Latest / stormTRacker Podcast | Carolina Hurricanes & NHL Hockey / Inside the Chicago Wolves' Revival: Nadeau, Pavylchev & Swaney Take Center Stage

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Inside the Chicago Wolves' Revival: Nadeau, Pavylchev & Swaney Take Center Stage · stormTRacker Podcast | Carolina Hurricanes & NHL Hockey

• 0:33
  Speaker 1: So the Chicago Wolves got off to a bit of a slow start this year, but found their way and got hot as they headed into December.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: Unfortunately, at the end of the month and going into January, not quite the same story, and they lost four games in a row and scored 20-9.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: The good news is they bounced back last night for a big 7-3 win.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: And then to talk about the Chicago Wolves, our insider, of course, Andrew Rinaldi, how are you?
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: man Doing great.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Tom, Thanks for having me on again.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Well, listen, I wanted to talk a little bit about what we're seeing with the Wolves these days.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: You know, it's kind of like the hurricanes You're not quite sure what you're going to see.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: For a good period there, of course, the Wolves were really playing great hockey.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: They had their full lineup.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: Then they had a few guys that left, headed off to the junior World Junior Tournament, so that wasn't the greatest thing.
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: And of course Juha Jaska, who was playing so very well for them, headed up into Carolina.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: And of course Jost had previously gone.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: So a lot of different situations for the Wolves.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: What do you see?
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: I'm seeing a team that's still kind of trying to figure out exactly.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: You know it's I feel like the after that early year slide that they were starting to really fire on all cylinders.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: And then you had, you know, jost called up, yaska called up.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: The goaltending situation has been very fluid.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: You had Tokarski was doing great and then he gets called up.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: I mean, Spencer Martin coming back really does kind of level that out, but it's still.
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: You know it's that never-ending blender, but that's the nature of the AHL and unfortunately none of your opponents are really going to feel sorry for you because they're all dealing with it too.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: And so you know, I think you're seeing a team that's still figuring it out, just because they went on a real hot streak there in November and December.
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: It's not always going to be the case.
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: You're going to have your ups and your downs.
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: I think they went through kind of a down stretch over the last couple of weeks, as we've seen here.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: Kind of a down stretch over the last couple of weeks, as we've seen here.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: Yes, and while I don't think it's, you know it's necessarily indicative of the team's talent or play style or anything like that I think you know there's still things that just need to be figured out with their squad.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: Well, and you know it's interesting taking a look at those games Again.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: I mentioned they were outscored 20-9.
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: And unfortunately in three of those games Ruzlan Kazeev was between the pipes and that's kind of tough for him.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: He's still finding his way in the AHL and I'm sure Stan Debicki's got lots of work left to do with Kazeev, but that was kind of tough on him and I know the team struggled a little bit generally and there were some players out and trying to get their mojo back and it looks like last night they certainly had some great success with that.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: But one of the guys that they missed, of course I just mentioned a minute ago was Bradley Nadeau, and Bradley seems to have come back.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: He had a very strong tournament, of course, for Team Canada.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: He seems to have come back very strong and he got a couple of goals last night as well.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I had a good conversation with him after he came back from the junior tournament, which I'm sure was a huge disappointment when you're playing in the nation's capital.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: It wasn't the way that it wanted to go for canada but you know, seeing bradley having in such a huge role there for the team in such a big tournament, um, you know, I think it kind of it's it's hard to say, you know it's that's every canadian's dream, right to wear that maple leaf on their jersey and to play in that tournament like that, especially in front of their hometown fans.
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: So he came back from that and um really didn't look like he he missed a beat at all and scored in his in his return back from the tournament and you know, like I said, had a couple of goals last night and you know he's got one, one, two, three, four, five goals since, uh, since coming back in the world junior tournament so yeah, he, um, I, I, I asked him like if there's any any difference.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: You know he he played in college, then he's in um, then he's in the american league and now he's playing against, you know, the, the junior players.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: You know it's 20 and under and it's it's all different play styles everywhere he goes.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: Does he change his game at all or anything like that?
