Latest / NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers / Mikhail Sergachev Loves his Chickens: Marchenko Dealt, Faber Hurt and Western Conference Previews.

Transcript

Mikhail Sergachev Loves his Chickens: Marchenko Dealt, Faber Hurt and Western Conference Previews. · NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcast.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: That's right. The NHL season has begun. but we still
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: want to get some season previews in, okay? Western Conference preview.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: We're still getting it in here as far as who's
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: going to be in.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: We're doing previews?
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: That's right.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: The season has begun. We're still going to do in
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: or out when it comes to Western Conference preview until
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: it wants to get it done. We'll also talk about
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: some early action, including Marchenko moved, and big news as
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: far as the NHL is concerned. Happy puck drop, everybody.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: The NHL is back. It's a little bit odd that
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: it's September and hockey is back, but the highlight for
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: me was being back home in Toronto and got to
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: hang out with my parents, see some buddies. And, of course,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: meet Jason Demers' guy, John Chyka. So he's our guest
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: at the first intermission. And Chris Parker and I are
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: joking about saying, oh, we should bring up Steve Simmons
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: and call him a con man, a liar, et cetera.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Fans are pretty fired up. A lot of goalies go.
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Chants are happy to see him. And I didn't get
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: a chance to talk to Chyka before because, you know,
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: he walks into the PR and he's off to the
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: left of Prongs. So he's talking to Prongs a little bit.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: I didn't really get a chance to see him. At
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: the end of the interview, he's very good, you know, personal, classy.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: He walks over. And as I shake his hand, I go, hey,
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: I just want to say Jason Demers speaks really.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: Highly of you.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: And he gave no reaction. It could not have been... Now,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: my only guess is he didn't hear me properly. I
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: think it was just like... I could have just said,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: Tal Pinchewski says, well, he's just nuts. But it wasn't
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: even like a smile. Nobody said, tell JD, hi, tell
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: him he's the man, he's the best, whatever. I just go,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Jason Demers speaks obvious....
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: I've just reserved myself to look myself in the mirror
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: and be like, oh, shit, hang on one sec. That
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: is loud. AV is tripping you hard to start this episode.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: This is actually, that's a great, I've just reserved myself
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: to just not being a likable guy. I just think
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: I'm not likable. Honestly, here I thought I was, just.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: But it was such a non-reaction.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: I'm not making it sound like he bit into like
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: a sour peach and gave a face. To be clear,
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: it wasn't like he was like, Jason Demers, he didn't
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: do that.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, is this like one of your stories where like.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: No, no, it's even worse because he gave no recognition.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: He should have at least smiled and gone, give GD
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: my best, or yeah, he's the man, or anything. He
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: just goes, hmm? And I was like, hmm, all right.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: I could have just... Did you follow up with him
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: after that?
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: I got to call bullshit or erroneous somewhere here. You're not.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: The best case is he didn't hear me. That's the
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: best case. That's the best case. That's the best case.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: He's just in a rush. He's shaking hands. He goes, Jason,
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: where's 612? He goes, okay, I got to go. Oh, yeah.
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: Best case.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Fuck him if he didn't say anything. Worst case is...
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: Worst case is he heard me clearly and had no reaction.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: He's like, okay, yeah.
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: Wow.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: I'm glad he speaks well of me.
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: It would be great if he's like, who?
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: That's Tal's point.
• 2:58
  Speaker 4: Now JD has another team to dislike besides the Flyers.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. He's already said the Flyers.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: I just know what everybody refuses to believe, that the
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Flyers are fugazis. That's it.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: It's only one game. It was a bad loss.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: It happens.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: It's against the Penguins. Penguins were fired up.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: Let's not get into it. They survived because of Ladar
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: in shootouts last year.
• 3:18
  Speaker 4: We'll see. It's one game.
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: That's why they survived.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: Flyers are going to be fine. Flyers are going to
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: be fine. Bottom line is this. The Leafs win that
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: game 2-1. Everyone's excited right now about Karel Marchenko. And
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: this is a move, J.D. In some ways, it wasn't
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: surprising because he obviously was not signing with Columbus. He
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: seemed annoyed there, whatever. So six years, $ 75 million contract extension.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: Right away, $ 12. 5 million AAV. Chayka's like, we're going to
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: get him. We're going to lock him up. You get
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Merzlikens as well. Miles Wood, who cares? You get Matthew
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: Nizer giving up. Steven Lorenz and Emil Andre.
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: He's got some respect for Woody. You're not that.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: I mean, okay, Miles Wood, fine. Elvis, nobody cares about.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Then you get Matthew Nyes. You're giving up Steven Lorenz,
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Emil Andre, and a second-round pick. So, Marchenko and Nyes... Wait,
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: you came in here today off of the heels of.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: You are a heater right now.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: You're picking your britches.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Feeling like you're fucking in the ivory tower today.
• 4:04
  Speaker 4: Mr.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: Amazon Prime. Coming here.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: I'm telling you.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: All I'm telling you is that nobody in Toronto was going,
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: this is great news, we have Elvis Merzlikens. That's all
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: I can tell you, right? I'm just letting you know.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: When it comes to, let's focus on Marchenko versus Nyes.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: Both 6'3, Marchenko 67 points, Nyes at 66. Main difference
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: is Nyes is three years younger and Marchenko will make
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: almost double Nyes' salary. But I ask you this, J.D.,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: why does it feel like Marchenko is a much more
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: impactful player right now than Matthew Nyes?
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: I actually don't. I think it's a good trade for both.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: You know, I think it's one of those trades where
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: I liked it for both teams. You know, number one,
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Marchenko didn't want to be there, so you're not going
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: to keep a guy that's there, you know, wink-wink for Detroit.
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: Find a way to move him. He did it a
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: little bit better than, you know, Larkin and Hellebuck did,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: but I think it answers a need for the Toronto
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: Maple Leafs. They needed a speedy winger. They needed a
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: winger that could shoot the puck alongside Matthews. They found him.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: They've looked... Him and Roslevic and Matthews have... have been
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: very good five-on-five. I saw their scoring chance numbers have
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: been really, really good through two games. And Matthews, I think,
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: will benefit. I think they're still finding each other, especially
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: on the power play. But, you know, I think they're
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: going to open up. I expect it to, you know,
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: supply a lot of goals for Austin Matthews. I see
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: him getting over 40 and Marchenko getting over 30. And
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: to me, also what it brings to Matthew Nye is–
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: You know, Matthew Nye's a big body. They kind of
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: have an identity going in Columbus. A lot of big wingers,
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: power forwards. I think this adds to it. They're a
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: little bit lighter down the middle and a little bit more,
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: you know, finesse-y. So I think it's good for both,
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: you know. And, again, you just don't want somebody to
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: be there that doesn't want to be there. Rick Bonas
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: came out and said it in his interview. It was like,
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: you know, we get a big winger. I think Matthew Nise,
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: if he really wants to be a solid top-five power
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: forward in the NHL, winger, he can be. Hopefully Bones
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: can unlock that, but he's younger, so you get a
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: little bit more runway. But answers needs for both teams,
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: and to me, I'm like, this is one of those
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: trades where it's like, hey, good job, both teams.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: Marchenko, 81 goals he's scored the last three seasons. His
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: first game, he scores against the Habs. And Nate, afterwards,
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: he was talking to our friend Jody Schell, and he goes, well,
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: I don't think I played that well. He's like, what
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: do you mean? You scored a goal. You don't even
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: know the system. You're just going out there planting four
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: shots on goal. Bunch of chances. We'll figure it out.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: So Marchenko is a high bar for himself. Would you
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: agree with JD this is a trade that helps both teams?
• 6:37
  Speaker 4: I do. I think it's that classic saying of hockey trade, right?
• 6:40
  Speaker 4: Both teams benefit from it. I think in probably the
• 6:44
  Speaker 4: short term, it's more beneficial to Toronto because of, you know,
• 6:48
  Speaker 4: we don't know the contract situation of Austin Matthews moving forward.
• 6:51
  Speaker 4: So there's that part of it. They get to play
• 6:53
  Speaker 4: together and maybe it keeps them there longer. And then
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: Matthew Nyes, I think it's like JD said. He said it.
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: I mean, he has a long runway. Um, I think
• 7:01
  Speaker 4: just his overall game probably fits in better with Columbus.
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: And then the same thing with Marchenko. I mean, this
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: guy flies, he is so fast, um, can shoot the
• 7:11
  Speaker 4: puck obviously off the rush, rush chances. He's, he's one
• 7:13
  Speaker 4: of the best. So, uh, I think this is a
• 7:15
  Speaker 4: great trade for both and we'll see what happens. I mean, Marchenko,
• 7:19
  Speaker 4: I agree with JD. I think he could be a 40,
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: 50 goal guy. I do. I think if he has
• 7:25
  Speaker 4: the right guy to facilitate where maybe awesome Matthews is
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: more of a facilitator this year. He's more of a disher.
• 7:30
  Speaker 4: Maybe he changes his game a little bit because he's
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: playing with a guy like Marchenko. So it's a good
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: trade for both teams.
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: Who at Amazon said that Marchenko scored in his first game?
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: Oh, sorry. They said he made an impact in his
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: first game against the Habs.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Okay, I was going to say scoring a goal. You Amazon,
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: with all your stats, you guys, hey, you Jody Shelley,
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: superstar crew, hey?
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: Jody said, listen, he was with them in Columbus for
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: a few years.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: He didn't assist.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: He talked to He talked to Marchenko after Marchenko said
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: he didn't think he played very well. And he said
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: you had an assist, four shots on goal, eight quality opportunities,
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: and you don't even know the system. And he was like,
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: I wasn't very good.
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: I can be better out there. I think they need
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: to put, because we've clearly seen the line that's struggling
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: in Toronto, which is the McKenna line. They are atrocious
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: five on five. I think McKenna's got to go with
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: Matthews and Marchenko. As much as that Roslevic's been good
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: on that line, I think you've got to give McKenna
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: a good shot. Because honestly, Easton Cowan's been good.
• 8:22
  Speaker 4: So good.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: Unbelievable.
• 8:24
  Speaker 4: We in time.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: Big fan. Last week, we just talked about the fact
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: that J.D. was out on the Blue Jackets. And now,
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: maybe Demers is back in. Adam Fantilli was unsigned. He
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: signs a six-year, $ 82. 5 million contract. Annual average value, 13.75.
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: 21 years of age. Career at 59 points last year.
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: Now you got Nyes. You got Fantilli, J.D. Also announced
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: as the one of a captain this season. Fantilli missed
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: training camp. Didn't play any of the preseason. Saw the
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: same thing with Mason McTavish last year. He missed camp,
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: then struggled before he got traded to St.
• 8:54
  Speaker 4: Louis.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: You've been there. So has Nate. Is this an overrated,
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: underrated thing, missing training camp and then trying to hit
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: the ground running?
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: I mean, if you've seen anything from this fucking shortened preseason,
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: the fact that everybody stinks to start the year. So
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: it's like, I think you'll be fine because everybody's kind
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: of a little bit rusty in that first game or so.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: I think you'll be good. Um, Like I said, I
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: don't mind this team. You know, I don't. I think Monaghan,
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: I think there are some holes, but I think Nyes
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: will address some needs for them, and it'll make them
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: a little grittier, and they're going to have more of
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: an identity that Bonus wants.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: Will you switch your pick then to say the Blue
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: Jackets will make the playoffs? Last week you were very straightforward.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: Well, I wanted to be off them, but I can't.
