAKER_02: Glad to see that his parents were in the stands.
48:56
SPEAKER_02: I always love those stories when they cut to the parents and see the parents all smiling.
49:00
SPEAKER_02: I think his fiancee was there too.
49:02
SPEAKER_02: And those are always really heartwarming stories.
49:05
SPEAKER_02: And when you hear the whole backstory of how he was on the road to Charlotte to check in with the AHL team for the Panthers and got the phone call and had to reroute to Raleigh and you know, and you get pictures of him in a stall and it says new guy up above his head instead of having his name on the placard.
49:21
SPEAKER_02: I mean, it it's a makes for a very charming story, and I'm glad that the win was added to all of the fun narrative behind him, and I hope he gets at least one more chance um to man the net before Kochekov uh returns.
49:37
SPEAKER_02: But the the the one nice thing is that seeing him be that solid means that there's not going to be a rush trying to get Piotr back, that they know that they can take their time and they can really let him get to 100%, that you don't have to try to bring him back at 85 or 90 percent health, that you can really trust Kochekov, trust that they can give Kochekov all the time he needs to not re-aggravate it.
50:01
SPEAKER_02: Because he came, he played in that one preseason game and he had been injured before, played in the preseason game, and apparently re-aggravated whatever the problem was to begin with.
50:10
SPEAKER_02: So having Busy really will let them say, okay, we don't have to rush Kochekov back again.
50:17
SPEAKER_02: Let's get him 100% and let Bussey take care of business behind Freddie for the time being.
50:23
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and I mean, as I mentioned, I mean Bussey extremely highly regarded.
50:28
SPEAKER_04: And the other thing we heard is that Paul Schoenfelder uh was uh very interested in Brandon Bussey.
50:34
SPEAKER_04: And uh so definitely was influential in uh the decision to pick him up and uh and knew a little bit about him and felt he was a great uh great young goaltender as well.
50:44
SPEAKER_04: So I think this is great.
50:46
SPEAKER_04: Um again, uh one of the rare goalies that catches with his right hand, so that was kind of fun to go.
50:52
SPEAKER_00: So fun to watch, yeah.
50:54
SPEAKER_04: So fun to watch that.
50:55
SPEAKER_04: He he caught a couple that might have been challenging if he was uh uh using his uh left hand in that situation to catch it.
51:03
SPEAKER_04: In any case, uh you know, that's gonna help.
51:06
SPEAKER_04: We've got to count on uh Freddie, of course, through this tough road trip, and that leads us into our final thoughts.
51:12
SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, as the Canes continue this long grueling road trip, what uh what should we be watching for with the canes?
51:23
SPEAKER_04: And also, are there any developing stories?
51:25
SPEAKER_04: And we kind of picked one of them up, or maybe a couple, that uh we got to keep an eye on over this next uh period of games.
51:32
SPEAKER_04: What are we thinking as they uh they continue this uh this incredible road trip out west?
51:38
SPEAKER_04: Katie?
51:41
SPEAKER_02: Um I mean it's just gonna get harder from here, right?
51:44
SPEAKER_02: You've got Anaheim and then Los Angeles and then the gauntlet that is Vegas, Colorado, and Dallas.
51:51
SPEAKER_02: And so for me, the storyline I'm interested in is can they maintain the high level of scoring from the top to the bottom, uh getting contributions from lots of places?
52:04
SPEAKER_02: Because if if those teams can turn the canes one-dimensional, it's going to be a rough uh remainder of the road trip.
52:14
SPEAKER_02: But if the canes can stay dynamic and they can have their D-play solid, don't need out-of-the-world Jacob Slavin level stuff, just good lunch pale defense.
52:26
SPEAKER_02: I think they have a really good shot at coming home with a winning road trip.
52:30
SPEAKER_02: And that would be fantastic to see because I think almost every Canes fan looked at this schedule and went, ooh, just please come home 500 and we'll be happy.
