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Preseason Predictions: All Hail Cale, Hellebuyck Wants Out and Hedman's Ready to Go. · NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcast.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Welcome to NHL Unscripted, episode number 96. No guests this week,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: but don't worry. We're going to do some preseason predictions.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Biggest surprises, biggest appointments, all that and more. Plus, headband ready.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: We get to the bottom of what happened to Lightning
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: captain Victor Hedman. An all hail Cale. Gigantic contract for
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: arguably the best defenseman in hockey. Again, we're four episodes
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: away from the critical century mark. NHL script is back
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: to every week. J.D., how do you feel? Before you
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: were happy about having your Wednesdays back, now we're back
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: on this regular schedule.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: Are we back on the regular?
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Every Wednesday, we're back, buddy.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: Well, when Cale signs, that's when we all show up again.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Now that the big boy's off the table.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: And now we get to all watch what's going to
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: happen with Quinn.
• 1:02
  Speaker 4: Ooh.
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: Quinn Hughes and Billy G, what is going to happen?
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: So I guess the move is firmly on Minnesota. I
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: tried to call Alex Goligosky, who works with the Wilds.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Yes, Goose.
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: And he's like, we're in meetings today.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: I can't talk. And I was like, oh, get him signed,
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: you fuckers.
• 1:20
  Speaker 5: I was trying to call someone from CAA, trying to
• 1:22
  Speaker 5: get in there, trying to find out some info, but
• 1:25
  Speaker 5: couldn't get in there.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: They're going to have to make it work. Otherwise, it's
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: going to be. Did you see the radio host trying
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: to get him to make a pledge?
• 1:32
  Speaker 4: No, I didn't see that.
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: The radio host had him on. Tal's seen it where
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: he's like, he's like, if you don't sign, if you
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: don't re-sign Quinn Hughes, like you have to, what, like leave?
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: You have to resign. And he's like, I'm not making
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: that pledge. He's like, you got to get it done.
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: You said you'd get it done. You got to get
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: it done.
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: He's like, I'm not going to sign that.
• 1:49
  Speaker 4: And he's like, he's like, do it.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: He's like, you resign. He's like, if you can't, you
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: got to trade him and then you resign. Bill's like,
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: what are you talking about?
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: He's like, no. He's like, we're going to get it done.
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: But he's like, it is what it is. But it's
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: scary right now.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll get to Hughes in a second, but first,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: I'll hail Cale. So, McCarr already had a cup, a consummate,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: two Norris trophies, and a Calder. Now, the richest contract
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: in NHL history, eight years, $ 163. 2 million contract extension, a
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: value of $ 20. 4 million that kicks in next season. He
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: could have got up to $ 20. 8, so he took a
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: little bit of a discount. Last season, McCarr finished third
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: among NHL defensemen, 79 points in 75 games, Norris final
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: in the sixth straight season. J.D., he might go down
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: as one of the greatest defensemen in hockey history, but
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: I'm of two minds. On the one hand, You just
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: locked up a guy who, like I said, is the
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: best defenseman in hockey, had to do it great. And yet,
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: the evidence is inarguable. If you look at recent history,
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: if a guy has this much percentage of your cap,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: and I know the cap's going up $ 113 million, but
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: if you have this much percentage of your cap, it's
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: tough to win Stanley Cups. So did Colorado make the
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: right move and give him a car, the bag?
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: Well, Makar left them $ 400, 000 to work with.
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: What a good guy.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: So he did give him a discount.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he gave him a discount. I don't know.
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: I still think this is an underpay. I just think,
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: you know, he is.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: We're in such a weird time where it's like, what,
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: you're going to ask him to take $ 12 million so
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: you can try to win a cup, and this guy's
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: going to make... You know, it's just not going to happen.
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: The power is just firmly... He is the best defenseman
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: in the NHL. I think he will go down as
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: the best defenseman ever in the NHL. Greater than Bobby Orr.
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: When it's all said and done, yeah, of course. Longevity,
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: what he's done. I just think Bobby Orr is incredible, and,
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: you know, it's hard to talk against Bobby Orr or
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: Paul Coffey and all these guys, but, like, look at what.