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: And while you have to be adaptive to a certain point, you know it's going to be a faster game, a little more transition in juniors, where there's not as much of a defensive structure.
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: Um bradley just said he kind of leans on his game and and and what got him to this level.
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: I think that's exactly what you need to do, for success is to just, you know you've gotten this far by being the player that you are and there's no need to change it up, whether you're going to play for canada or you're going to play for the chicago wolves.
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: And um, he's didn't miss, like I said, he hasn't missed a beat since he's come back from that tournament and, you know, maybe not getting a medal might just kind of push him a little further to.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: You know, take it out and on the opponents in the American League, so it wasn't good for Bakersfield last night.
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: I can tell you that.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: Well, the couple of interesting things I've noticed.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: Of course, he's back with Ryan Suzuki and those guys.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: They tend to have a lot of magic together, as you mentioned previously to Andrew, and I think the other thing with him is he's getting a chance to get that shot off.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: I've noticed a number of his goals have been his classic, you know one timer, and that's really his trademark, as we both know.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: One of the things that the hockey forecaster in their scouting report on Bradley said was that he can play any position up front and oozes offensive flair and acumen.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: And he definitely does, and there's no question that when he's on the ice, things are happening and it's great to see him back and, of course, firing on all cylinders.
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: Now I did mention that one of the guys that did leave was on the line with those two guys, with Suzuki and, of course, with Nadeau, and that's Yuha Yaska, and you know Yaska's kind of had some fun with the Hurricanes.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: He's been a a lot of folks have really appreciated his work.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: What are you thinking about Yoska these days?
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: I wish we had him back in Chicago.
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: You know, I feel like, you know, early on in the season I wasn't really sure like what kind of player they were getting in Yoska, and really quick we got a taste of, just, you know, the the kind of 200 foot game responsible player.
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: I mean that just.
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: I think a lot of times people hear that and they think like, oh, okay, so this guy can play pretty good defensively but he doesn't really chip in a whole lot offensively.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: But this I, I, I tend to disagree with that.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: I think Yaska is just the way that he processes and sees the game.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: He's just a step ahead of some of the younger players here in mid-set that pro experience that he's had in Europe all this time.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: He just knows where to be, whether he has the puck, whether he's about to get the puck or whether he's defending the puck.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: He, you know, I can identify it almost immediately as like okay, I see what Eric Tolsky and Rod and everyone brought in a guy like him for down in Chicago and he played so well that now he's been able to progress up there and have his cup of coffee with the Hurricanes and I mean, okay, selfishly, I want him back in Chicago, but I would absolutely love it for him if he were to stay up in the rain with the Hurricanes.
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: But I think now the fans in Carolina are starting to understand why he caught fire with a lot of the fans down here in Chicago really quickly.
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: Well, yeah, and he is that prototypical Rod.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: Is that?
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: He is that uh, prototypical Rod Brindamore type player, as you mentioned he's, he works both ends of the rank.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: You can see him on the ice.
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: He's making things happen, I think one of the the things that I've noticed since he's been with the Hurricanes he can, he can motor, he's a, he's an excellent skater, he can get up the ice quickly and, uh, he's, uh, he's seldom caught out of position.
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: So I think he's a guy that, uh, I hope he stays with the canes, uh, because I think he's adding a lot to the mix.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: Uh, just the way he plays the game, just his personality, his style.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: Uh, he's just a guy that you want to have in your hockey club, and I know a lot of.
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: There was a lot of discussion on the broadcasts about, uh, you know the personality of, uh, yuha yaska, so, and good on you.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: Know the personality of Juha Jaska, so, and good on him.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: You know, 26 years old, he comes over trying to make his way into the NHL.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: That's a tough slug and he's been up there and certainly not looking out of place for sure.
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, we'll see how Juha goes.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: For a while, I expect he'll be back in Chicago.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: We'll talk about him later this year, but for the time being, we'll enjoy him very much with the Hurricanes.
