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Los Angeles Kings 2026-27 season preview: Can the Kings climb back? · Jablam Sports Hockey

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Jablamp Sports Hockey, your home for everything happening around the NHL.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Peter Bojarinov, and every episode we'll break down the biggest topics every hockey fan is talking about.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: We've got writers, TV, and radio experts from all 32 teams.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: And today we're continuing the season previews with the Los Angeles Kings.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Today on the show, we got Daryl Evans, the man who gives color to the black and white LA Kings.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to the show, Daryl.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Always good to be on with you, Peter.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: Cool.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: And we got DBE, Mr.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: Bernstein from the fourth period.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: What up, Dennis?
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need me.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: You got Daryl.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Come on.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: He's the man.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Great to be with you both.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Excited for the upcoming season.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Great to talk King's hockey with you.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, in trending now, we'll talk about what happened today.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yesterday they uh or today Frazier Minton signed a contract.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll talk about that in trending now.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: But let's get into the LA Kings.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: So the last few years prior to last year, they've always been the top three team in the Pacific, but always the Oilers fodder for them in the playoffs.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: Last year, they just barely made the playoffs.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: Are they capable of being that top three team again, Dennis?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Or are they going to be middle fodder now?
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, a couple of things.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, new coach, better coach.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, the way they played offense the last 20 games, you just saw Quentin Bofield, I think he had 11 goals in the last 20 games.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: They're gonna play that way, they're gonna be much more aggressive.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not sure the roster can adapt to the aggressiveness.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: And people want to talk about, yeah, they hung out, they they were the eighth seed.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: They missed the first place by five points.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: They missed the three seed by two points.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't think the whole division's gotten that much better in the offseason.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: So, look, do I think they're the division winner?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: I can't have to account them like that.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think Vegas has the most complete roster, but they can finish anywhere from two to eight, I think, in the division.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I still I still think they're a playoff team because they have the tools offensively to be much, much better.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think Darrell certainly agree.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: The one point everybody can agree on, they're not gonna lose 20 games in overtime.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: I would strongly agree with you there.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's one area.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_02: Overtime is gonna change.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, the shootout is gonna change as well with the personnel that they have.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: I think they're capable of scoring a lot more goals.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I think they'll have a different complexion.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, the players in overtime, they'll have more speed, uh, which will allow them to have more puck possession.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: One thing, though, with overtime that's a little bit of a concern is winning face-offs.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's an area that's got to have uh need some improvement.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, you lose Kopentar won 57% of his draws throughout his career.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have him to be able to get out there and get those key draws.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: So they're gonna rely heavily upon Lawton.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: This is where Quentin Byfield this year has to take a big step.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_02: He's got a lot of responsibility coming in, uh, but he's gonna have to improve in that face-off circle because they're gonna rely on him to take a lot of critical draws playing against the other Titan's top players night in and night out.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned the Slovenian superstar Andre uh Koptar retiring, but they've added those veterans now, Zucarello, Eric Hollak, Eric Gustavson, Corey Perry, the list goes on.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: Even veteran coach Peter Laviolette.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Darryl, what is this team's identity going to look like more this season now?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think last year, the way they finished, uh, you know, and Dennis just talked about it.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_02: I thought that uh DJ Smith did a really good job at getting the most out of that hockey club.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: But with the Kopotar retirement, I think it was a good time to bring in a new coach, start a new chapter, start fresh.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I think Peter Lavillette does a really good job at filling that void.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think he brings a more aggressive style of hockey.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_02: I think we're gonna see a team that's gonna be more aggressive offensively.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: A couple of guys really need to take a step, and that's Byfield and Clark.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: They're gonna take on a lot more ice time, a lot more responsibility.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: Uh top power play unit, uh, you know, probably.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: So they'll be uh they'll determine how the Kings are gonna go.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: They're gonna have to drive the Kings.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: But as for the guys that they added, I like adding the veterans that they did, already a real strong veteran uh team.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: I think when you look at the Kings' top nine forwards, they can match up with a lot of teams.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: They might not have that elite superstar player right now, but if you look at depth on the wings, I think they've got a lot of good sets of wingers that can play in a lot of different situations, capable of scoring goals, capable of defending.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I think in some ways they're they're they're a better team this year than they were last year uh with the growth and maturity.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: And let's face it, last year I don't think you can go down the King's roster, and there's not too many uh players on the Kings team that you would say exceeded expectation.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_02: So I think a lot of guys have a little bit more uh room to the ceiling.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: I expect a big change out of a lot of guys.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_02: Uh again, with a fresh voice behind a bench, I think Peter's gonna do a good job at getting a lot out of these guys.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of guys are gonna be auditioning for you know for roles on this team now and uh you know moving forward.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Peter, you know, they have they have legitimately four 60-point forwards, right?