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: Makar's just a different animal, man.
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: The ferocity in which he plays, the shot, the skill,
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: the defensive acumen, as well as just the leadership he
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: possesses and what he's done at the international level, too. Like,
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: it's just there's too much, and he's still got, I mean, what,
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: another eight years at least? And I think, you know,
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: the way he... handled himself on the ice. And yeah, I,
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: I think, you know, my prediction at the end of
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: last year, when I kind of dove into things a
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: little bit was, you know, because the Brent burns of
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: it all, you know, Colorado didn't win the Stanley cup
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: with Ray Bork until the second year, very similar situation.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: I think Colorado goes back. I think they, I think
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: they make it to the finals if they win the cup.
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: I don't know, but I think I would be, that
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: would be my early pick for them to win is,
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: is the Colorado avalanche. And I think, you know, after
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: if they win this year, Nate, I think you're not
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: really going to care about kale sign another $ 20 million.
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: If they don't win different story and it gets a
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: little bit more hairy, but I don't know, man, you
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: can't argue that kale is the goat.
• 4:44
  Speaker 5: Uh, I'm going to get on the defenseman train here
• 4:47
  Speaker 5: and I'm with you. I think he's arguably the best
• 4:49
  Speaker 5: player in the, in the league, in the world.
• 4:51
  Speaker 4: I do.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: I think I do.
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: I do. And I'm going to say that.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Because better than Connor McDavid, this is outrageous.
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: I mean, it was, it's, it's, it's going on Instagram.
• 5:00
  Speaker 4: It should. Yeah.
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: I mean, he, he's one too. I think it's right
• 5:04
  Speaker 5: there because if you look at what Kale McCard does
• 5:07
  Speaker 5: offensively and defensively, when you look at it on, on
• 5:09
  Speaker 5: the ice and I'm, I'm going hard on the defense
• 5:12
  Speaker 5: right now, but he's playing against top guys every single night,
• 5:20
  Speaker 5: and he's doing what he's doing offensively, and he's doing
• 5:22
  Speaker 5: it at both ends of the ice.
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: Watch him. He's a unicorn.
• 5:26
  Speaker 5: There's no other player like him, the way he can skate,
• 5:28
  Speaker 5: the way he can make plays. He's first in every
• 5:32
  Speaker 5: category every single season. He's a Norris Trophy finalist every
• 5:36
  Speaker 5: single year. I think that He's right. I think JD's right.
• 5:41
  Speaker 5: I think that they could have paid him 25 and
• 5:42
  Speaker 5: I wouldn't have blinked because.
• 5:44
  Speaker 4: He is who he is.
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Isn't that funny?
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: It's crazy, but it's true though.
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: Of all the contracts, like the last six contracts we've
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: seen that have all been record-breaking, somebody somewhere has kind
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: of been against it.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: Even Macklin Celebrini's deal.
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: And Cale, everybody's like, yeah, 20.4 makes sense.
• 6:01
  Speaker 4: Sounds good.
• 6:02
  Speaker 5: And you could say, I mean, you could say in
• 6:03
  Speaker 5: a way too, like, I mean, Quinn Hughes is looking
• 6:07
  Speaker 5: for obviously a shorter term deal Kale's not.
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: He wanted full term.
• 6:12
  Speaker 5: He got the eight years and that helps Colorado and
• 6:15
  Speaker 5: I think Colorado was pretty happy about that knowing that
• 6:17
  Speaker 5: he's going to have eight years with them instead of
• 6:20
  Speaker 5: him going for three to five years and that changes
• 6:22
  Speaker 5: the whole landscape of their cap and I think you
• 6:25
  Speaker 5: have to look at it too where Nate McKinnon is
• 6:29
  Speaker 5: making 12 and that's a big discrepancy so maybe that
• 6:33
  Speaker 5: helps more than we think and they have a whopping
• 6:37
  Speaker 5: 400 grand left on the cap space now too so
• 6:40
  Speaker 5: You know, they're sitting pretty.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, put the onus on the scouting department now.
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: Go get some young players that are cheap.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:48
  Speaker 4: Waivers guys.