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: I made my pick.
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: You're back in.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: I made my bet. I made my bet. I got
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: to stay off. Columbus makes it. I mean, you look
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: at the Metro, like I know Pittsburgh won seven, nothing,
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: but I think Philly is so incredibly bad. And I
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: think Pittsburgh, they played well, but it's the Amuse-Bouche starting.
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: You know, he has them dialed in. I think they
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: can't hold that all year. So, to me, I'm like,
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: I don't know, the door might be open for Columbus
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: because I don't, the Islanders didn't look fantastic. They look good.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: I mean, Schaefer looks good, but they're not deep enough. And, again,
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: it's another year of Sorokin, Shutting the door and no
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: run support. Just never.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: No, no bars out last night. And Bo Horvath, the
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: new captain, it's a struggle to score some points. Certainly
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: Heinemann did get a goal for that. Boy, I did
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: pick up my DraftKings pick.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: Humble Bragg.
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: You did?
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: I did. I was so pumped.
• 10:38
  Speaker 4: He's a good pick. I like him.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: Progs made his pick on Schaefer. Blake Bolden picked Matthews.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: I go, Heinemann scores tonight. They go, there you go.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: He scored three goals against the Leafs last year, plus 450.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: Heidemann scores. I'm like, yes.
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Classic you two analysts, eh? You two superstar analysts.
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: Oh, yeah.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: Schaefer and Matthews.
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: I'm like, way to go, L.A. Thanks for going, Chuck.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: Let's talk about Faberow.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: You threw me off.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: The Wilder team. I just think he didn't hear me.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: The Wilder team were keeping a close eye on the
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: season for a few reasons. Defenseman Brock Faberow indefinitely suffering
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: a fractured skull. Think about that. Fractured skull in a
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: preseason game against the Dallas Friday night. Hit in the
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: head by a puck. Actually stayed in the game before
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: heading to the hospital. It's why you hockey players are
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: the toughest people in the world. What does this do, though,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: for Minnesota? They're looking to build off last season's success.
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: They're hoping to sign Quinn Hughes to an extension and
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: Faber's out with a bad skull.
• 11:31
  Speaker 4: I mean, first and foremost, like, I know this happened, but, like,
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: kind of a serious injury. You just hope he's okay because,
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: I mean, fractured. When you hear fractured skull, you're like,
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: what the? You know, like, that's serious, right?
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: So.
• 11:42
  Speaker 4: So let's just hope he's okay first off. And then
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: it's a big loss. I mean, behind Ice Time and
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: Quinn Hughes, it's Brock Faber. And those guys sometimes play together.
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: So this is a big loss for them just because
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: he does so much for that team. And he's a
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: bona fide superstar in this league, I think. And I
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: don't know. It looks bleak for the while just because
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: you lose him and then you don't have the center
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: depth they have. And I don't know. And then they're
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: in a gauntlet of a division, too. So this one's tough.
• 12:15
  Speaker 4: I mean, the Wild, I will say, will be a
• 12:19
  Speaker 4: hard game to play against always. They're always going to
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: be tough to play against. And I think they're a
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: scrappy team that finds ways to win, and they got
• 12:27
  Speaker 4: good goaltending. So this is tough, though. This is real tough, JD.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I have them not making it. I'm going to
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: stick with it unless they make a trade for a
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: Larkin or something like that. I always thought their D-Corps,
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: albeit when they were fully healthy, was one of the
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: better decors in the league. But they're, and this was
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: an accident to Faber, but they have always seemed like
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: they have a top four D-man out. So I just
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: think it's going to hurt him more and more. Spurgeon's
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: a year older. Brodine has a hard time staying healthy.
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: He's kind of caught the injury bug. And then you
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: look up front, you got Blake Coleman on your first
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: line left winger. Like, I love Blake, veteran guy. I mean,
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: if he's on your, if he's your, if he's playing
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: alongside Eric Sinek and Boldy, you don't have much depth
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: on the left side. So I'm just a little worried.
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: I think they've got a lot of question marks to answer.
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: What are they going to do with Quinn? Can they
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: get that done? And if they don't and they start
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: off slow or slow out of the gate, kind of
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: outside looking in, does he move Quinn and bring in
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: a haul? But, yeah, I don't have him making it
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: this year, unfortunately. So I'll probably be wrong, but it
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: is what it is.
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: Just focus on the ones you get right, JD. That's
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: all that matters.
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: Which I get them all right. Anaheim last year. You
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: haven't missed it. Did you see that contract?
• 13:42
  Speaker 4: I love it. Oh, yeah, I saw it.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: Did you see that Tristan Leno contract?
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: Yep, yep. 14 games.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: Dude, the young– Adnan.
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: I haven't seen it.
• 13:51
  Speaker 4: Yeah, go ahead.
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: Adnan, this is about the same as Anson Carter's re-signing. Egregious. No,
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: I'm just kidding. I like it.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Ace just got ace catching strays right now unbelievable.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: No it's good it's good uh no i like ace
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: um i like ace it's ace here uh but no
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: leno 14 games played he got what seven years 43
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: million nate.
• 14:15
  Speaker 4: Yeah oh my god i was just talking to tal
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: about it before yeah and he's only played 14 games
• 14:20
  Speaker 4: but i mean they are really high on him he's
• 14:21
  Speaker 4: gonna be he's playing with jackson lacombe so they're getting
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: ahead of it like most teams.
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: Burbeak's got PTSD right now.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Six years, $ 43. 2 million. You are just banking on potential
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: and hoping that things will work out after just 14
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: games played. That is a true small sample size. By
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: the way, our special guest today, I didn't mention Mikhail Sergachev.
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: You guys said he was fantastic. Can't wait for that, right, Shady?
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah, he was awesome. He was really good. Yeah, we
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: liked him. Some good questions by Tal. Hopefully his question
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: made it.
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: He's editing it, so keep it in. Edward Scissorhands over here.
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: Western Conference Preview. Central Division. Avs lost Nachuskin, Jack Drury,
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: Ross Colton, and their general manager, Chris McFarlane. They gained
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: Jaden Schwartz, Vinny Henestrosa, Zachary Leroux, Noah Jolson. They're obviously
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: going to make the playoffs.
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: Nate, go ahead.
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: They're in. They're in. I mean, if you guys watched
• 15:26
  Speaker 4: last night's game, holy moly, they were buzzing, flying. Nate McKinnon,
• 15:32
  Speaker 4: Muay Thai fighting. I mean, it was.
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: He hit the pits off of Grant Clark.
• 15:37
  Speaker 4: I mean, I love the kid, but he bit off
• 15:42
  Speaker 4: more than he can chew there. That's all I'll say. But,
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: I mean, the Colorado Avalanche, I think with... All of,
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: you know, Nate McKinnon, Cale McCarr, all that. But it's
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: the other guys too. Like Brock Nelson was great last night. Kadri.
• 15:58
  Speaker 4: These guys have to be good too. I think Jaden Schwartz,
• 16:01
  Speaker 4: he's a great addition as well. But, I mean, Cale
• 16:05
  Speaker 4: McCarr last night, J.D., like watching him again. He was drunk.
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: It was awesome.
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: He's so good. Like, I mean, their decor is solid.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: You know, them, it's always going to be health. I
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: just think they're going to motor. I mean, they also
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: own LA, so I'm not, I'm taking it with a
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: grain of salt. Cause you know, their power play, they finally,
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: if they can figure out their power play, which looked
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: like they did last night, cause their power play was what?
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: 27th last year. And if they can, if they can
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: get it to middle of the pack, they're going to
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: blow the doors off every team. Cause how good they
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: are five on five, but LA was just absolutely atrocious defensively. Uh,
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: and I chalked that up to game one, but you know,
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: four for five, they did give up two shorthanded goals,
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: but that's, that's living life on the, in the fast
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: lane with the Colorado avalanche. But yeah, I mean, kale
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: looks incredible. Brett Kulak looked great last night. TJ Hughes,
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: they got, you know, they're really banking on Hughes and
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: Fedor Svechkov to come in and kind of fill that role.
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: I thought Svechkov looked good last night. Hughes struggled a
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: little bit. He played hard and he made some good plays,
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: but he, you know, dash three, I think he kind of,
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: He kind of aided a little bit, and unfortunately two
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: of those were, I think one or two were on
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: the power play. But, you know, he looks like a
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: smart kid. They're touting him highly. They love him there.
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: I think he's going to get comfortable. But, yeah, this team,
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: this team just so good, man. Just so well coached, too.
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: So I expect them to win the division. You know,
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: I think a lot of people have them to win
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: the cup.
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: Bednar gets a contract expansion. And, by the way, Colorado
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: lost just twice in regulation in the first 40 games
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: last season. It's just incredible to think about just how
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: strong that year was a year ago. Will it continue
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: this season? We'll find out. Next up, let's talk about
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: the Dallas Stars. So three consecutive losses in the Western
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: Conference Final. They were disappointed even more last year, losing
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: in round one to Minnesota. Said Jim Neal, our team
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: got humbled a little bit. Not sure if they're going
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: to sign Jason Robertson to a long-term deal. They lost
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: Maverick Bork, Labushkin. They gained Kimmy Ronta. They're going to
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: make the playoffs, J.D. Jamie Benn signed a one-year deal
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: to return. 37 years of age, he's 8 points shy
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: of 1,000 in his career. It'll make him the second
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: player in club history to hit that mark, joining Mike Madonna.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: But where do you have the stars? I know they're
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: making the playoffs, but how good are they?
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I have them making it. I think it's going
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: to be standard for them. It's going to be interesting
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: because the two guys that I'm looking at is how
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: long they can stay healthy is Rupe Hintz. I think
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: Hintz needs to have a big year. you know, we're
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: all talking about Robertson. And I'm like, we're playing ends
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: kind of last couple of years is, is it's some
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: good moments, but it's been tough to stay healthy. Saggy's
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: the other one, Tyler second, they need him healthy. I
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: think they just put Dushane on IR. So, you know,
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: they're bringing up a few guys. So it's, it's going
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: to be interesting to see. I think they're, you know,
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: well coached. They got a good culture there. I think
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: they're going to do just fine. Especially they got Jake
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: Ottinger back there. They're going to, they're going to make
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: the playoffs in the central, but listen, A lot of
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: teams in the Central got better that weren't, you know,
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: I think Nashville is going to be sneaky. I think Utah,
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: I think, you know, many will be, St. Louis will
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: be good. So it's going to be a battle, I think,
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: for Dallas. And I think I wouldn't be surprised if
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: they struggle a little bit early in the season. But
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: I think, listen, I think they're in. And a playoffs
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: without Dallas is ridiculous. They'll make it.
• 19:30
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I have them in too. I think another guy
• 19:32
  Speaker 4: that I'd like to see more from this year is
• 19:34
  Speaker 4: Thomas Harley. You know, I think he had a bit
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: of a down year last season and I think he
• 19:38
  Speaker 4: needs to bounce back. Cause if, you know, if he,
• 19:40
  Speaker 4: if he gets back to where he was a couple
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: of years ago, um, that's going to help them immensely. Uh, and, and,
• 19:46
  Speaker 4: and their backend is big too, like really big and mobile. Um,
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: so I think that's a big key for them and
• 19:52
  Speaker 4: I have them finishing in the top three for sure.