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Panarin, campe, byfield, and field, assuming he's healthy.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Falls you're probably a 30-30 guy.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: The ceiling is what's, and to Darrell's point, what's quent and byfield gonna deliver, right?
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, he's got to deliver more points, maybe 27, maybe 60.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Look, I don't think he's a point-of-game player this season, but he's got to get into the mid-60s, maybe touch 70, right?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And with respect to the special teams, they were atrocious.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Zuccarello's not gonna score a ton of goals.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: He's still an effective distributor.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: He's definitely gonna help on the power play, right?
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Brandt Clark's gonna be a huge issue.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's not even the points.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Like he should, he had 40 last year.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: He should get the 50, but he's got to be able to control tempo.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Like, look, he's not Makar, he's not used yet, but he's got to be trending in that direction.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I think there'll be a better offensive team.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, here's the question, and I wrote an article about it last week.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Do you try Adrian Kempe in the middle?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Or do you go with Eric Calla as the 2C, Lawton as the 3C, and Sammy Hillane's as the 4C?
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: There's arguments for and against it.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Daryl knows when Kempi tried it, he was a 21-year-old player.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: He's a very different player now.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but do you want to sacrifice an experiment on a player who's a 40 goal scorer and put him out of position to start the season because you have a challenge at 2C?
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: So it's gonna be very interesting to see.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: So, to your original question, I'm not sure what their identity is.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: To Darrell's point, they are gonna be more aggressive, they should have more skill.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure how the lineup's gonna lay up until I see a couple of preseason games with the veterans in there.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: You meant mentioned about all these veterans uh coming in, and what about maybe possibly how much does Drew Doughty have left in the tank?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think you know, when you look at Drew, uh, you know, he's auditioning uh for a contract.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um he uh he continues to want to keep playing.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_02: You know, he's told us that for a number of years, that the end is not near for him, uh be it he's had a few, you know, you know, pretty severe injuries the last couple of years that he's had to deal with.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_02: In some ways he might be better trained now than he was in the young early part of his career.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: So I think they're gonna get the best out of Drew Dowdy, uh, looking to prove himself, uh looking to be a leader.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: He's uh you know, he's gonna have to compete for ice time because you know Brant Clark is, you know, he's gonna be given the green light in a lot of different situations.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I'd like to see Drew compete with him uh because the Kings still need that offense from back in the blue line.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: There's still not a lot of offense coming from the backside.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think Drew's capable of doing that.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: And maybe, you know, with some of the matchups, if he's not playing on that top pair right from the get-go, some of those matchups might be favorable for him.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_02: But I think we're gonna see Drew Dowdy uh, you know, he's gonna bring his best.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, he's I know I've seen him around the training center.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: He's working hard, he's excited, he's having fun.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: And if Drew Dowdy's that player on the ice, I think the Kings get his best.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: And if they get his best, that makes them a better team.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: So he'll be a he'll be a factor on this team if the team succeeds.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Peter, simply put, Drew Dowdy can't lead the team in time on ice from defense.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: No, it's got to be Rand Close.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: Nope, nope.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, does he have to contribute?
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because you you're not expecting a lot of offense.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I know there's some been some preseason talk about bringing in Gustavson and Perenovich.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, those two guys combined played two games in the EHL last year.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: So they're gonna have to find a way to manufacture offense.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: So Drew, his number numbers are gonna decline with respect to uh time on ice, but he's got to be contributing, and he is the only shooting threat up top.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, one the one facet of Grant Clark's game that has to improve is his shot.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Drew still has a big shot.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's not the most accurate shot in the world, but at least it's a threat back there.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe, you know, seven goals, maybe 30 assists, uh, you know, maybe 32 points, something like that.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: He still has to be an impact.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: He's not gonna be the impact player he once was, and he shouldn't have to be at this point in time.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then the question is like he doesn't have a contract for next year.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And the team regresses, what then what do you do with Drew at the trade deadline?
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: So there's gonna be a lot of questions.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I think the most interesting player is Drew because of what Daryl said.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: He you know he's gonna play less.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Is it gonna be effective?
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: And how is he gonna handle it?
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: And there's no captain on this team yet.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I assume it would go to Adrian Kempe because he signed on for eight years.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: So, how would Drew feel about last season maybe wanting to get be the captain, not being the captain?