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: That's the key, right, Tyler? They're going to have to
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: make this work. Because all of a sudden, if McCarr's
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: eating up this much of the contract and McKinnon's getting
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: this much of the cap, you're going to have to
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: get Savino with some.
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: Of these moves.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: I know he's only 27 years of age, but this
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: has been a challenge. And you've seen other teams win.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: It's not like one guy has hamstrung the cap.
• 7:06
  Speaker 6: Plays more minutes than McDavid, too. I was just going
• 7:08
  Speaker 6: to say that.
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: Well, fuck, yeah. I hope so.
• 7:11
  Speaker 6: I don't think there's any much work that Colorado's planning
• 7:14
  Speaker 6: on doing with this team, right? Like, their roster's pretty
• 7:17
  Speaker 6: much set, right? They got Kadri and Waugh and made
• 7:20
  Speaker 6: their additions last season. They have Brock Nelson, Leck, and,
• 7:23
  Speaker 6: you know, they unloaded Nikushkin, but they're basically bringing the
• 7:26
  Speaker 6: same team back, including, you know, Brett Burns, including the
• 7:29
  Speaker 6: two goalies. Like, this is the team they're rolling with.
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: Will they.
• 7:33
  Speaker 6: Get someone at the deadline as a rental to help
• 7:34
  Speaker 6: them out? Probably. They always do, but this is the roster.
• 7:39
  Speaker 6: The only thing they had left to do was to
• 7:40
  Speaker 6: sign McCarr. They've done it. Let's see what happens.
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: No, I agree on that term. Look out for their
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: bottom six. LaRue and Svechkov are two sneaky pickups. Svechkov
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: was a very good piece for Nashville last year, and
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: I think he can score some goals. And so is LaRue.
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: LaRue's a good little bottom six guy. I think they're
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: going to help. They're young.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: Gavin Brindley.
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: I mean, the only two guys that are up after
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: this year is Leckanen and Waugh and then Burnsy. You know,
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: and then on your goaltending, you have Blackwood and Wedgwood.
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: So it's like, you're right. Like, they might bring in
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: a rental piece. There is still some, there's some guys
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: out there. We'll see what Leckanen commands, you know, because
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: if they want to keep him or if they move
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: him at the deadline for something as well because.
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: He might, you know, want.
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: A $ 6, $ 8, $ 7 million deal in his next one. So, yeah,
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: they're in a good spot. To me, this is their
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: win year. They have to win this year.
• 8:38
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's running it back.
• 8:41
  Speaker 5: I'd say, like, I mean, I don't know about you, JD,
• 8:43
  Speaker 5: but when I was playing, he made me more, I mean,
• 8:47
  Speaker 5: less nervous. I guess Connor McDavid made me nervous, but
• 8:50
  Speaker 5: Cale McCartney made me more nervous being on the ice
• 8:52
  Speaker 5: with him. Like, he was just, that's, he was just different.
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: You know what I mean? Just, just. Different level, I think.
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I just did a little breakdown of him on
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: the bite on YouTube.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: Go check it out.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: But just the way we talk about Quinn Hughes' escapability
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: on the offensive blue line, the way he, if you
• 9:09
  Speaker 3: give him any space, if you're a winger, like, and
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: you know that, like, you're fucked. Like, he's getting it
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: around you or he's coming downhill on you and you're screwed. So,
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: you know, I just think he, you know, what, four
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: of the five last year's over 20 goals for defensemen.
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: Only one year when he played 60 games, he had
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: like 17. So, I mean, this guy's it. So, listen,
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: I think it's a tidy piece of signing.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: Good job.
• 9:36
  Speaker 3: You got to pay him. You know, you got, like
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: you said, you got Nate locked up, right? And Nate's
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: locked up at 12, and so is Nate just at 11. Like,
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: that's why they were able to make that deal. Nate's
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: there for five, six years, right? He looked like good
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: deals now, yeah. And Nate's like, you cheap bastard.
• 9:54
  Speaker 4: He's taking me for dinner every night.