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: Another guy that just continues to amaze me he played in Norfolk last year, found his way into the roster this year and is just flying, and that's, of course, justin Robitaille.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that month of January that he had has been pretty remarkable.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: I mean, he had what a 10-game point streak there for a while, sprinkled in a four-point performance and not a big deal.
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: And you know, I think when you know you're looking at some of the offensive leaders, you know you're expecting Suzuki, you're expecting Nadeau.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: I don't know if I kind of expected the production out of Robodog quite immediately like this, but I'm happily surprised by it.
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: And you know, I know I've spoken about him on this podcast before, but I mean, still to this day.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: You know he, you know what you're getting out of him at each and every single night, and that kind of consistency is exactly what coaches and front office are looking for here down at this level.
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: And just the motor that he's got running whether it's five-on-five penalty kill, whatever, he doesn't care, he's going to be out there and he's going to be a menace for the other teams and he has been so far and it's been a lot of fun watching him stack the points up and the point streak's been broken since then.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: But I don't think it's going to take him long to start another one pretty soon here.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: Well and, with some of the players being out for a period of time, it gave him a chance to kind of move up into some other roles and he's been doing it all.
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: He's been on the power play, he's been killing penalties, of course, taking some serious draws.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: He's a guy that, again, smaller player, has to excel in other ways and I think he's demonstrating a really strong offensive capability.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's actually surprised me, but he can really fire the puck and he's definitely got a nose for the net.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: So exciting to see how he's going to develop.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: Quick thing on what was said about him in McKean's tenacious and stocky pivot is what they called Justin Robidon, and that's exactly what he is.
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: And the thing I think a key point about that is he is a stocky player.
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: He's very strong on his you know, on his skates and he's a guy that doesn't get knocked off the puck easily.
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: So he's not like a little guy going in the corner and he just gets tapped and he's done.
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: He's right in there and he can hold his own and I think that's going to be critical for him as he tries to find his way and move up the ranks, but I think he's really making a case for himself to be in that group of future center prospects for the Hurricanes.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: And as you know, andrew, that's been a concern for the Hurricanes Not a lot of depth there, not a lot of young players coming along and this guy, maybe there's another one that's not far behind him in Justin Poirier.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: That again smaller center run.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: But these guys have great skills and it's great to see Robita continue his fine development in Chicago.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: I think it's great and he paid his dues in Norfolk last year.
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: So the right way to do it for sure.
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: Now the next guy and I wanted to mention this because you know, as we've watched what's been going on with the Wolves, some very unlikely suspects have kind of shown up and players that folks won't know anything about weren't really in the farm system of the Hurricanes and were signed by the Wolves kind of quietly.
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: A couple of those guys Nick Sweeney he had four points last night.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: That's not bad.
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: Former draft pick of the wild.
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: Also this guy, danny Kaddick, who was not drafted but a big player who played in Norfolk last year.
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: He's 6'5 and 220, and I know he had three or four points last night.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: These guys are kind of filling in and doing their job, but the guy that's really been flying has been Nikita Pavlicev.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: And why don't you tell us about Nikita?
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: yeah, you want to talk about a big body, I mean at six foot seven.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: When they stack this guy out in front of the net on the power play, he's just an absolute redwood and you're starting to see how he's accruing all of these power play goals.
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: All of a sudden, you know, and especially when you have a lot of your guys like Yaska, who you relied on so heavily on the man advantage, now you have to kind of change your, your unit up a bit.
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: But yeah, yeah, pavlychev has absolutely taken the most of the opportunities and you know it helps when you got guys like Scott Morrow firing the puck Right, and then it just kind of you know it when you're in the right position, when you got the guy setting up the puck the right way and and he's, when you're that big and you can't get knocked out in front of the net, you know that's, that's how they they're creating these goals in the power play.
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: Goaltenders can't see through the screen, can't anticipate the reflections, and he's piling up the goals.
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: He's piling up.
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: I think he's got six points in his last five games.
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: Yes, yes.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: Between him and Sweeney Kadic.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: You know, sahil Panwar has come in Martel.
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: All those guys.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, jordan Martel.
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah, this is the nature.