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a lot of very interesting season around Drew Dowdy because they still need this player.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: They won't get the guy who won Stanley Cups, but they need an effective Drew Dowdy for sure if they want to make the playoffs.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I think with Drew Dowdy, like, you know, again, within with regards to the captaincy, you know, I think that, you know, Peter Lavalle is, you know, he's taking his time, he's getting to know the guys, uh, getting to see them around the you know their teammates, and he hasn't had that opportunity because you know the coaches have not been involved with their stuff.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: But from Drew's standpoint, you know, I think Drew, if he approaches this season like he did when he first started his NHL career, he took so much pride in the defensive part of his game.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: And I think if he approaches it that way, he can be a very effective player.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think just because of his skill set, like you said, Dennis's shot, he shoots the puck, you know, decent from back of the blue line, he can contribute there, uh, whether it be secondary, power player, whatever it is, uh, I still think he can create some offense.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_02: And he's such a smart hockey player.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_02: He's capable of playing against the other team's top players from shift to shift.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe he can't do it for 26, 27 minutes a night anymore, night in and night out.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: But you can still put him out there and you know that Drew Doughty gets a matchup, whether it's against McDavid, whether against Celebrini, you know you're gonna get a Drew Dowdy that's gonna compete at his highest level, and that's what you want out there.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: He's gonna be he's gonna be able to provide great leadership with the example, the way that he plays with the passion that he plays with, and that's something that the Kings can really use this year.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: Lastly, the netminder, Darcy Cumper.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: Dennis, which one do you think you're gonna get?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: The hot one or the cold one of the last two seasons?
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Forsburg should be the number one coming into camp.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, really?
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: Forsburg over Cumper.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: He was 925 save percentage, I think five on five.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: He he had he had he started all four playoff games.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I know, look, I know the coaching staff is very loyal to Darcy Kemper.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Forsberg should be the number one coming into camp.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: Darcy Kemper should get an opportunity to be the number one.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: But based on last season, it's for me, it's Forsberg, and you have Portillo, and there's an interesting situation.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Portillo, Forsberg, and Kemper are all in the last seasons of their con last year of their contracts.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: But based on performance at the end of the season, he Forsberg helped save the season.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Without Forsberg, they don't make the playoffs.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I and again, I get the loyalty, I get what Darcy's done before.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: He was clearly injured and clearly subpar.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, because of that, I'd start Forsberg as the one and see how it goes.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, could that change by the middle of November?
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he's not a rock solid number one, but the way he played down the stretch and the way he played in the playoffs, it certainly wasn't his fault they got swept.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I I would be I would be surprised if Anton Forsberg isn't the one coming into camp.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I think potentially goaltending might be the strongest position the Kings have coming into camp with the depth that they have.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: You know, Kemper Forsberg, the way he performed at the end, uh, you know, Portillo still trying to cut his teeth, but the other young guys with, you know, George and Slikinsky, uh, you know, they're gonna they're gonna build a strong case, you know, playing it with Ontario and becoming pros this year.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a position that's got some health.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: I think when you look at the Kings' position, uh, there's no doubt that Forsberg, the way that he closed out last year, and let's face it, it wasn't his fault that they didn't win any playoff games.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: He'd give them a chance each and every night.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the Kings just couldn't put the biscuit in the basket.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Kemper, Kemper, you know, he'll get his health back.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: I think one thing that we will see from the tandem, if it is Forsberg, Kemper to start, Kemper, Forsberg, whichever way you want to go, I think you're going to see the games get split a little bit more evenly to maintain their health.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that'll be a key.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_02: You know, the both of them, uh, you know, Kemper in particular, he's got more mileage on him.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, he's played a lot of minutes, a lot of wear and tear in the body.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: The style of hockey now in the NHL, you don't play from dot to dot.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: You've got to go from goal line to goal line.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_02: The guys can thread the needle with their shots.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: So there's a lot of movement out there.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_02: So I think the more rested Kemper can get this year, the more effective he'll be.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I think uh, you know, the between the two of them, between Forsberg and Kemper, I think they can provide the Kings with sufficient goaltender to be able to allow the guys to be able to do what they can at the other end because with an increased offense, the Kings should be in a better position than they were last year.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: All right, time for some trending now.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: The Boston Bruins resign uh and lock up Fraserman seven years, 50.4 million extension.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: So that's roughly 7.2 mil per year.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_01: Is that the rough estimate we're paying now for a young guy that's possibly a third line center?
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: 7.2 Dennis?
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we're paying their Bruins are paying for the future.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: They assume he's gonna he's gonna progress and have bigger numbers, and they don't want to have to pay him 12 million in three years.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what they're doing.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: But I'll say this you look at the King's roster, Quentin Bifeld's contract looks pretty good.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Frazier Leminton signed it for 7.2 million, right?