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: He wants to renegotiate right away. So now this brings
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: up to Quinn Hughes and the fact that he's doing
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: a new contract for 2027, 2028. Listen, this guy was
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: a huge addition for the Wild, JD. Fifth among defensemen,
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: 76 points in 74 games. But I'm telling you right now,
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: this guy's not going to sign with the Wild. He
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: wants to go play with his brother, brothers, and Billy
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: Guerin knows it. He swung for the fences. He's like,
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: I got to make a big move. I'll make a splash.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: He'll fall over Minnesota. I hate to say it. He's
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: not going to sign. He's not going to do it.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: He wants to go play with his brothers.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: Like there's the money that like, if you look at
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: their cap space, they only have what, like 1.5 this year,
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: but you know, Spurgeon's up this year, you know, you're
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: going to have Bogosia. You're going to have 8 million
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: off the cap. Then you're going to have Blake Coleman's
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: at two. Like there's enough money to give him. Is
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: there enough money to give him 15, 16? I'm more
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: worried about the Minnesota wild as a whole. I think
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: they got worse this off season. I actually had them.
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: potentially not making the playoffs or just on the cusp
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: of it.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: Like as wow.
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: And the final wild card spot. I don't like, they
• 11:03
  Speaker 3: tried to get center depth. They couldn't get it. They
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: lost scoring pieces. They lost Zuccarello who plays amazingly with
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: Kirill Kaprizov.
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: Like who's Kaprizov going to play it.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: If you look at the numbers with Kaprizov with Zuc
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: and without, it's kind of, there's.
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: A little bit of a hole there. Are you're, you're hoping.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: You're off takes a step forward, Eric Sinek. And the
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: other thing is, they've been injured a lot the last
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: couple of years. Their decor, especially Brodine Spurgeon. Like I'm,
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: I'm worried about this team where they're going. And I
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: don't think Quinn Hughes is stupid. And I think he
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: sees that. And I think he was hoping that, you know,
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: they'd maybe get a tro check or maybe they can
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: still get a Larkin and swing something for that. But
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: I don't know what they're doing. I'm, I'm nervous right
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: now for many big time.
• 11:47
  Speaker 5: I wonder if it's, if it's a possibility and like,
• 11:50
  Speaker 5: I don't know. I was thinking about today as, as if,
• 11:52
  Speaker 5: If they can't get this deal done.
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: Is Billy G.
• 11:55
  Speaker 5: Is it like, okay, I'm going to trade him now
• 11:58
  Speaker 5: and go out and get my number one center that
• 12:01
  Speaker 5: I can get using Quinn Hughes and get him to...
• 12:04
  Speaker 5: Maybe it's not Jersey. Maybe it's a different team. Maybe
• 12:07
  Speaker 5: it's a cup contender.
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: Who knows? I don't know.
• 12:09
  Speaker 5: Maybe it's a team that will take his contract for
• 12:12
  Speaker 5: a year and then who knows what he'll do with
• 12:14
  Speaker 5: the rest of his... With his brothers, I guess, when
• 12:16
  Speaker 5: Jack steals up too. But obviously, that's what is at
• 12:20
  Speaker 5: the forefront. But I wonder if that's... That's a possibility
• 12:23
  Speaker 5: too because training camp's pretty close, season's pretty close, and
• 12:28
  Speaker 5: they're in trouble right now. If I'm Wilds fans, I'm
• 12:31
  Speaker 5: pretty nervous right now of what's going on because especially
• 12:33
  Speaker 5: what was said in the press conference and what Billy
• 12:35
  Speaker 5: G said, it was very open-ended to the point where
• 12:38
  Speaker 5: the term and the money is not an issue. Or
• 12:45
  Speaker 5: maybe the money's not the issue, but it's the term
• 12:47
  Speaker 5: that's the issue. And that seems to be the glaring issue.
• 12:51
  Speaker 5: glaring factor here as that's you know family runs deeper
• 12:54
  Speaker 5: i guess.
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: Right yeah you know i don't know if i believe
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: you know adnan that he you know i'm sure he
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: wants to play with his brothers but is he gonna
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: burn the world down to do it but i'm more
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: just look at like he's looking at this roster being
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: like rut row like we need something because i'm looking
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: at the central like if you just quickly rough math
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: you got colorado you got dallas you got utah who
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: i think got Way better. You know, I think Utah
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: can finish second potentially in the Central. That leaves that
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: four spot. And then who else do you have in
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: the Central that's kind of coming up? There's a, you know,
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: Winnipeg is going to take a hit now because whatever
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: happened here.