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: Like I said, the nature of the league is that you get these guys that play well and they're relied upon and then the NHL team has need of them.
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: Like I said, no one in this league is going to feel sorry for you because everyone's dealing with it.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: So you're going to have to find guys to step up and contribute in one sense, or the other guys to step up and and contribute in one sense or the other.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: And these guys, you know, usually you you're relying on them more to kind of grind it out in the corners and and provide some energy.
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: But now they're putting up the points and yeah, you know that that that's.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: That's helped kind of break the wolves out of their uh, their slump a bit with that um, with that big seven spot against bakersfield.
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: Um, puck drop is actually going to start about six minutes from now for that second set in the recording, but I'll keep an eye on it as it's happening.
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: But yeah, like I said, no one's going to cry and write poems for the chicago wolves and having their, some of their players called up because everyone's dealing with it so yeah, he's been awesome no, and yeah, and pavlicev is just gonna mention, he's kind of interesting.
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: Um, he was drafted in 2015 by the penguins, uh, in the seventh round, um, and again he went to Penn State.
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: This is interesting, a guy from Russia.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: He went to Penn State, kind of did what you need to do to try to get your position in North America and try to get into the pro ranks and he's paid his dues.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: He's been in the ECHL for several years on and off.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: So you know, he's a guy that finally getting a chance to do something with the wolves I mean earlier in the year, I mean the center, you know the spot was pretty full, but he's now being able to find a spot and move up and he's uh finding himself, as you say, on the power play.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: He's finding himself getting more minutes and he's really taking advantage of it.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: He's a guy that, uh, you never know what these guys sometimes later in life they can really start to show something and he seems to move well on the ice.
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: He handles himself quite well from what I've seen watching him, and again he's been red hot, as you've said, six points his last five games.
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: So he's definitely earning his keep with the Wolves these days.
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: So great to see Pavel Chetvin.
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: We'll keep an eye on him.
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: Definitely a guy that when you watch the Wolves you can't miss Nikita, that's for sure.
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: Okay, so the forward side seems to be in pretty good shape, as I mentioned, you know you've got some of the big guns back.
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: Ungersorn seems to be playing quite well.
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: You've got Ndolo going.
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: You know you've always had Suzuki.
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: He's been playing outstanding.
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: So lots of good stuff there.
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: The defense a little bit surprising to me recently with these games where they had all these goals scored you know that defense is loaded.
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: As you know, they've got, even with, you know, the professional guys that they've got.
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: Smith is now with Chicago, of course, and you've got, you know, you've got Joaquin Ryan down there.
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: Stillman has been going back and forth, so Riley's been up and down, and of course, you've got the great youngsters.
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: But one guy that I did want to talk about, who we haven't talked much about this year, is Alexei Himasomi.
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: Now Himasomi, when I've watched him in the Prospect Showcase tournaments the last couple of years, he has really, really impressed me, and something about Himasomi is that, you know, when he was playing in Finland junior hockey, he was really outstanding for them.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: He was.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: I read many articles about how well he had played in those tournaments.
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: He was a real leader from the back line and again a player that you know been pushed to the side a little bit because of other players that have jumped up and he's had to impress and move up the lineup.
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: What are you seeing with Himosame these days?
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: I feel like over the last month Himosame's game is really kind of taking a step forward.
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: I feel like, whereas earlier in the season he might have been a little more.
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: I don't want to say tentative with the puck, but I can't really think of a better adjective at this point.
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: It just you know, it's just that it's this first year in in in the American league.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: It's.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: You know, there's certainly an adjustment period and all that, and over that last month you're starting to see, you know, him settling in the comfort, the confidence and and his game's really kind of starting to blossom there as, as a result, I really love the way that he he skates with puck and it just when you tackle it in with guys like Morrow and Fensore, it just when you have one of those guys in each one of your defensive lines, it changes up the way that teams defend against you, it changes up the way that teams game plan for you and you know it's not quite so easy to just dump in and chase and get after them because you got a couple of lead foots back there.
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: It's like no, they're going to grab the puck and they're going to take it and transition the other way before you even realize what's going on.