52:41
SPEAKER_02: And they they are they are poised where they could come home a lot better than that, but they're gonna need to continue the good habits that they have started over these first three games of the season.
52:50
unknown: Okay.
52:51
SPEAKER_04: And are there any uh players or stories that you're gonna be watching closely as uh they continue this road trip?
53:00
SPEAKER_02: Um I think I still there's something about the way that Carrier has been playing, and I want to see how that Stahl Martinlook Carrier line continues to work together because you we're talking about first line scoring, second line scoring, contributions from the fourth line, as though Stahl's line is just kind of eh, and I mean they have been in the past, you know.
53:23
SPEAKER_02: I I always joke that Stahl and Martinook have cement in their myths.
53:27
SPEAKER_02: It's what makes them so hard to play against, but it also what makes them look like they're you know confused on what to do with the puck when it's time to shoot it.
53:36
SPEAKER_02: But the the energy that they're Carrier is just such an interesting X factor on that line and the way that he crashes the net and works in the corners, that if he can continue that level, I I love I'm very intrigued in that storyline of that kind of almost forgotten Stahl line when it comes to the offensive side of things.
53:55
SPEAKER_02: We're never going to take for granted their defensive work and the penalty killing that Stahl and Martinuk do.
54:01
SPEAKER_02: But that that carrier X factor on that line and how it's going to um going to impact the team moving forward.
54:09
SPEAKER_04: Well, and how many breakaways has Martinook had?
54:16
SPEAKER_02: Again, again, cement cement in the mitts on that sort of thing.
54:19
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes every now and again they surprise you.
54:21
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, he had his best year last year.
54:23
SPEAKER_04: So, you know, he can score another if he gets 14 goals, 15 goals this year, that's fantastic.
54:28
SPEAKER_04: So anyway, Aaron, what are you thinking as uh as the Canes continue this grueling road trip?
54:36
SPEAKER_00: I think that one of the things that's going to make this road trip really, really challenging, and we've already touched on it a little bit.
54:41
SPEAKER_00: Um, typically when they've gone west, they have finished against Anaheim, against the Sharks, you know, they're starting against those teams, and that is great from a you know continued team development cohesion level, you know, because they're still trying to come together as a team with some new guys on.
54:58
SPEAKER_00: And that's that's really important to them to have this time.
55:01
SPEAKER_00: But that means that when they are, you know, tired and living out of a suitcase for over a week already, that's when they face those last three monster teams.
55:11
SPEAKER_00: I think that, you know, and you know, there's other things that are a factor in that.
55:15
SPEAKER_00: Um with Vegas, it's the fact that, you know, just the way they play and their physicality.
55:20
SPEAKER_00: I think um with Colorado, we know from Katie that it's the speed that that team is capable of.
55:25
SPEAKER_00: But also at times, and this we might come back to someone like Carrier, I don't really know, but altitude can be a factor for the teams that aren't used to it.
55:34
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, that's it's often the bigger, heavier guys that feel that the most.
55:38
SPEAKER_00: So that's gonna be something where they're gonna have to be really careful about managing those minutes and making sure that they don't have exhausted guys trying to combat, you know, McKinnon out there or McCarr.
55:48
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then the final trip, of course, is the Dallas trip.
55:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm not able to attend that game.
55:53
SPEAKER_00: I thought about it, but it's not gonna work.
55:55
SPEAKER_00: But um, the the the Dallas game is going to be um the Miko Ranton and, you know, the first time that they face Rantan after this trade.
56:03
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of narratives being built around that.
56:05
SPEAKER_00: I don't think the average Keynes fan is really paying that much attention.
56:08
SPEAKER_00: But there is a group of season ticket holders who will be at that game.
56:11
SPEAKER_00: It is their season ticket travel game this year.
56:14
SPEAKER_00: So that's gonna be interesting.
56:16
SPEAKER_00: And I think that that that game coming at the time when they are at their most exhausted is gonna be a little bit of a struggle.
56:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, so the other narrative, the other story, developing story, I think that we need to keep an eye on is that, and this is league-wide, there have been a number of unexpectedly impactful and very serious injuries to key players in these early games.
56:40
SPEAKER_00: You don't typically see that because player teams aren't always going that, you know, pedal to the metal against each other.
56:47
SPEAKER_00: They're not always doing the heavy hitting and the heavy, you know, all of that heavy physical stuff that leads to some of these injuries.
56:54
SPEAKER_00: But that's not the case this year.
56:56
SPEAKER_00: There have been a number of people that are out for significant amounts of time.
56:59
SPEAKER_00: There were more reports today of players being out for significant amount.
57:02
SPEAKER_00: Vincent Trochek will be out for several, he's on LTIR now, you know, and and I mean that there's there's just it you keep seeing these injury reports.
57:10
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like that's something the Keynes are gonna have to be careful about because they have some players that have had a history of of you know being a little bit banged up and not being maybe not out of the lineup, but that really affects their play.
57:23
SPEAKER_00: So just keeping everybody healthy is gonna be a really big concern, I think, over these next five games.
57:29
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and and you know, the following the story of uh what's gonna happen with Kokanyami and what what are we gonna see with Fashnikov, those two guys could be helpful in an injury injury situation for sure.
57:42
SPEAKER_04: Sure.
57:43
SPEAKER_04: Uh the Canes have lots of depth, and uh they're in a position where we hope that uh Jacob Slavin is able to rejoin the team.
57:52
SPEAKER_04: Uh and it'd be great if uh Piotr Kochakov could too.
57:55
SPEAKER_04: Um both of those guys could could add something to the mix for sure.
57:59
SPEAKER_04: But right now, Freddie's the man, he's gonna be carrying the load and goal, and it's gonna be uh it's gonna be by committee.
58:07
SPEAKER_04: Uh they're gonna have to work hard to make this happen.
58:09
SPEAKER_04: And uh, and of course the decor, um they're just they're all gonna have to come through.
58:14
SPEAKER_04: It's gonna be uh it's gonna be a challenge.
58:16
SPEAKER_04: But I think a good situation too in this regard is that uh some of these players are gonna get thrown into situations that they might have faced later on in the season.
58:26
SPEAKER_04: I don't think that's bad.
58:27
SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, giving them some extra minutes and tough minutes.
58:30
SPEAKER_04: We even saw Gostas Bear killing penalties as well.
58:33
SPEAKER_04: So we've seen a little bit of everything.
58:36
SPEAKER_04: Uh and I think I think that's a good situation that the Canes can uh can throw these guys out there.
58:41
SPEAKER_04: They're they're uh they're making it happen, and and so far the success uh speaks for itself.
58:46
SPEAKER_04: But yeah, lots coming.
58:48
SPEAKER_04: We've got a big game against uh Anaheim uh tomorrow night.
58:52
SPEAKER_04: Uh a lot of folks talking about Anaheim.
58:55
SPEAKER_04: They think that uh this team in Anaheim has a shot at the playoffs.
58:59
SPEAKER_04: I'm not sure they're there yet.
59:01
SPEAKER_04: Their defensive core to me is just not quite as good.
59:03
SPEAKER_04: They do have a lot of young, very talented players, but uh, but I think I think the Canes can top them and and I think it's a critical game for them.
59:12
SPEAKER_04: They must win that game as as they did uh and and had to with, of course, uh San Jose.
59:18
SPEAKER_04: So um we'll be looking forward to that tomorrow night and we'll check it out.
59:23
SPEAKER_04: For those of you who've been watching or listening, um as always, we thank you very much for spending time with us.
59:30
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59:33
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59:40
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59:53
SPEAKER_04: Once again, we thank you very much for spending time with us, and we look forward to getting together with you real soon right here on Storm Tracker.