• 13:31
  Speaker 4: St.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: Louis is going to be a lot better. Like St.
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: Louis is going to have a really good roster right now.
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: So I'm like, now you're hoping you get a wild
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: card spot. So, and I think the Pacific will again
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: kind of falter a little bit. But yeah, it's worrisome, man.
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: I don't.
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: Love the makeup of their roster. You know, I think
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: they still have a lot of talent and they'll be fine.
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: But I don't know, man. I just don't know. And
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: we'll see what Quinn does. But they have to get
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: it done soon because I don't know if you want
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: that hanging over Quinn's head and over this team's head,
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: you know, come mid-December.
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: It's a lot of unease right now for the Wild fans.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: And to Nate's point, if Guerin doesn't get it done,
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: then he'll trade him. Bill Guerin's not stupid. If you're
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: not going to commit to us, then I'm going to
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: flip you right now so I can get some value.
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: He's not going to let Quinn Hughes get out of
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: town without getting something major for him. So this is
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: gut check time on all sides. Either Garen goes, all right,
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: you get the deal done, I'll give you all I can,
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: $ 16 million a year. If not, I'm flipping you, and
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: we'll just get it done. The one thing about Garen
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: is he's shown he's got the stones to make aggressive moves.
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: And I would not feel particularly comfortable if I'm a
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Minnesota Wild fan right now.
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, do you think teams are going to spend money, though? Correct.
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: Are they going to give up players for one year?
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: Correct.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: Quinn Hughes. Like, Quinn Hughes is not a rental.
• 14:48
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: Unless you're a team that thinks you can win the
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: cup and you're like, fuck it.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: Three first-round picks just to get Quinn and just we'll get–
• 14:58
  Speaker 3: if we lose him, we lose him, but we're going
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: to guarantee a cup. I don't know if there's GMs
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: that are stupid enough to do that. So I think
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: he's in a lot tougher spot than people think. He's
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: going to have to be a sign-in trade.
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: 100% right.
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: All right.
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: In the last episode of the U.S. Olympic group chat, J.D.
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: 's favorite, Another member of that historic gold medal team
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: could be on the move in a statement released through
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: his agent last Thursday. When these things go public, by
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: the way, they're never a good thing. Three-time best in winter. Right, J.D.?
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: Just keep it quiet. We all know what's going on here.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Three-time best in winter 2025 Hartshope winner Connor Hellebuyck said
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: he requested a trade from the Jets months ago. The
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: Jets responded that day with a statement saying, Connor has
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: been openly less about his desire for a change. He's
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: been an important part of the Winnipeg Jets organization for
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: many years. We have tremendous respect for what he has
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: accomplished here. while we still continue to work through the
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: situation in a thoughtful manner, there's no update at this time.
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: So what happens next? Hellebuck, five years left, $ 8. 5 million
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: per year on his current contract, and he's coming off
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: the worst season of his career, and he's in his
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: early 30s. J.D., this is a mess all around for Hellebuck.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it was funny.
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: I was thinking of this the other day. Actually, I
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: did a radio spot with, somewhere in Toronto. And the
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: guy said, he said this line and I kind of
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: started laughing. I was like, you know what? It's so
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: fucking true. It's like that missed shot by Nathan McKinnon has,
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: has caused like the, has changed the landscape of the NHL.
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: Has it not changed the landscape.
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: Of the NHL?
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: So if he scores that.
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: Goal, USA is getting dog walked in that gold medal game.
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: They're getting out chance. If he scores that goal, Canada wins.
• 16:34
  Speaker 3: Do you think Brady Kachuk and all these guys can
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: go and request trades?
• 16:37
  Speaker 4: No.
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: Do you think they have the balls because they were
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: partying at 11 for five straight nights, went to the
• 16:42
  Speaker 3: White House? Do you think they have the nuts to
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: go and ask for a trade like they're doing? I
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: don't know if they do. Not to say that these
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: guys don't have power and they can't force a hand,
• 16:51
  Speaker 3: but I feel like that missed shot by Nate McKinnon
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: has changed the landscape of the NHL. I don't love
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: this one by Connor Hellebuck because I'm like, you're just.