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: So it's and seeing him kind of grow more into that game, I think we understood more of what we were getting in Morrow and Fensori and we knew what Hemosolme had, and maybe we just needed to see it with more consistency and I think you're starting to really see that over the last month His game has really impressed me.
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: Well, one of the benefits for all of these guys is that you do have the veterans, and I think those guys are great mentors to team up with the younger players.
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: You know, here's what McKean said about Hema Salmi there's never been any doubt that Hema Salmi is a highly skilled defenseman.
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: His talents as a skater are superb, and so is his ability to control and make moves with the puck while flying around the ice at the highest gear.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: The difficulty, however, has involved him figuring out how to actually make the most out of his given gifts.
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: So the question has been never the talent.
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: I mean, we've seen it he can skate like mad.
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: He's great offensively.
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: He's not a big player, but he handles himself very well.
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: But the key for him is putting it all together and I think that's as you mentioned.
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: He's starting to find his way in the American League.
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: He's starting to do the kinds of things he can do and you know, when you think about Hema Salmi again, right-hand shot, he fits in.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: You've got, of course, morrow, who's a right-hand shot.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: You've got Legault, who's a right-hand shot.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: You've got Legault, who's a right-hand shot.
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: You've got some pretty darn good defensemen on the right side down there.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean it's great to see these guys starting to really show what they can do.
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, and, like I said, it's that dynamic when you can throw any one of those guys on any lineup.
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: It's not like you know.
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: You know, okay, here's kind of the, the, the heavyset defensive line, and then you got more of a puck, like when you're able to, to just just fill them in.
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: You got 60 minutes of of solid puck movers behind and that blue line it's it's it changes the dynamic of how, like I said, not not just how your team plays, but how the other team plays against you.
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: So I think you know we're what halfway through the season, now at this point About that, yeah.
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there's even more runway for these guys to grow into their game and I think you're going to start seeing that dynamic fold of their play style really start to show out more, I think in this second half.
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: Well, it's interesting you mention that.
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: One of the things I noticed is that they have been exactly the same at home as they have on the road 9-7-1.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: That's kind of interesting and I think you know you look at this team.
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: They're built to go.
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: I think this year They've got they're going to have the great goaltending.
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: Depending on which of the veterans is there, they'll have a solid goaltender lead for sure.
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: They've got all kinds of depth on the blue line and the youngsters are continuing to grow.
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: And then up front again they've got size.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: They've got the guys, like you know Josias Laban and Skyler Brindamore, the kind of guys that get in there and can push and shove and do whatever needs to get done.
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: You know, like the stall line in Carolina.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: And then you've got some guys that can really put the puck in the net.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: You've got you know you've got Ungersorm.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: You've got Nadeau, you've got you know you've got Ungersorm, you've got Nadeau.
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: You've got Ryan Suzuki.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: You know even Gleb Trikosov, if he starts to pick things up as well.
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: So a lot of talent down there.
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: I think it's exciting.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: I am really excited to see them.
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: And of course they're continuing to grow with Cam Abbott and the job he's doing and his crew to bring these guys along, and I think it's.
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm particularly pleased with what I'm seeing with the Wolves so far and one of the interesting things and I wanted to bring it up because I thought you might have some thoughts on this too, andrew, you know, as we get towards the trade deadline, there's been a lot of conjecture that the Canes may be doing some things and of course, the asset that they have, more than a lot of teams, is a ton of prospects, like you.
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: Look at some of these prospects they have in Chicago.
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: They're not going to be able to bring all these players up, but it's just not happening.
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: They're not all going to be Carolina Hurricanes, we know that, and there are some really talented youngsters that I'm sure other teams are thinking man, can I get my fingers on a Dominic Pensori, or you know, charles Alexis Legault, or you know Felix Ungersorm or whoever?
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: What do you think about that?
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: Do you hear anything around the team?
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: Or are there any thoughts that, hey, we you know you might see some players moving at some point.
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: That's just.
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: That's the reality of the business in this league.
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: The reality of the business in this league.