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: I think they're going to be in that top three
• 19:55
  Speaker 4: in the Central Division. They're going to get in, but
• 19:57
  Speaker 4: it's always the same kind of question from them. Can
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: they get over the hump? Can they get to the
• 20:03
  Speaker 4: Stanley Cup Finals? We'll see.
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: And Nate, speaking of getting over the hump, Minnesota Wild
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: won their first playoff series since 2015 by beating the
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: Dallas Stars in round one. Then there were no matches.
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: The Avs just skated past them in round two. Everyone
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: knows they're still waiting on a Quinn Hughes potential extension.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: But how much will Minnesota miss Matt Zuccarello? It'll be
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: strange to see Kaprizov scoring a goal without Zuc. Zuc
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: assisted on 40% of his goals since Kaprizov has been
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: in the league. Said Kirill Kaprizov, he's helped me so
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: much all these years. Zuc later signed with L.A. Again,
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: Minnesota makes the playoffs, but a bit different now than
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Zuccarello and Tarasenko.
• 20:37
  Speaker 4: Yeah, he's kind of a big loss, I think. And
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: I say that because he was kind of like the
• 20:41
  Speaker 4: glue guy there in a way. It seemed like he
• 20:45
  Speaker 4: was a big part of Kaprizov's production. And I wonder
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: off the ice, too. He seemed like a guy off
• 20:51
  Speaker 4: the ice that's important in the room, too. So that's
• 20:53
  Speaker 4: going to be a big loss. But I have them
• 20:55
  Speaker 4: getting in in a wild card spot. I just think
• 20:58
  Speaker 4: that they're... Yeah, I do. I have them getting in
• 21:00
  Speaker 4: a wild card spot. I think they're scrappy enough to...
• 21:02
  Speaker 4: They all rushed in line? I think they're scrapping up
• 21:05
  Speaker 4: to find a way, and I have full faith in
• 21:08
  Speaker 4: Billy G. I think he's going to pull something out
• 21:10
  Speaker 4: of his hat to make this team better and get
• 21:12
  Speaker 4: him in and get him over the hump. So I
• 21:14
  Speaker 4: think with their goaltending, their D, obviously, we just talked
• 21:18
  Speaker 4: about it with Hughes and Faber, but I have them
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: getting in. I think Kaprizov is still good enough to
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: drive the play without Zuccarello and obviously Boldy too. I mean,
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: this guy, he's one of the best wingers in the league.
• 21:30
  Speaker 4: He's a stud. So I have them getting in, wild card.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: All right, Utah Mammoth is a team that J.D. says
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: he likes a little bit. They lost Peturka, Sean Dursey.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: They do pick up Andrews Lee and Vinny Trocek. They
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: have a lot of quality youth in key spots here.
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: Tizia Ginlow, of course, and perhaps Cooley and Gunther. They've
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: got great chemistry, and they're going to become that next group.
• 21:50
  Speaker 4: Cooley, J.D.
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: Scored 24 goals, 54 games the regular season. Gunther had
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: 40 goals last year. Utah, in or out?
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: Utah makes it. They're sneaky dark horse. Make a run.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: I think they do. I think they make a run,
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: and I wouldn't be surprised if they challenged Colorado for
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: the top spot. There you go. There's your hot take.
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: That is a hot take.
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: There's a couple guys when we talk to Sergei Chevy
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: mentions that I've had my eye on that I watched
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: at camp when they played the Sharks in their inter-squad game.
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: Dmitry Shemeshev, sneaky on the back end. I think he's
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: really going to help them. I think he's playing with Peek.
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: And then Daniel Boot. Daniel Boot. Daniil Boot is an
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: interesting young guy coming in. but the one thing Troach
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: and Andrews Lee is going to do is they're going
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: to go to the hard areas. They're going to win
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: those 50-50 puck battles, go to the net. They're going
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: to make it mucky, and I think all that outside
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: perimeter skill that they have, they needed a couple guys
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: like that, and I could see Andrews Lee having a
• 22:50
  Speaker 2: big year this year. You know, he was playing with
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: Kooling Gunther. I could see that fucker putting up some
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: big-time Boku points. Nate Dogg, what do you think? Nate Dogg.
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: I'm with you, man. I said the other day, I
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: think they're a team that definitely could win this division.
• 23:08
  Speaker 4: They could. They're that deep. They're that good. Yeah, I
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: think they get in. And you said it. I mean,
• 23:15
  Speaker 4: you said it all. Their depth and what they added.
• 23:17
  Speaker 4: And on top of that, their D, their goaltending. I
• 23:20
  Speaker 4: think that Kosa probably plays a good amount of games
• 23:22
  Speaker 4: this year as well. I think that helps. But Malka, too,
• 23:25
  Speaker 4: in the long run. Yeah, I have them finishing. Did
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: they get Hellebuyck? You never know. Ryan Smith's not afraid.
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: Hellebuyck's going to go to the Sabres.
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: I heard a little birdie. Next, we're going to talk
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: about making a push for Helle.
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: Well, speaking of making a change in net, how about
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: the St. Louis Blues? Maybe a change in the guard net.
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: Biddington saw his workload decrease significantly last year. 41 games,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: 15 less than the previous year. Joel Hofer played in
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: a career of 46 games overall. Dylan Holloway with Robert
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: Thomas and Jimmy Stuggerud. New number one line after the
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: Olympic break.
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: They were better.
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: They've got top-end talent, Nate. 12 regulars are first-round picks.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: Can the Blues make the playoffs, in or out?
• 24:05
  Speaker 4: I got them in. Wild card.
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: Wow. You're running out of teams in the division.
• 24:11
  Speaker 4: Wild card, wild card. I think they get in. I
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: know that their lineup is very young. It is, but
• 24:19
  Speaker 4: it's extremely talented. You look at their lineup, and it's
• 24:22
  Speaker 4: like everyone can play. And I think that... Another year,
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: they're all together. These guys are a little bit older.
• 24:29
  Speaker 4: I think Joel Hofer is a good goalie, too. I
• 24:31
  Speaker 4: really do. I think he's going to be the guy.
• 24:34
  Speaker 4: And I don't know. Who knows what Alex Steen's got
• 24:36
  Speaker 4: up his sleeve, if they're doing well at the deadline.
• 24:39
  Speaker 4: I don't know. I think this team gets in at
• 24:41
  Speaker 4: a wild card, and Jim Montgomery gets it done, gets
• 24:43
  Speaker 4: them back to the playoffs.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: All right. J.D., we go Nashville Predators, new sheriff in town,
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: Barry Trotz sailing into retirement.
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: I don't get to talk about St.
• 24:50
  Speaker 3: Louis?
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: No, Tal messaged me, because we've got to keep these
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: going a little more.
• 24:53
  Speaker 4: Go ahead.
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: I'll give you 30 seconds on St.
• 24:54
  Speaker 4: Louis. Go ahead.
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: Young up front, old on the back end. I think
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: they're in. I think they'd replace Minnesota.
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: Okay, very good.
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: Relax, Dom, over there. Only five episodes left.
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: Relax.
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: I think I'm wrong with you over there.
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: Evangelista is out. Zach Leroux is out. Maverick Bork is
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: in for the Nashville Predators. Jack Drury, Alex Kerfoot, and
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: as I mentioned, Barry Trott sailing into retirement. J.D., do
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: you have the Predators in? Now, Andrew Burnett, still coaching away.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: Chris McBurl, another GM. Nashville makes it. They're in. They
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: are the surprise of the season. I think they have
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: something to prove. I love what they have. I love
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: what they did. Everybody thinks, I mean, listen, Drury has
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: a big year. Maverick Bork's going to have a big year.
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: A lot of young guys that were maybe undervalued in
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: their respective teams getting a shot. Matthew Wood, incredible.
• 25:50
  Speaker 4: Hoaglander.
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: They're going to be a different team, and I think
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: I really like what I see from them. And if
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: UC Saros can just give me something for a year,
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: sustained goaltending, they're in. They make it.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: All right, next up we're going to the Winnipeg Jets,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: and again, there's lots of... He doesn't get his 10 seconds?
• 26:09
  Speaker 4: I have him out. I have him out. I don't
• 26:12
  Speaker 4: think they get in. I think it's contingent on how
• 26:14
  Speaker 4: consistent they're going to be. They're not going to do it.
• 26:16
  Speaker 4: They're going to be an injury away, and Chris McFarlane's
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: going to blow it up. He's going to blow it
• 26:20
  Speaker 4: up when he sees they're going to go like this.
• 26:22
  Speaker 4: They're going to go downhill. We'll see.
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: McFarlane, I trust. Continue.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: Winnipeg Jets. Amazon Prime will be there next week. Listen,
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: you've got to sell the game, JD. I'm going to
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: be there. Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets are going to try
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: to sell this game for all the people there. Stuart
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: Skinner is now there. Your boy Mario Ferraro now on defense.
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Jonathan Tave is no longer there. And, of course, you
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: know the Conor Hellebuck drama. Winnipeg Jets. Nate, in or out?
• 26:46
  Speaker 5: Out.
• 26:49
  Speaker 4: What else do you want me to say?
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: Does Hellebuck play for the Jets this season?
• 26:52
  Speaker 4: Absolutely not. He's played his last game as a Jet.
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: He's never going back.
• 26:55
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: And I just think there's too many departures, him being gone.
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: I just don't see them getting in with the rest
• 27:01
  Speaker 4: of the division being as good as it is.
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: I just think it's amazing if he turned turtle. I
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: agree with Nate, but J.D.
• 27:05
  Speaker 4: Would be amazing.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: He's like, I'm holding out, I'm holding out. And Shevelyan's like,
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: I'm not trading. He's like, all right, fine, I'll come back.
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: Go ahead, J.D. Vigo Bjork wins the hot take, wins
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: the call there.
• 27:15
  Speaker 5: Oh, wow.
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: Vigo Bjork, yes.
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: Stuart Skinner.
• 27:19
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: Redemption? Yes.
• 27:20
  Speaker 3: Jets in.
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: And they potentially make it?
• 27:23
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: No, because I'm running out of teams if I say
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: they're in. I have to say they missed, but I
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: think they missed just barely.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: Oh, that would be incredible. That would be incredible to
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: go Jets are in.
• 27:32
  Speaker 2: I'm like, yes, Demers. Jets are in.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: That would have been amazing.
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: I'm like, wow, J.D.
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: Said Senators in? He's going Jets in. People in Canada
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: love him. There's going to be an Amazon Prime. Last
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: one's the Chicago Blackhawks. Okay, we all know the Blackhawks
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: are not going to make it. Mikhaev is obviously in.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: Patrick Kane is no longer there. Bo Byram, they did gain.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: This is nice news. Blackhawks, they're not going to make
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: the playoffs. Nate, but a better team?
• 27:53
  Speaker 4: Yeah, they're going to be better. I think they'll compete.
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: They may be a little bit harder to play against,
• 27:57
  Speaker 4: but still not going to get in. I mean, I
• 27:59
  Speaker 4: love that Patrick Kane's back. He scored a nice goal
• 28:02
  Speaker 4: the other night. Roman Kanceroff, these guys that are coming in.
• 28:07
  Speaker 4: Bowen Byram is going to get a big pay raise,
• 28:11
  Speaker 4: and he's going to be a big part of that team.
• 28:13
  Speaker 4: They're not in.