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: So they got three more years at 6'5.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what's happening now, Peter.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: You're paying for the future, you're not paying for production.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like that, a lot of these contracts are being paid because of what it was going forward.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not surprised at that number at all because that's what's trending.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: And it's it's hard to get used to for guys like me and Daryl who cover this league.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: We remember that you know, for years, flat cap, four million dollar contract.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: You can't trade, it's untradable.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now guys are getting 18, 20 million.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's really, really changed.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: But you're starting to see this because that's what the Bruins are buying.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: They're buying the future now.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: They don't want to have to pay for the production two, three years from now that they think they'll get from Frazier Minton.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they're putting a lot of trust in, you know, in the staff, you know, you know, with the way when you bring these guys in, what they see, uh, you know, analytics and things like that, you know, and kind of which trending, how their career is going, even though be it it's a small sample size, uh, it is a bit of a gamble, but you know, a risk that they're willing to take.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Because you figure even in a worst-case scenario like that, seven looks maybe a little bit rich right now for you know for the next couple of years.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: But after that, it might be one of the best bargains around out there.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, there's a little bit of you know, risk, but they're they think there's a reward at the end of it.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_02: But uh it's just uh that's the way things are right now.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_02: So if you don't do it, you're not gonna be able to compete and you're gonna lose a lot of players, which will uh take away from you being able to compete uh uh you know in different times when it comes to contracts.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Sportsnet Luke's uh SportsNets Luke Fox uh asked Connor McDavid, and he said, I was thinking that's a lot of money.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's been a long time coming for our league to see some of those numbers.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: Good on those guys for pushing on that.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: We're slowly starting to see some player ownership in terms of things.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: So it sounds like Connor likes it.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: He's not making the big money that Leo Carlson and some of these guys are making, though.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't need it.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: He's got more money he'll ever need.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: The next guy wait for the next contract when he's playing here in Los Angeles.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: No, just kidding.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: No, it it everything's changed.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: Leo Carl, like who thought that Leo Carlson would get$18 million a year?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: And now they have to pay Cutter Godia, and Cuttergodia says, wait, I'm as good as this guy.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: I scored 41 goals last year.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, still are still on site.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and remember bridge contracts?
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Ain't no bridge contracts no more.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: You're going from your entry-level deal to big money.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: Things have really changed.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: And some of the GMs got like, you know, I'm sure Pat Verbeek got jammed up here.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: He never thought this would happen to him.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like they were hardcore negotiators.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: They wanted to pay Carlson$10 to$12 million a year.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: Things have changed very, very rapidly.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: So the best GMs will adapt quickly and say, hey, you know what?
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: We can't just look at this season.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: We've got to look two or three seasons out and how we're gonna pay these guys and structure because it's great that you pay Leo Carlson$18 million.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: Can you pay the rest of the guys?
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: Uh can you bring in other elite talent like Daryl talked about?
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: How are you gonna bring it in?
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: They've got$12 million in cap space left.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's a very, very as as difficult as it was to operate in a flat cap, it might be harder for EGMs to operate with all this money available on with respect to the salary cap.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, because the players are right now, they're uh you know under the mindset they'll chase it.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_02: They're you know, they're they're not loyal to any teams right now.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, most players are just they're just chasing the dollar.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: And their agents aren't either.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: The agents really aren't loyal.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: No, there's uh and there's big money.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, like again, you know, whoever thought we would see these type of contracts this season and this offseason has brought all kinds.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: And we know, you know, coming in the next couple of years, you got McDavid, you got Dry Saddle, you got these guys, and you know, the sky's the limit as to where these guys are.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: A million for a defenseman.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: And Daryl, it happened in the course of a year, Peter.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, this has happened in one year.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: Everything changed so quickly.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's going to be difficult to it.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's why it's hard for these GMs to figure out what's going on right now with respect to the marketplace.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because the market's never moved like this.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's incredible the way this market moved.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, 100% right.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, and then when you look at, you know, a position right now, of course, every position is very important, but the lack of centerman, you know, there's just being a big number paid for centerman right now.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, what teams would pay for a you know, centerman that would, you know, give you 30-50.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, like, you know, you're looking at 20 automatically.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's not, it's not even a question mark anymore.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: So um these players are in a good spot.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: And uh again, the pioneers of the game over the years that you know basically played for nothing.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you know, there I'm sitting there, I'm sure guys like Gordy Howe and that now are sitting there wondering, like, oh my God, you know, when they when they see stuff like this, it'd be uh incredible.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_02: But the NHL is healthy right now.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the game's great, the skill, the talent, uh, the entertainment.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, playoff hockey, there's nothing like it.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: And uh our game's in a good spot.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_02: So it's good to see these young guys, you know, getting rewarded, be it might be a little bit early coming out of the entry-level contract, like to see maybe push out another you know, another couple of years.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: But uh it is what it is, and you got to go with the flow because that's where that's where it's at right now.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: That's it for this episode.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks to Dennis.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: Dennis, thank you for joining me.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's a pleasure, Peter.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for the time.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate it.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: And Daryl, thank you for joining me again.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: Always a pleasure, Peter.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_02: Stay healthy and well, young man.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_02: We'll talk to you soon.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: And if any of the listeners are listening in, uh let me know in the comments or message me on X at Peebojeranoff.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: And remember to subscribe to the show in your listening app.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: Bye.