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: Last year it was Vasily Potomarev who was there over a couple of seasons that I really enjoyed watching in Chicago, one who really enjoyed being in Chicago.
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: I think he was pretty heartbroken about having to go over to Wilkes-Barre and to Pittsburgh bury it into Pittsburgh.
• 25:46
  Speaker 2: That's right, the Pittsburgh team.
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: But you know it's something that's always going to be floated out there.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: You know you go to every American League game.
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: There's going to be scouts from you know, say like Edmonton was in town and I'm like, ooh man, I'm wondering like what's Edmonton?
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: And they're just out there kind of doing their duty and just kind of taking a look and seeing what they're reporting back to their teams, what these players look like.
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: So whether it's going to happen, it does seem likely.
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: Right, because the Hurricanes do have an abundance of young talent.
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: And right, the reality of it is that not all of them are going to be Hurricanes at the end of the day.
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: So you know, maybe they strap some of these young players in a deal for a forward, like Potomarev was last year, right was last year, um right and, but you know, I, I, I can't lock in like this is looking at this guy or that guy.
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: No, no, of course it's all.
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: Well, none of us can, but but you know, like I said, it's as as you get up to the trade deadline, it's um, oh man, I, just as as a a Griffins beat reporter, just seeing on Twitter of Jonathan Bergeron and Steve Eisenman trending at the same time, like 30 minutes before the trade deadline, really elevated my blood pressure.
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: And that's just being here in the American League.
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: That's just like I said, that's just the reality of the business.
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: You have these guys that you know they're fighting for a chance to claw into the NHL and sometimes it's not with your parent club, it's going to be somewhere else, but the opportunities are always going to be there.
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: So, like I said, it's just the reality of it.
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: Well, and I think one of the areas that the canes are particularly rich, as we discussed, has been defense and uh, you know, they've got big uh, alexander nikishin heading over late this year and he'll be ready for next year.
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: And you've got, you know, you've got uh slavin on a long-term deal.
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: You've got several other players locked up.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: I'm sure they'll want to keep chatfield.
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: They've got several other players locked up.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: I'm sure they'll want to keep Chatfield.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: They've got you know already they have Gossespierre and Walker assigned to long-term deals.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: So, again, not a lot of spots on that blue line.
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: You'd have to think that Scott Morrow's the most likely to make a move to the Hurricanes.
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: Recall the uh, all the discussion on, uh on Elias Penerson with Vancouver was around, uh, a deal that would include, among others, scott Walker, uh, scott Morrow and, of course, uh Martin H's.
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: So, um, again you've got situations that are going to come up and, depending on what is available, the Canes uh may move a player of some significance.
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: Uh, because they're in a position where you know they've got extras, they've got other folks that can come in and get the job done for them.
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: So it's exciting and so we'll follow that as well.
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: And anything that you're hearing rumor mill wise, we'll be very interested to hear in the back, the back halls, as to, hey, this guy thinks he might be going or something.
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: Wanted to kind of just wrap up with, you know, throwing it out to you of anything else you wanted to chat about or anything else you thought we should know today.
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just.
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: I mean, I know that this team kind of hit a bump in the road over the last couple of weeks, but that's exactly what we're here for in the American League.
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: These young players are going to hit stumbles in their development and their game and you're here to kind of work through that and to learn from that.
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: Then you throw up and you're struggling for a bit, you seem like you can't get the fuck out of your net and then you throw a seven spot in a team that's coming from across the country and it's anything can happen really, and that's, you know, it's part of the fun of covering this league and seeing these guys continue to grow and fight through a lot of this adversity that's thrown in their face.
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: You know, it's not just the players, it's the coaching staff that's getting settled in their first year here in Chicago.
• 30:20
  Speaker 2: So a lot of hockey, a lot of runway there, a lot of hockey that's still left to play, and you know this team still, their destiny is still in their own hands, I believe.
• 30:32
  Speaker 2: But in terms of points, percentage-wise they are third in the Central.
• 30:37
  Speaker 2: Although it's not a guarantee that they would end up in third.