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, step forward, but no shot. A lot of young guys,
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: a lot of young talent. They'll struggle, but I think
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: Cancer Ops, he's a big player. I like him. Young kid, Frondell. Listen,
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: there's some things to like, but not there yet.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: All right, time for a quick comment here on NHL Inscript.
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: When we come back, the boys talk to Mikhail Sergachev.
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: Fantastic interview. You're going to love him. It's coming up
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: after this. We'll be right back.
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: Our next guest was drafted in the first round in
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: the 2016 NHL draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He opened
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: the season with 369 points in 630 career games with
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: the Lightning and Mammoth. He's a key piece on a
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: Utah team we'll be watching all season long. My man,
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: this is my sneaky central pick. but also one of
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: my favorite D-men in the NHL. Welcome two-time Stanley Cup
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: winner Mikhail Sergachev. What's up, buddy?
• 29:17
  Speaker 3: Hey, guys. Thanks for having me.
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: Just getting right in it, you know, talk about the offseason,
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: the excitement coming into this year, and we talked a
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: little bit off-camera just about the improvements to the Delta
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: Center for you guys.
• 29:32
  Speaker 5: Yeah, that was definitely great. We saw the pictures of
• 29:37
  Speaker 5: Delta two weeks before the camp started. And it didn't
• 29:40
  Speaker 5: look ready at all. And we were kind of panicking,
• 29:43
  Speaker 5: but then... our owner, he walked in and said, you know,
• 29:48
  Speaker 5: it's going to be ready, don't worry about it. And
• 29:50
  Speaker 5: we played a preseason game against Colorado a couple days ago,
• 29:53
  Speaker 5: and it was awesome.
• 29:54
  Speaker 3: You know, it was a packed stadium.
• 29:56
  Speaker 5: Everything looks smooth and feels like fans are on top
• 29:59
  Speaker 5: of you, so it's a pretty good job by them.
• 30:03
  Speaker 4: I still haven't been out there since all the improvements
• 30:05
  Speaker 4: in Utah. The place looks unbelievable. I've got to get
• 30:08
  Speaker 4: out there this season. Sergey, I want to go back
• 30:11
  Speaker 4: a little bit, back to your junior days. You arrive
• 30:15
  Speaker 4: in Canada from Russia to a Windsor Spitfire team that
• 30:19
  Speaker 4: has a lot of history, including other players in the
• 30:23
  Speaker 4: NHL now, Chatfield, Logan Stanley. How dominant was it playing
• 30:28
  Speaker 4: for that team and being in Windsor?
• 30:31
  Speaker 5: Well, my first year, I obviously for half of the
• 30:35
  Speaker 5: year didn't speak English, so I couldn't understand what the
• 30:37
  Speaker 5: coach wanted from me.
• 30:39
  Speaker 3: And that was kind of hard.
• 30:41
  Speaker 5: But I think the guys did a good job with me. Like,
• 30:43
  Speaker 5: you know, they didn't make fun of me and stuff
• 30:45
  Speaker 5: like that. But Rocky Thompson was our coach.
• 30:50
  Speaker 2: I was going to say Rocky. How did Rocky communicate
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: with you?
• 30:53
  Speaker 5: So two months in the season, they made me do
• 30:56
  Speaker 5: an interview after the game.
• 30:58
  Speaker 3: And I was just saying, we're good. Good job.
• 31:00
  Speaker 4: Like, you know, like.
• 31:02
  Speaker 5: Neil Yakupov did the interview, the funny one, where he said,
• 31:08
  Speaker 5: we beat Canada, we're best, stuff like that. So I
• 31:11
  Speaker 5: was saying the same thing. I couldn't understand what I
• 31:14
  Speaker 5: was saying. And Rocky put that in the locker room
• 31:18
  Speaker 5: for everybody to see. And I was like, I got upset.
• 31:22
  Speaker 5: I was like, why would you do that to me?
• 31:24
  Speaker 5: But now looking back at it, it's pretty funny. I
• 31:26
  Speaker 5: have that interview.
• 31:27
  Speaker 3: I think it's on YouTube. I look stupid there, but
• 31:31
  Speaker 3: good job by Rocky.
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: I mean, your English is impeccable, man. And I know
• 31:35
  Speaker 2: a lot of guys that, I mean, you look at like,
• 31:37
  Speaker 2: you know, you look at Ovi and Gino and they
• 31:40
  Speaker 2: can barely speak English still. They've been in the league
• 31:42
  Speaker 2: for 25 years. So kudos to you. But you also
• 31:45
  Speaker 2: had one of my former teammates was your leading scorer.
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: And he probably taught you English, Christian Fisher. I mean,
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: if anybody listeners at home, I mean, he's a character
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: in itself. I mean, how is it playing with a
• 31:57
  Speaker 2: guy like him? Um, and then, you know, also you
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: guys had some ties cause he's with Phoenix with the
• 32:05
  Speaker 2: coyotes and you had a short stint there as well.
• 32:08
  Speaker 2: So talk a little bit about it.
• 32:10
  Speaker 5: Well, uh, fish was amazing. Obviously he came from a
• 32:13
  Speaker 5: national development program. I want to say, I think he
• 32:16
  Speaker 5: played one year for them, came over and, uh, he
• 32:20
  Speaker 5: was a net front guy for us on a power
• 32:21
  Speaker 5: play and our power play was really hot. And, uh,
• 32:24
  Speaker 5: whenever I would shoot the puck, it always felt like
• 32:26
  Speaker 5: he would score with the shin pads. And, uh, he
• 32:29
  Speaker 5: had 40 goals that year, I think, and probably 25
• 32:32
  Speaker 5: of them off of shin pads. And, uh, he tipped
• 32:35
  Speaker 5: it in with his shins.
• 32:36
  Speaker 2: He probably told, he probably told people he sniped top shelf.
• 32:40
  Speaker 3: Oh, a hundred percent. A hundred percent.
• 32:42
  Speaker 5: All of them are, you know, snipe shows, but he,
• 32:44
  Speaker 5: he's such a great guy. You know, he was always
• 32:46
  Speaker 5: there for his teammates and, uh, I loved, I loved
• 32:49
  Speaker 5: having him. And, uh, you know, he's been around, like
• 32:52
  Speaker 5: played a lot of, a lot for national team and, uh,
• 32:56
  Speaker 5: he did well for us and I enjoyed being and
• 32:59
  Speaker 5: playing with him.
• 33:01
  Speaker 4: So you get to the NHL and you join both
• 33:06
  Speaker 4: of our former teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, and you join
• 33:08
  Speaker 4: a team with guys like Killorn, Kucherov, Point, Stamkos, Vassie,
• 33:13
  Speaker 4: all these guys that future Hall of Famers and you
• 33:18
  Speaker 4: get there. When did you realize this team was special
• 33:22
  Speaker 4: and who had the biggest impact on you out of
• 33:25
  Speaker 4: those guys?
• 33:27
  Speaker 3: Well, Kooch met me, I.
• 33:29
  Speaker 5: Think, at the airport and picked me up in his SLS,
• 33:34
  Speaker 5: I think, or SLR, some cool Mercedes car.
• 33:37
  Speaker 3: I was 19 years old. I'm like, this is sick.
• 33:40
  Speaker 3: This is the NHL.
• 33:43
  Speaker 5: We went for dinner, I think. We talked about it
• 33:45
  Speaker 5: a little bit. Honestly, when I got traded from Montreal
• 33:49
  Speaker 5: to Tampa, I didn't know what to expect. I knew
• 33:52
  Speaker 5: nothing about Tampa except for Kooch and Vassie and Stammer, maybe.
• 33:57
  Speaker 5: But then coming over, obviously seeing how nice the city
• 34:01
  Speaker 5: is and how great the team is. You jump out
• 34:05
  Speaker 5: there for drills and it's game on. Everybody's 100% focused.
• 34:11
  Speaker 5: They're unbelievable players making plays. I kind of felt stupid
• 34:15
  Speaker 5: for the first couple weeks. I couldn't figure out how
• 34:17
  Speaker 5: to defend against those guys. I think it took me
• 34:19
  Speaker 5: a couple years. But it was great, obviously. The coaching
• 34:24
  Speaker 5: staff was great and they they took it slow with me, and,
• 34:28
  Speaker 5: you know, they let me make mistakes, and, you know,
• 34:32
  Speaker 5: it was a, it was a learning process, but, but
• 34:35
  Speaker 5: it was good, so I enjoyed my time there.
• 34:38
  Speaker 2: Talk a little bit about it, about being on a
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: team with high expectations at such a young age, you know,
• 34:43
  Speaker 2: I came into the league with the Sharks, and my
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: first two years, we go to the conference final, I think,
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: your first year with Tampa, you guys, you know, you
• 34:50
  Speaker 2: had 17 playoff games, and you guys were always expected
• 34:53
  Speaker 2: to contend. How is that as a young guy? Do
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: you feel like that's almost more beneficial than being a
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: young guy, like a first-round draft pick like Conor Bedard
• 35:02
  Speaker 2: that goes to Chicago and you're on a non-winning team
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: for a long time? You get the ice time, but
• 35:08
  Speaker 2: you don't really get that experience, and I feel like
• 35:10
  Speaker 2: that's invaluable, getting those playoff runs early.
• 35:13
  Speaker 5: Well, I don't know what's better, but to me back then,
• 35:17
  Speaker 5: I wasn't even thinking about, like, I was thinking about
• 35:20
  Speaker 5: winning every game, but it wasn't in my head that
• 35:24
  Speaker 5: I didn't have expectations of winning the Cups every year.
• 35:27
  Speaker 5: I was there, I was young, kind of dumb sometimes.
• 35:31
  Speaker 5: I was just learning how to survive and how to
• 35:34
  Speaker 5: play in the NHL. So for me it was beneficial
• 35:38
  Speaker 5: because I got to the league, I didn't really play
• 35:40
  Speaker 5: defense much. So they used my good sides, they played
• 35:44
  Speaker 5: me on offense. I think my first year I only
• 35:46
  Speaker 5: had two D-zone draws. and that's only because we iced
• 35:50
  Speaker 5: a puck or something. So, yeah, they didn't really use
• 35:54
  Speaker 5: me on D much. But then slowly, you know, my
• 35:58
  Speaker 5: first year I played 15 average ice time. Then next
• 36:01
  Speaker 5: year 17, then the third year was like 22 minutes. So, like,
• 36:04
  Speaker 5: they gradually brought me up.
• 36:06
  Speaker 3: And helped me out with the game. And, yeah, I
• 36:10
  Speaker 3: think they did a good job. So, I don't know.
• 36:12
  Speaker 5: Maybe for some players who are, like, already superstars and
• 36:17
  Speaker 5: they're ready to play, Maybe it is better to go
• 36:19
  Speaker 5: to a team that's not winning, but you get a
• 36:21
  Speaker 5: lot of ice time when you play.
• 36:23
  Speaker 3: But at the same time.
• 36:24
  Speaker 5: You want to go to a team that has a
• 36:27
  Speaker 5: history and culture of winning, and you learn from that.
• 36:31
  Speaker 3: That's what happened to me.
• 36:33
  Speaker 4: You talk about learning and winning and all those things,
• 36:37
  Speaker 4: and John Cooper is the head coach and has been
• 36:39
  Speaker 4: for a really long time, the longest tenured coach in
• 36:42
  Speaker 4: the NHL. What did you learn from Coop, and why
• 36:45
  Speaker 4: do you think he's been able to stay the head
• 36:47
  Speaker 4: coach for as long as he has?
• 36:48
  Speaker 5: I think because he adjusts his game his coaching game
• 36:54
  Speaker 5: and his coaching style you know every other year you
• 36:58
  Speaker 5: get new players and he knows how to bring him
• 37:00
  Speaker 5: in and make him feel comfortable and he knows how
• 37:03
  Speaker 5: to use his locker room and his leaders to make
• 37:06
  Speaker 5: sure everybody's comfortable and ready to go and I think
• 37:10
  Speaker 5: that's why he's always cool calm collected you know And
• 37:14
  Speaker 5: you as a player kind of never panic in the
• 37:17
  Speaker 5: locker room because, you know, your coaching staff, they're going
• 37:19
  Speaker 5: to be cool. And obviously when you mess up big,
• 37:24
  Speaker 5: that's when they're on you. But most of the time
• 37:26
  Speaker 5: they just let the players coach themselves.
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: Do you have any favorite John Cooper stories that off
• 37:33
  Speaker 2: the top of your head?
• 37:35
  Speaker 5: Well, one time, well, my first year we had seven defensemen.
• 37:41
  Speaker 5: We would always play 11 and 7. And I was
• 37:44
  Speaker 5: battling for a spot with Slater Cuckoo, former player, first-rounder
• 37:49
  Speaker 5: for Tampa. And so, you know, he would have a
• 37:54
  Speaker 5: good game, I would have a bad game, and the
• 37:56
  Speaker 5: other way around. And I was always anxious and stressed out.
• 38:00
  Speaker 5: Same thing for him, I think. So we're playing against Pittsburgh.
• 38:05
  Speaker 5: He scores, I think, a goal, gets an assist. You know,
• 38:07
  Speaker 5: I'm dash two.
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: I'm pissed.
• 38:10
  Speaker 3: So I.
• 38:12
  Speaker 5: Like, as we were walking off the ice, I turned
• 38:15
  Speaker 5: the showers on, changed, jumped in the shower right away,
• 38:18
  Speaker 5: and I'm gone.
• 38:19
  Speaker 3: Like, five minutes after the game. But we won the game.
• 38:22
  Speaker 5: You know what I mean?
• 38:23
  Speaker 3: So, like, everybody's happy. I'm pissed. Like, because I'm thinking
• 38:26
  Speaker 3: about myself. I'm young.
• 38:28
  Speaker 5: And Coop calls me after, like, an hour. I'm already
• 38:30
  Speaker 5: in the hotel playing, like, PlayStation or something. And he
• 38:34
  Speaker 5: calls me.
• 38:34
  Speaker 3: He's like, where are you?
• 38:36
  Speaker 4: I'm like, I'm home.
• 38:37
  Speaker 5: He's like, there's a workout. There's, you know, enjoying the wind.
• 38:42
  Speaker 5: And being with the guys, he's like, come back. So
• 38:46
  Speaker 5: he made me come back.
• 38:47
  Speaker 3: We stayed and talked in his.
• 38:50
  Speaker 5: Coaching office for, like, I think an hour, maybe an
• 38:53
  Speaker 5: hour and a half, just shooting and talking about it.
• 38:57
  Speaker 3: He explained to me, he opened up his.
• 38:59
  Speaker 5: Drawer where, like, the whole team is, and he's like,
• 39:02
  Speaker 5: I have to take care of this guy, this guy,
• 39:04
  Speaker 5: this guy. There's 24 guys, and I can't be, you know,
• 39:09
  Speaker 5: focused only on you. And you've got to understand where
• 39:11
  Speaker 5: you're We're in the winning business and he kind of
• 39:14
  Speaker 5: explained it to me, so I kind of settled down
• 39:15
  Speaker 5: after that. And that helped me, you know, the connection
• 39:18
  Speaker 5: with the coach. Because growing up in Russia, like, coach
• 39:21
  Speaker 5: was like an angry dad that.
• 39:24
  Speaker 3: You want to talk to.
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: I played in Kazan.
• 39:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah, so, like, here it's a different approach. And, like,
• 39:31
  Speaker 5: coaches are talking to you. They want to know your opinion, whatever.
• 39:34
  Speaker 5: kind of felt weird to me, you know, but then
• 39:36
  Speaker 5: you kind of get used to it. And Coop made
• 39:38
  Speaker 5: sure I was a part of the team and, you know,
• 39:41
  Speaker 5: I wasn't going away from the team because I wasn't
• 39:44
  Speaker 5: playing well.
• 39:45
  Speaker 3: So.
• 39:45
  Speaker 2: Dude, that's such a, that's such a valuable lesson, I
• 39:48
  Speaker 2: think for any young guy. And that's so powerful of
• 39:51
  Speaker 2: a coach. Like, like him, to do something like that.
• 39:53
  Speaker 2: I mean, you learned a lot of lessons in your
• 39:56
  Speaker 2: career already, and I still think you're young in your career,
• 39:58
  Speaker 2: but you kind of get to Utah as the team's
• 40:01
  Speaker 2: leaving Arizona. What was that first season like, the excitement,
• 40:05
  Speaker 2: spicy tuna, new fan base, new market, and then what's
• 40:09
  Speaker 2: been your first impression of Utah? Because it is a
• 40:12
  Speaker 2: different world. It's a different kind of city. It's a
• 40:14
  Speaker 2: different vibe.
• 40:16
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I got.
• 40:17
  Speaker 5: Traded to Utah on June 29th, On August 5th, I think,
• 40:25
  Speaker 5: I was already there. They asked me to come out
• 40:28
  Speaker 5: for a couple of days for.
• 40:30
  Speaker 3: A development camp.
• 40:31
  Speaker 5: So I got there, I was impressed just by the
• 40:35
  Speaker 5: views and everything, how beautiful it is and how clean
• 40:39
  Speaker 5: the streets are. I got to the rink, the rink
• 40:41
  Speaker 5: was amazing. Delta Center is one of the loudest rinks
• 40:45
  Speaker 5: in the NHL, I think. I was impressed and I
• 40:49
  Speaker 5: met the GM, the owner, everybody. everybody uh you know
• 40:54
  Speaker 5: greeted me and stuff so it was it was great
• 40:56
  Speaker 5: i picked out a house that i am in right
• 40:58
  Speaker 5: now and uh i was there for two days i
• 41:01
  Speaker 5: was here for two days and i left it was
• 41:04
  Speaker 5: it was great but the first season was kind of
• 41:06
  Speaker 5: hectic you know like we got you know a new
• 41:09
  Speaker 5: team a new fan base and uh i was new
• 41:14
  Speaker 5: but all of my d partners got hurt.
• 41:16
  Speaker 2: So they did yeah.
• 41:18
  Speaker 5: Everybody got hurt and i'm like i'm some games I'm
• 41:21
  Speaker 5: playing 33 minutes, and I'm like.
• 41:24
  Speaker 2: This is great, like, I love this, this is the best, yeah, I.
• 41:27
  Speaker 5: Want this, yeah, but then, like, you know, when you
• 41:29
  Speaker 5: play that much, you have to defend, and bad habits,
• 41:32
  Speaker 5: and stuff like that, so it's not, obviously not that great,
• 41:35
  Speaker 5: but I felt great, and, but obviously, like, we weren't
• 41:41
  Speaker 5: mentally at the right place back then, you know, still,
• 41:44
  Speaker 5: you're coming over from Arizona, a different situation, you're still
• 41:49
  Speaker 5: need time to adapt, and I think we adapted well.
• 41:52
  Speaker 5: And obviously last year we made the playoffs, made the push,
• 41:55
  Speaker 5: and this year I think we're going to take a
• 41:57
  Speaker 5: step in the right direction too. So that first year
• 42:00
  Speaker 5: was crucial, and meeting the fans too. You know, you
• 42:02
  Speaker 5: never know how you're going to be approached. Because I
• 42:05
  Speaker 5: wasn't on a plane with the guys when they came
• 42:07
  Speaker 5: over from AZ, and they got greeted at the Delta Center,
• 42:11
  Speaker 5: you know, so I didn't see that. But then you're
• 42:13
  Speaker 5: playing games, it's a sold-out rink, and you're like, this
• 42:15
  Speaker 5: is amazing, because you're You're a.
• 42:18
  Speaker 3: New team, but you get greeted like that. You appreciate
• 42:21
  Speaker 3: that a lot.
• 42:22
  Speaker 4: You mentioned the ownership, Sergey, and Ryan Smith has been
• 42:26
  Speaker 4: talked about as this up-and-coming owner that's basically just kind
• 42:31
  Speaker 4: of taking the league by storm and taking care of
• 42:34
  Speaker 4: you guys, too, at the same time. How much interaction
• 42:37
  Speaker 4: do you guys have with him, or how much is
• 42:38
  Speaker 4: he around the team? Because he seems like a guy
• 42:40
  Speaker 4: that's so passionate about Utah Mammoth and just wants you
• 42:43
  Speaker 4: guys to succeed, and he's willing to do whatever it
• 42:46
  Speaker 4: takes to do that.
• 42:48
  Speaker 5: Well, Ryan puts everything on the line. He does everything
• 42:51
  Speaker 5: for us. He built a practice facility, rebuilt the Delta Center.
• 42:57
  Speaker 5: Our first year, we didn't have a practice facility, so
• 43:00
  Speaker 5: he took the oval. It's called the Olympic Oval Skating Ring.
• 43:05
  Speaker 3: He built the locker.
• 43:07
  Speaker 5: Room in there and everything else that we needed to
• 43:11
  Speaker 5: be successful. And we obviously appreciate that. And he's around
• 43:15
  Speaker 5: a lot. Like, he's sometimes in the locker room, sitting down,
• 43:19
  Speaker 5: talking to guys.
• 43:20
  Speaker 3: Random guys, too.
• 43:21
  Speaker 5: Like, not always to Kels or, you know, Schmaltzy or,
• 43:24
  Speaker 5: you know, leaders on the team. He's talking to everybody.
• 43:28
  Speaker 5: Sometimes he's in the gym. And they're building, I think,
• 43:32
  Speaker 5: they're building an NBA practice facility right next door to us. So,
• 43:38
  Speaker 5: he's always talking to us about that and his plans
• 43:41
  Speaker 5: and how he wants to expand the sports in Utah,
• 43:44
  Speaker 5: how he wants to grow hockey in Utah.
• 43:46
  Speaker 3: So it's pretty unbelievable meeting a.
• 43:48
  Speaker 4: Guy like that.
• 43:50
  Speaker 2: I mean, he puts it on the line as an understatement.
• 43:53
  Speaker 2: I mean, he takes big swings. He allows Bill Armstrong
• 43:56
  Speaker 2: to take big swings. I mean, you guys bring in
• 43:58
  Speaker 2: this offseason, Anders Lee, Vincent Trocek. How have they fit
• 44:01
  Speaker 2: in so far on the team, and what do you
• 44:04
  Speaker 2: look forward to from these two guys this season?
• 44:08
  Speaker 5: I mean, those guys, I've played against them for, what,
• 44:10
  Speaker 5: 10 years now, I know them. I had some playoff
• 44:16
  Speaker 5: series against those guys, and I know what they are,
• 44:19
  Speaker 5: and I know what they're going to bring, and we
• 44:21
  Speaker 5: love that.
• 44:22
  Speaker 3: They're great leaders.