• 30:40
  Speaker 2: They are on pace to finish higher than Milwaukee, which would be awesome.
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: Milwaukee did just pick up Chase DiLeo from waivers, coming in from Europe, who is a veteran in the AHL big point producer, so that's going to just throw another wrench in the problem there in the division, because why not?
• 31:02
  Speaker 2: But you know, this is a young team, it's an exciting team.
• 31:08
  Speaker 2: I still feel like even when they might not have their best game on some nights, they're still in it just about every single evening and you know, that's all you can ask for from your young players is to just give your all every chance, every game.
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: And I'm excited to see what happens in this second half, because I feel like there's a lot of talent.
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: Once they kind of start putting it all together consistently, it can be a very dangerous team.
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know we talked about that earlier this year too, andrew the Canes did load up with their top prospects down there.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: So you know you've got a group of players that are just going to continue to grow and they're continuing to learn the Canes system, they're getting more comfortable, and that's something else that I think is worth mentioning as we wrap up is that the ability for these players and it was first it was Tyson Jost and then, of course, it was Juha Jaska and you know those guys coming up and certainly Ty Smith to some extent as well they are being schooled on the Canes system quite nicely by Cam Abbott and his team, his coaching staff, and I think, again, that's critical for the Canes.
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: We didn't even have that last year.
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: So this is a whole new opportunity, I think, for both teams, and I think it's been going well so far.
• 32:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think for both teams and, and I think it's, it's been going well so far.
• 32:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's, it's I.
• 32:32
  Speaker 2: I, like I said before, w is a cure.
• 32:34
  Speaker 2: Anything that's going on off the ice and this team is is starting to pile the W's in, even with the, even with the four game losing streak, you know they're still right there in the thick of the of the division race.
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: So it's, you know it's be like once you kind of got some of the division race.
• 32:51
  Speaker 2: So it's, you know, I feel like once you kind of got some of the egos out of the way, it's it was understood kind of how this relationship would benefit both sides.
• 33:00
  Speaker 2: And you know, and seeing Chicago be more competitive on the ice, seeing Carolina's young players in a more stable situation where they can kind of grow into their roles, hopefully into contributors for Carolina, you're starting to see the fruits of that, even just a few months into the renewed relationship.
• 33:20
  Speaker 2: So I'm glad that we've kind of put some of that nastiness of the offseason behind us now at this point and it's all about what's going on on the ice and what's.
• 33:31
  Speaker 2: I'm I myself chicago's fans, and I think a lot of carolina's upper management are all enjoying what they're seeing on the ice right now cool.
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: Well, listen, andrew.
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: Uh, as always, it's, uh, it's great fun.
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: Where can folks see you and where can they connect with you?
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: absolutely.
• 33:50
  Speaker 2: Um, so I I write for the calder times where we cover all sorts of ahl hockey action.
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: Um, you can find my my written work there.
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: Um, I also live tweet during the uh, during most wolvesves games at Andrew underscore, rinaldi underscore and, like I said, I tweet during the game.
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: I give updates on the teams and I just enjoy talking with fans.
• 34:19
  Speaker 2: So if anyone's got any questions or banter or wants to tell me that my opinion's wrong or anything, I'm happy to engage with just about everyone.
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: If anyone wants to challenge me to a wits of hockey, then yeah, you can find me there.
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: Of course, that's great and I know your knowledge of the Wolves and some other teams in the American Hockey League is outstanding.
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: So, as always, really appreciate you joining Andrew.
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: It's great fun to talk about the Wolves and we'll be picking it up, of course, next month again For those of you who have been watching or listening.
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us.
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: Andrew and I are very pleased that you could spend the time with us.
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: If you liked this episode, please press the Like button.
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: If you have any comments or questions, please put those in the space down below.
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: Andrew and I will try to get back to you just as quickly as possible.
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: And, of course, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker and, of course, the Chicago Wolves Report, please hit the subscribe button and the bell and you'll be alerted of any episode that comes up in the future.
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: As always, Andrew and I would like to thank you very much for spending the time with us and we'll catch up with you real soon, right here on StormTracker.