• 44:24
  Speaker 5: They're the kind of players that you can put on
• 44:26
  Speaker 5: any line, and they're going to succeed and make everybody
• 44:29
  Speaker 5: around them better. For me as a defenseman, it's great
• 44:33
  Speaker 5: because they go to the net, and sometimes last year
• 44:36
  Speaker 5: we would lack that. I feel like this year we're
• 44:39
  Speaker 5: not going to because those guys are going to be there.
• 44:41
  Speaker 5: They're going to battle and they're going to put everything
• 44:43
  Speaker 5: on the line and try to make our team better.
• 44:48
  Speaker 5: We've got Kosa, Peek, those guys too. They're amazing human
• 44:52
  Speaker 5: beings and amazing players.
• 44:55
  Speaker 4: Are there any other players that you're looking at, maybe
• 44:58
  Speaker 4: young guys, T.J.
• 44:58
  Speaker 3: Aginlau?
• 45:00
  Speaker 4: Caleb DeNorris, I'm butchering his last name always.
• 45:03
  Speaker 2: DeNoyer, get your French going.
• 45:05
  Speaker 4: DeNoyer, DeNoyer.
• 45:06
  Speaker 2: You guys speak two languages.
• 45:08
  Speaker 4: DeNoyer, DeNoyer.
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: Sergei probably speaks seven.
• 45:11
  Speaker 4: Probably.
• 45:11
  Speaker 2: DeNoyer, get it together.
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: Probably.
• 45:12
  Speaker 4: Anyways, these young guys that JD is talking about that
• 45:15
  Speaker 4: he just mentioned, is there anybody that really is jumping
• 45:17
  Speaker 4: out that you think is going to come out and
• 45:19
  Speaker 4: take the league by storm this year?
• 45:22
  Speaker 5: I really believe in Daniel Boult. You know, he's 6'7, huge,
• 45:28
  Speaker 5: can skate. He can do whatever. He can defend, too.
• 45:32
  Speaker 3: I like his game a lot.
• 45:34
  Speaker 5: Once he got to our team last year, I was
• 45:37
  Speaker 5: telling him, like, you're my favorite player.
• 45:38
  Speaker 3: Like, I like him that much. Like, he can do whatever.
• 45:41
  Speaker 5: Obviously, he needs to grow a little bit and improve
• 45:44
  Speaker 5: some areas. But I think once he does that, he's
• 45:47
  Speaker 5: going to be unstoppable because he's so big and so skilled. Like,
• 45:51
  Speaker 5: I've never seen a player like that. He's like Matt Rampey, but... with,
• 45:55
  Speaker 5: you know, Cooch's hands and like, you know, obviously not, not.
• 45:58
  Speaker 4: With Cooch's brain.
• 45:59
  Speaker 2: That's a great comparison.
• 46:04
  Speaker 3: Like, uh, but, uh, those guys, Teej and Caleb, obviously
• 46:09
  Speaker 3: great players.
• 46:10
  Speaker 5: They, they showed up to the camp and, uh, they
• 46:13
  Speaker 5: did what they could and, uh, obviously they got sent down,
• 46:16
  Speaker 5: but I think they have a bright future ahead of
• 46:18
  Speaker 5: them and they're, you know, very skilled. You know, everybody's
• 46:22
  Speaker 5: skilled now. Like, I came to the league and like
• 46:24
  Speaker 5: you get a first round or sometimes they're not skilled.
• 46:27
  Speaker 5: And now all seven rounders, like it's everybody's skilled.
• 46:31
  Speaker 3: It's crazy.
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 46:32
  Speaker 2: Everybody's got, I mean, that, that's a great question to
• 46:35
  Speaker 2: add on for me is like from, since you came
• 46:38
  Speaker 2: into the league as a defender, you know, I feel
• 46:41
  Speaker 2: like that's obviously I'm a defense, but I think it's
• 46:44
  Speaker 2: the hardest position because you have to constantly adjust to
• 46:47
  Speaker 2: what teams are doing. New four checks. Also, all the
• 46:50
  Speaker 2: new players and the new skill that comes in the league,
• 46:52
  Speaker 2: like for you playing big minutes, how do you adjust
• 46:55
  Speaker 2: to the different eras of superstars that you played against?
• 46:58
  Speaker 2: You know, the Crosby's, the McDavid's, like you've kind of
• 47:01
  Speaker 2: seen it all. How do you as a defender have
• 47:04
  Speaker 2: to kind of adjust mentally or, or even the way
• 47:06
  Speaker 2: you prepare to, to defend these guys?
• 47:10
  Speaker 5: Well, when you're playing against like Celebrini or Godard or,
• 47:15
  Speaker 5: you know, guys like that, like, or, or, you know,
• 47:18
  Speaker 5: those guys from Anaheim, Gauthier and Carlsen, they're always ready
• 47:23
  Speaker 5: to shoot, like, from any position. So, like, you can't
• 47:27
  Speaker 5: open up triangles and let them because, you know, once
• 47:32
  Speaker 5: you give them some space, they're going to score a
• 47:33
  Speaker 5: goal because they're that good.
• 47:35
  Speaker 3: So, like, that's pretty hard to defend.
• 47:39
  Speaker 5: Same thing with, like, when me and, you know, Matthews
• 47:41
  Speaker 5: came in the league, I came in next year, like,
• 47:44
  Speaker 5: he can shoot from anywhere. And all those superstars, young superstars,
• 47:48
  Speaker 5: they're They can do that, so you have to always
• 47:50
  Speaker 5: be aware of them. And they also adapt to you,
• 47:53
  Speaker 5: so they know when you're going to open up your
• 47:56
  Speaker 5: triangle to defend and stuff like that.
• 47:58
  Speaker 3: Kooch is really good at that. Kells is really good
• 48:00
  Speaker 3: at that.
• 48:01
  Speaker 5: Garner, Kools, they know when you're going to try to
• 48:05
  Speaker 5: poke it, and they pull it in and shoot. You
• 48:09
  Speaker 5: have to know who you're playing against.
• 48:12
  Speaker 4: You and Artemi Panarin hosted a charity event in St.
• 48:16
  Speaker 4: Petersburg this summer, and Ovi was there but a bunch
• 48:20
  Speaker 4: of other players. Can you talk about the event and
• 48:22
  Speaker 4: who other players are there and how that went?
• 48:26
  Speaker 5: Yeah, well, we created that game three years ago. We
• 48:29
  Speaker 5: played in Moscow for two years. Actually, the idea started
• 48:34
  Speaker 5: by Artemi. He made a charity game, smaller game in Moscow,
• 48:39
  Speaker 5: and he would invite celebrities and hockey players who loved hockey.
• 48:46
  Speaker 5: And they would play and then they would sell the
• 48:48
  Speaker 5: jerseys and do all this charitable stuff. And they would
• 48:52
  Speaker 5: give money to people in need. So I kind of
• 48:56
  Speaker 5: stole that idea from him. I wanted to make my
• 48:59
  Speaker 5: own game like that. But then I called Panera and
• 49:01
  Speaker 5: I was like, can we, you think we can do
• 49:03
  Speaker 5: this together?
• 49:05
  Speaker 3: He's like, yeah, yeah, call Ovi.
• 49:07
  Speaker 5: I called Ovi. Ovi was like, I'll be there. So
• 49:09
  Speaker 5: we started creating that. We sold tickets, 12,500 tickets our
• 49:12
  Speaker 5: first year in like, maybe a.
• 49:16
  Speaker 3: Day or two.
• 49:17
  Speaker 5: And next year, uh we sold it in seven hours
• 49:22
  Speaker 5: so wow amazing and last year we played the biggest
• 49:26
  Speaker 5: arena in the world in saint petersburg like 22 and
• 49:28
  Speaker 5: a half thousand people so uh yeah we play.
• 49:31
  Speaker 2: That's a great rank i played there yeah i played
• 49:34
  Speaker 2: against scott it's a great rank so it's.
• 49:37
  Speaker 5: Uh best khl russians against best nhl russians and Every
• 49:42
  Speaker 5: year we try to make it fun for the fans,
• 49:45
  Speaker 5: but we're also trying to win the game. So the
• 49:48
  Speaker 5: year before it was 15-3 for NHL. Tough game for KHL.
• 49:54
  Speaker 5: So this year we kind of changed the format. We
• 49:58
  Speaker 5: mixed the teams together. It was my team against Panarin's.
• 50:02
  Speaker 5: We finished 9-9, I think, in the regulation, and then
• 50:06
  Speaker 5: we won in the shootout. Brought us score. But I
• 50:09
  Speaker 5: think we got... seven hundred thousand dollars for charity this
• 50:13
  Speaker 5: year amazing yeah last year was maybe 400 so we're
• 50:18
  Speaker 5: trying to grow every year and uh help.
• 50:20
  Speaker 3: I have a charity panarin has a charity so we're
• 50:22
  Speaker 3: trying to help our.
• 50:23
  Speaker 2: Charities that's awesome man and that's giving back that's so
• 50:26
  Speaker 2: great um before we kind of let you go i
• 50:29
  Speaker 2: just have two more questions because i know two other
• 50:31
  Speaker 2: passions years not just helping people but you know, the,
• 50:35
  Speaker 2: your lifestyle, you know, you, there's, it came known to
• 50:39
  Speaker 2: the media that you have a chicken coop at home and,
• 50:41
  Speaker 2: and you bring your eggs to the rink. Um, usually
• 50:44
  Speaker 2: when you have, they say all great health gurus start
• 50:48
  Speaker 2: with having your own chicken. And then from there, like
• 50:51
  Speaker 2: you're like, you know, taking out PFAs and drinking out
• 50:54
  Speaker 2: of glass water bottles. And as somebody that does that, yeah.
• 50:59
  Speaker 2: So just tell me a little bit, tell me a
• 51:01
  Speaker 2: little bit about the health stuff and, and, um, how
• 51:05
  Speaker 2: that makes you feel kind of, and what's the name
• 51:07
  Speaker 2: of your chickens that you have? How many?
• 51:09
  Speaker 3: I have 16 chickens. 16?
• 51:12
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 51:13
  Speaker 3: They're in the back. I actually have eggs here. I'll
• 51:17
  Speaker 3: show you.
• 51:21
  Speaker 2: Oh, fresh. Fresh out the oven.
• 51:24
  Speaker 4: Love it.
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 51:25
  Speaker 3: So circuit chef family eggs right there.
• 51:28
  Speaker 2: Do you guys kind of give them out, sell them
• 51:30
  Speaker 2: out or anything like that or?
• 51:32
  Speaker 5: No, we're not selling them. I gave them to my teammates.
• 51:34
  Speaker 5: I gave them to Anders Lee.
• 51:36
  Speaker 3: He got to the team. He loved them.
• 51:38
  Speaker 5: Kosa and Nate Schmidt, great guy. He has a worm.
• 51:45
  Speaker 5: He produces worms.
• 51:48
  Speaker 2: Oh, he has worms, yeah.
• 51:49
  Speaker 5: Oh, worms.
• 51:50
  Speaker 2: I was like, worms.
• 51:52
  Speaker 4: I was like, what the hell is that?
• 51:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, worms.
• 51:55
  Speaker 5: He brought me some worms for my chickens.
• 51:57
  Speaker 2: Wait, Nate Schmidt has a worm farm?
• 51:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 52:00
  Speaker 2: No, he doesn't.
• 52:01
  Speaker 3: I didn't know if he wanted me to tell everyone.
• 52:04
  Speaker 4: Someone cue the Dumb and Dumber clip.
• 52:06
  Speaker 2: No, he doesn't. I guess, why does he have a
• 52:09
  Speaker 2: worm farm? Is he a big fisherman, or is that why?
• 52:11
  Speaker 5: I don't remember the backstory, but his kid loves it,
• 52:16
  Speaker 5: and they do it together.
• 52:18
  Speaker 4: That's great.
• 52:19
  Speaker 2: That's incredible. The most eclectic team in the league.
• 52:23
  Speaker 3: So with the eggs, we bought this house.
• 52:26
  Speaker 5: We had a chicken coop back there, and I just
• 52:29
  Speaker 5: ordered chickens online. And I thought some dude was going
• 52:33
  Speaker 5: to bring them in for me and just give me
• 52:34
  Speaker 5: the chickens. Instead, I had to go to the post
• 52:38
  Speaker 5: service and pick them up in the box.
• 52:42
  Speaker 3: There were 17 chickens in the box. I picked them up.
• 52:45
  Speaker 3: They're all alive.
• 52:46
  Speaker 5: I ordered that many because I thought some of them
• 52:49
  Speaker 5: wouldn't make it. But they all made it.
• 52:53
  Speaker 2: Unfortunately, they all made it. Now you get 600 eggs
• 52:56
  Speaker 2: a day.
• 52:57
  Speaker 3: And then.
• 52:59
  Speaker 5: A year and a half ago, a neighbor's dog came
• 53:03
  Speaker 5: over and one chicken was out. She's not with us anymore.
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: Oh, no.
• 53:09
  Speaker 2: What was the chicken's name?
• 53:11
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 53:13
  Speaker 2: Sing a song.
• 53:14
  Speaker 3: Chicken.
• 53:15
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 53:16
  Speaker 3: Just a chicken.
• 53:20
  Speaker 5: I got to the team and everybody's super healthy. Kels
• 53:24
  Speaker 5: drinks out of glass bottles.
• 53:26
  Speaker 2: Kels is very healthy.
• 53:28
  Speaker 5: Yeah, they take all these supplements and stuff, and I
• 53:31
  Speaker 5: was never used to that. And I'm like, what is this?
• 53:35
  Speaker 5: How can I get on this train? And I did
• 53:38
  Speaker 5: for a little bit, but it's just a hard life.
• 53:40
  Speaker 5: You have to measure what you eat and drink, like
• 53:45
  Speaker 5: supplements and stuff like that. So I'm trying to just
• 53:48
  Speaker 5: eat right, and then if I need supplements, I'll take them.
• 53:52
  Speaker 5: But I'm not trying to put stress on myself and
• 53:55
  Speaker 5: doing something extra.
• 53:56
  Speaker 3: So, yeah.
• 53:59
  Speaker 2: Oh, go ahead, Nate.
• 54:01
  Speaker 4: I was going to say, Tal, you want to ask
• 54:02
  Speaker 4: the last one? I figured you'd want to jump in.
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: Sorry, J.D., did you have one more you wanted to
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: ask before that?
• 54:08
  Speaker 2: I mean, I had a fashion one. Listen, I was
• 54:11
  Speaker 2: an advocate for bring suits back. I was a hater.
• 54:16
  Speaker 2: But what I told people, and people said, why do
• 54:19
  Speaker 2: you hate? I said, if you're going to do it,
• 54:23
  Speaker 2: you do it like Sergei. and you put on a
• 54:25
  Speaker 2: fashion show, if that's what we're doing. And like you,
• 54:27
  Speaker 2: you dress in, in you, you dress high fashion is
• 54:31
  Speaker 2: what I call it. And I'm like, you're not just
• 54:34
  Speaker 2: wearing a, you know, an off white t-shirt and I'll
• 54:36
  Speaker 2: give it to Kells and blue jeans and calling it
• 54:39
  Speaker 2: a day. I'm like, so I'm like, if you're going
• 54:41
  Speaker 2: to do that, you bring suits, you do what you do. How,
• 54:44
  Speaker 2: why is fashion so important to you? And, and what
• 54:46
  Speaker 2: do you like about it? And, and the kind of
• 54:48
  Speaker 2: the loose dress code.
• 54:49
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 54:51
  Speaker 5: Um, I got a stylist, you know, before they lifted
• 54:58
  Speaker 5: the rules. And then two weeks after, they were like.
• 55:02
  Speaker 3: Oh, you can wear whatever you want. And we were like, great,
• 55:06
  Speaker 3: let's do this. And we did it.
• 55:09
  Speaker 5: And I feel like, as you said, coming to a game,
• 55:12
  Speaker 5: like you're a professional hockey player, you want to show
• 55:16
  Speaker 5: up right, you know, even if it's not in the suit.
• 55:18
  Speaker 3: Like I have suits. I wore suits last year.
• 55:21
  Speaker 5: They're obviously a bit different than the regular suits, but
• 55:25
  Speaker 5: I like them. But it's just, for me, I like
• 55:30
  Speaker 5: wearing different clothing and seeing what fits me better and
• 55:37
  Speaker 5: finding style, my own style. So that's what I was
• 55:40
  Speaker 5: doing last year. This year I think it's going to
• 55:42
  Speaker 5: be more modest, I would say, in some occasions. But
• 55:48
  Speaker 5: I was trying to find my style.
• 55:49
  Speaker 2: Go big.
• 55:49
  Speaker 4: Yeah, go big, man.
• 55:51
  Speaker 5: We will, but not super crazy, colorful, like sometimes last
• 55:57
  Speaker 5: year was a little too crazy.
• 56:00
  Speaker 2: The outdoor game, I better see a big Russian fur coat.
• 56:03
  Speaker 4: It's probably been planned already.
• 56:07
  Speaker 5: Yeah, we were actually talking about it with Chris Armstrong,
• 56:10
  Speaker 5: our president, and I think some good stuff is coming.
• 56:15
  Speaker 4: I love that.
• 56:17
  Speaker 5: I'm not going to be a part of it. I
• 56:19
  Speaker 5: don't go in there. But I think my stylist is
• 56:21
  Speaker 5: going to be there.
• 56:23
  Speaker 2: Love it. Hey, Mikael, thank you so much for your time, man.
• 56:26
  Speaker 2: Good luck the rest of the way, or good luck
• 56:28
  Speaker 2: to start the season here. And hope to see you around.
• 56:31
  Speaker 2: So thanks for your time, my man.
• 56:33
  Speaker 3: Yeah, thanks, guys. Appreciate you.
• 56:35
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: So the final 60s, Gail Daughtry, the celebrity sex pass. Tal,
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: you know, I talked previously about Wet Hot American Summer,
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: 25th anniversary. This is the same director. His name is
• 56:52
  Speaker 1: David Wayne. He's got a new film out. And Zoe Deutch,
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: who is obviously an actress who I think has some acclaim. Now,
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: she's a nepo baby because she's Leah Thompson's daughter. And
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: there's times watching, you feel like you're watching Back to
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: the Future and Lorraine once again. But, J.D., it's loosely
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: based on The Wizard of Oz. John Slattery is in it.
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: John Hamm is in it. Very silly. A lot of
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: slapstick in it. Very funny movie. Gayle Daughtry and the
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: Celebrity Sex Pass. A movie that I think you guys
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: will enjoy. You and Jill, good comedy for all those
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: comedy fans.
• 57:20
  Speaker 4: Is it? It's good? Where is it playing?
• 57:21
  Speaker 1: It's streaming right now.
• 57:22
  Speaker 4: Yeah, go ahead.
• 57:23
  Speaker 2: I know Zoe Judge.
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Zoe Judge is good. I paid like five bucks
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: for it. It's on Amazon Prime. You can go watch
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: it streaming.
• 57:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we went on a camping trip with them.
• 57:31
  Speaker 4: Really? Yeah, it's cool.
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: How was she?
• 57:33
  Speaker 2: She's awesome. Super nice.
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: I think she's super talented. She's really funny in the movie.
• 57:37
  Speaker 4: That's awesome.
• 57:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, she's really funny. She's like that. In real life,
• 57:40
  Speaker 2: she's funny, too. That's awesome. It's not anything weird. She's cool.
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: Yeah, like some people, you know, actresses are funny when
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: they have the right script, but they're naturally not funny.
• 57:50
  Speaker 1: But she's actually funny in her own right.
• 57:52
  Speaker 2: All right.
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: It's on the final six. We get back to the
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: previews as the seasons begin. Let's check out the Vegas
• 57:57
  Speaker 1: Golden Knights. They lost to Rafia, Keegan Colesar, Colton Sissons,
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: and their coach, John Tornorella. they did gain Victor Olsen,
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: a new head coach, and Ryan Craig. Only Vancouver trailed
• 58:08
  Speaker 1: for longer than Vegas in the regular season. So my
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: question to you, J.D., is was the playoff run a mirage,
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: or did they finally find their game?
• 58:17
  Speaker 2: I think they just got, they were missing Bill Carlson
• 58:20
  Speaker 2: and Stone for large portions. So when they got them back,
• 58:23
  Speaker 2: that's why. They had a lot, I think they had
• 58:25
  Speaker 2: the second most man games lost. So I don't put
• 58:28
  Speaker 2: any account on that. I have I have Ryan Craig
• 58:31
  Speaker 2: winning the Jack Adams this year.
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: Wow. Vegas' third head coach in six months. Think about that.
• 58:37
  Speaker 2: That's crazy.
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: And you like him.
• 58:38
  Speaker 2: He grew up in the system. Loves him. He's born
• 58:42
  Speaker 2: to slop. Father was a mother. Mother was a mother.
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: Mother was a mother? Yeah. We've had Bruce Cassidy twice
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: on this podcast. You're telling me the guy who is
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: now replacing him is going to win the Jack Adams.
• 58:51
  Speaker 4: Wow.
• 58:53
  Speaker 2: I like that pick. That's... You like that? I mean,
• 58:56
  Speaker 2: you got to go off. I do.
• 58:58
  Speaker 3: I do.
• 58:58
  Speaker 2: I can easily say Colorado wins. McCarr wins the Norris.
• 59:03
  Speaker 2: Connor McDavid wins the heart. But I'm like, where's the
• 59:06
  Speaker 2: fun in that? Come on now.
• 59:07
  Speaker 4: They're a cup contending team. No no question.
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: Edmonton Oilers lost Darnell Nurse, Jack Roslevic, Connor Ingram, Calvin Picker,
• 59:15
  Speaker 1: and of course their head coach, Chris Knobloch. They've got
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: Mike Babcock, who Mark Messier openly said, I was horrified
• 59:21
  Speaker 1: by the decision to hire him.
• 59:22
  Speaker 2: I love that.
• 59:23
  Speaker 1: That was unbelievable. Mark Messier is not known to say
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: controversial comments, but he absolutely blasted it back. And Babcock's like, okay, well,
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: you know, like, Mess is a good guy. That's what
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: he wants to say. He's entitled to his opinion.
• 59:33
  Speaker 4: It's all good.
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: Oilers are going to make the playoffs, right?
• 59:36
  Speaker 2: That's a good Babcock.
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: That's not bad, right?
• 59:39
  Speaker 4: They're going to get in. They're going to get in
• 59:41
  Speaker 4: because of Mike Babcock. They're going to get in.
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: They're going to get in.
• 59:43
  Speaker 4: It's going to happen. It's going to happen.
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: The Babs redemption tour.
• 59:46
  Speaker 4: That's what's going to happen. That's all I got. That's
• 59:49
  Speaker 4: my best Mike Babcock impersonation. That's the best I can do.
• 59:53
  Speaker 2: I mean, I'll be fine. Any indication? The funniest thing
• 59:57
  Speaker 2: about is that Mike Babcock had the full Edmonton Oilers
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 2: experience game one. He knows everything about that team. That
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 2: was them in a nutshell last year. Absolutely dominate. Goalie
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 2: take a shit and then have a massive comeback and
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 2: lose an OT. There's our Oilers. He probably went in
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 2: that room and said, well, they weren't lying when they
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 2: told me this is going to be something. I mean,
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 2: he was like, I couldn't even believe the way we played.
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 2: I'm like, oh yeah, what? Oh yeah, now walk in
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 2: that room and hold those guys accountable. Let's see what
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 2: Leon says. Good luck. I love Leon. Worst body language
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 2: in the NHL. And it was on display fully in
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 2: game one already. So we'll see where it goes. Tristan
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 2: Jari and Mike Babcock are going to have a fun
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 2: time together this year if this continues. But yeah, I
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 2: think they make it. I have him winning the division
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 2: just because. But I think it's going to be a
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 2: lot of that.
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 1: It brings us to the Anaheim Ducks. So J.D.
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 3: Was.
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: bullish on, to use his favorite word, last year. And yet,
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: look at the departures. Mason McTavish, four defensemen. Jacob Truba,
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: Olin Zellweger, Radko Gutis, our buddy, John Carlson. Beckett Seneca
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 1: was great. 20 years of age. He was third in
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: the Calder voting. 60 points last season with Terry's injury.
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 1: A mass exodus on defense. The Ducks are out.
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 2: Right, JD? They miss. Listen, there's nobody that knows the
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 2: Ducks better than me on this podcast. There's nobody with
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 2: more Duck experience than myself. I think they're missing. Nate,
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 2: to you.
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: Nate's in.
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 4: I haven't been. They're going to sneak into that third spot.
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 4: I think they're going to take the next step. I
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 4: think it's done by committee. Their defensive core, it's done
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 4: by committee. Joel Quenville. Joel Quenville, the coach, he did
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 4: a great job last year. He knows how to coach
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 4: these young guys. Their forward group is still sick. It's
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 4: still really good. I think all those guys, Cutter, Seneca, Carlson. Leo.
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 4: I mean, they're going to do their thing.
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 2: McQueen.
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 4: Roger McQueen.
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 2: I like Klepov. Yeah, great.
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 4: Really good player, too.
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 2: Listen, I think they'll be exciting. I just think too green,
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 2: too many turnovers. They're like Edmonton. They try to play
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 2: like the Edmonton Oilers, but they're, you know.
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 1: Lacking a few pieces.
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 2: Joe Stahl needs a big year. Sorry, I shouldn't have
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 2: called you a pussy. I apologize.
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 4: It's okay. It didn't phase me.
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 2: I mean, I got upset. You got PC on me
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 2: all of a sudden. Because he's on Amazon with Kurt Pronger.
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 2: The LA Kings, meantime, lost Andrzej Kopitar. They brought in
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 2: a new head coach in Peter Laviolette, also gained Corey Perry.
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 2: But we all know that Quentin Byfield is not going
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 2: to really handle his new role as the number one center.
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: Go ahead, Nate. Kings are not making the playoffs.
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 4: Yeah, they're out. They're out. I don't see them getting in.
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 4: I just think with.
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't know if Byfield's going to be the
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 4: number one center. He's not. I don't know if he
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 4: can be. And then they're D, too. I think they're
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 4: D or it's suspect back there, big time. And on
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 4: top of that, the goaltending.
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: I love it.
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 4: I don't know if all of that's going to... It's
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 4: not going to be consistent, I'll tell you that much.
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 4: So I think they're out.
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: This is Nate's best work.
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 2: Fantastic.
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: Listen, I'm telling you right now, Quinton Byfield had 49
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: points last season. Drew Dowdy's in the final year of
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: his deer. I know people like Brant Clark, but this
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: Kings team, they're not going.
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 2: To do it. That game last night, I know it's
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 2: Colorado and they struggle, but Dowds did not look good
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 2: in that game. And maybe he needs to get the
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 2: boots going and it's early and he probably didn't do
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 2: much of a preseason, but he did not look great. And,
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 2: you know, you got Panarin and Zouk. So the problem is,
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 2: can those old guys hang on for a full 84 games?
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 2: So, to me, I think they missed.
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: The big one for J.D. The San Jose Sharks. We
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: got Willie Eklund, who they lost. Mook Madulan. Mario Ferraro.
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: But you got Jacob Truba. Darnell Nurse.
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 4: Mook Madulan.
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: Ivar Stenberg, your guy. The Sharks are circling. And after
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: two consecutive finishes in the NHL's basement, they came within
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: four points of a playoff spot.
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 4: J.D., they're in.
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: The Sharks are back.
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 2: The Sharks make it. They finish. I want to say,
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 2: bold prediction, they finish second in the Pacific, but they
• 1:04:15
  Speaker 2: make it. Well, I thought you were going to say Walker.
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 2: But I think they make, if they don't, it's going
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 2: to be, it'll be a disappointment, but I think Askroff
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 2: and Ned in the back, back end is big. I
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 2: can say it because we won't post until later today
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 2: or tonight, so, and I, but there's a D-man that
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 2: is going to be healthy scratch tonight.
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: Well, I was going to say their notable defenseman, Nurse
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 1: Truba and Kesselring, so. One of those three.
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 2: But Nolan Allen will be starting. Made the starting roster.
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 4: I see that.
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: Nate, if the Sharks don't make the playoffs, it's going
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: to feel like a disappointment if they don't make the playoffs.
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 4: Yes and no. I think if they miss the playoffs,
• 1:05:00
  Speaker 4: which I have them missing.
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 4: What? I think that it's not like it's the end
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 4: of the world. You know what I mean? I think
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 4: that they're still in it for the long run. I mean,
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 4: with all the guys they have, young guys they have
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 4: coming up. I did We'll get into that. I love Stenberg.
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 4: I think he's unbelievable. And then I agree, J.D. They're
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 4: back in. Those guys that can eat up minutes, Kesserling, Truba, Nurse,
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 4: those guys.
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 2: Stenberg is, I'm telling you, Stenberg is unbelievable.
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 4: Yeah, he's so good.
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 2: Stenberg was the steel of the draft at number two.
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: The steel.
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 2: Toronto had Stenberg. Oh, my God, the fan base right now. McKenna,
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 2: probably higher ceiling offensively. Stenberg is a more NHL-ready player.
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 1: Agreed.
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 2: He looks unbelievable.
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: You know what doesn't look unbelievable is Seattle Kraken. They
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: might be the worst team in hockey. They're not going
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 1: to make the playoffs. And can any one of their
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: young forwards, Nate, become a star? Matty Beneers was second overall.
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: Shane Wright, Katton, Jake O'Brien. None of these guys are
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: going to be stars. Kraken could be the worst team
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: in hockey.
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 4: Yeah, they're out. Very vanilla, right? And not a whole
• 1:06:09
  Speaker 4: lot of superstardom there. I mean... You laid it out
• 1:06:13
  Speaker 4: on a platter for me there, A.V. Tell us how
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 4: you really feel.
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: Exactly.
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 4: Be honest, would you?
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: You know, Forslund's my guy. I feel bad, J.D., but
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: they're not going to be very good.
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 2: Go ahead, J.D. You're an Amazon guy, yeah.
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: He's called 50 Kraken game. By the way, you've got
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: the worst team in hockey you're calling. Good luck to that.
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 4: I know.
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 2: He works a ton, too. He does both of those.
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 2: That's crazy.
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 4: Yeah, they don't.
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 2: I like their decor, honestly. I think it's a sneaky decor.
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 2: I just don't think. There's just a bunch of second-line players. Yeah.
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 2: It's not a knock. It's all NHL guys. I just
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 2: think they don't have any top, top guys. They have
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 2: an NHL roster. It's just not enough.
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: They tried to get Jason Roberts in that $ 15 million contract.
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: Said Matty Beneers of the snub. If you don't want
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: to be here, we don't want you anyways.
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 2: Fair enough. I like Matty B. He needs a redemption.
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 2: If they make the playoffs, it's on him. He has
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 2: an 80-point season. It's the only way to make it.
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 2: He has not come to fruition so far.
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: Calgary Flames. They lost Blake Coleman, Ole Mata, Ryan Lomberg,
• 1:07:17
  Speaker 1: the Lomberghini. They did pick up Siplekov, Jake Middleton, Simone Nemec.
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 1: And for the first time in this podcast, I'm going
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: to Tal first because he picked the Flames last year
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 1: to make the playoffs. Go ahead, Tal. In or out?
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 2: He did. There's no way I'm making that same mistake.
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 2: What a tough bounce that was. Last year, there was
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 2: some buzz. Weren't they out in November? I think they
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 2: were out by Canadian Thanksgiving.
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: In fairness to Tal, two years ago, they were on
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: the verge of a playoff spot. Wolf rookie season. That's
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 1: why Tal got swayed by them.
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 2: Go ahead. Oh, I said what I have to say.
• 1:07:50
  Speaker 2: I'm not getting fooled again. I mean, they're not making it.
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 2: I'm curious, who are they going to.
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: Deal by the all-star break is the question. And the
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: Vancouver Canucks are not going to make the playoffs.
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 2: Let's skip. They didn't beat Edmonton, though. They just beat Edmonton.
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: Well, I wanted to actually ask Nate, how many games
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: do you think Thatcher Demko plays this season? Because I
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: do think if Thatcher Demko is reasonably healthy, they'll at
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: least be competitive. My point is, I don't think he
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 1: plays a lot of games.
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 2: You've been saying that for five years.
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: If he plays.
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 4: I'm not going to predict it because he hasn't really
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 4: shown us any track record that he's going to play
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 4: a lot of games. I mean, they're out. I do think, though...
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 4: What Manny Malhotra, Ryan Johnson, Sedin's, they're going to be
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 4: a hard-working team. They're not going to be a team
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 4: that's going to roll over. Manny Malhotra's going to have
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 4: these guys playing. So they're not going to make it,
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 4: but the Vancouver Canucks are going in the right direction.
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 2: For the fans at home, keep an eye on this name,
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 2: Max Sasson.
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 2: Sasson.
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 4: Sasson.
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: Like Vidal Sassoon. Vidal Sassoon.
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, good player. No, Man Ram. Man Ram looked calm
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 2: behind the bench game one. I mean, they played a
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 2: good game against Edmonton. They counterpunched. And then Lankanen stood
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 2: on his head.
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 1: We have such a dedicated audience here at NHL Unscripted.
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: So we did our Eastern Conference, Braves Western Conference. Next week,
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: we're going to tell you the Hart Trophy, Norris, the Vesta,
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: the Calder, and Stanley Cup finals. I believe JD already
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 1: gave his Calder pick. So we'll give the full picks
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: next week at NHL Unscripted.
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 2: And then by the time playoffs roll around, we're going
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 2: to let you know who's going to make it. On
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 2: Game 84.
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: Listen, when your weekly episode, it's how we do it.
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: Thanks for checking out NHL Unscripted. NHL Unscripted is a
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: production of the NHL and iHeart Podcast. For more podcasts
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 1: from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.