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: unless there's like.
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: A lot of Tom fuckery going on behind the scenes,
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: you know what I mean? And like, they're really screwing
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: around with them, Nate. And they're not really, they're dragging
• 17:10
  Speaker 3: their feet.
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: I like, I don't love where the jets are, but
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: I also don't hate it because I think this Vigo
• 17:20
  Speaker 3: Bjork is going to surprise a lot of people. They
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: got a lot of young players. They're going to be talented.
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: They got some good veteran pieces. I don't know why
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: Connor would want to leave this year. Maybe wait till
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: next year, but, it's just a bad look. Like his
• 17:33
  Speaker 3: interview where he was like, I want to be here
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: for my career and win a cup. And then you
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: turn around and you ask for a trade. It's like,
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: they didn't fucking take you behind the woodshed in like
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: spank you in public or like, they didn't like humiliate you.
• 17:46
  Speaker 3: Like you, they rolled out the red carpet. So I
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: don't know. I, it doesn't sit right with me, Nate. Um,
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: I don't know what your thoughts are on it, but.
• 17:54
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, it's a tough one for Winnipeg fans too,
• 17:57
  Speaker 5: and I don't know if you guys read about that,
• 17:59
  Speaker 5: how his wife and how he got so much kickback
• 18:03
  Speaker 5: from the fans being on the U.S. team and obviously
• 18:07
  Speaker 5: all the hate they got. Brady mentioned it too, but
• 18:12
  Speaker 5: I know that had to be a big factor, but
• 18:13
  Speaker 5: you're right. I think that's the part that leaves everyone
• 18:17
  Speaker 5: sour is when he comes out and says, I want
• 18:20
  Speaker 5: to be here, I want to be a part of
• 18:21
  Speaker 5: the team, I want to win a cup here, and
• 18:23
  Speaker 5: then says, you know, things go wrong. And he's, you know,
• 18:26
  Speaker 5: when we're really, things haven't gone wrong for the Winnipeg
• 18:29
  Speaker 5: Jets in a while. Like they've been making the playoffs,
• 18:31
  Speaker 5: they've been successful. And then, you know, kind of last
• 18:34
  Speaker 5: couple of years, things have fallen off. And now it's like, okay,
• 18:37
  Speaker 5: you know, I kind of, I want out. And that's
• 18:40
  Speaker 5: kind of what everyone's been doing right now. So I
• 18:42
  Speaker 5: think that is, that's the big one. And that's kind
• 18:45
  Speaker 5: of why I guess you look at it now and you,
• 18:47
  Speaker 5: when everyone's scratching their head going, why did they get
• 18:50
  Speaker 5: Stuart Skinner? And now we know for sure why.
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: Skin man.
• 18:55
  Speaker 5: And, you know, he steps in for Connor Hellebuck, and
• 18:58
  Speaker 5: now you wonder what team, right? Like, I don't know.
• 19:02
  Speaker 5: What teams? That's a big one for me. Like, I mean,
• 19:07
  Speaker 5: and is it a three-way trade? Like, is it involved Minnesota, too,
• 19:11
  Speaker 5: or Detroit? Is there a way that happens? This just
• 19:16
  Speaker 5: gets really interesting before the season starts.
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: You know what?
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: That's a good thing you said there about, like, you know,
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: I think– the NHL has kind of been shielded for
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: politics getting in the way of a lot of stuff.
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: And we've kind of done a good job of staying away.
• 19:31
  Speaker 3: And now it's starting to come more to the forefront.
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: I think this, and I think that team USA win
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: with the cash Patel on the phone and them going,
• 19:39
  Speaker 3: you know, you know, a couple of the guys are
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: wearing MAGA hats and, and it is what it is.
• 19:43
  Speaker 3: Do what you want to do. Again, they're my, my
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: stance is firm on politics. They all want your money.
• 19:48
  Speaker 4: That's it.
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: But, I could understand that people get really hot and
• 19:52
  Speaker 3: bothered about it and they take such a personal offense
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: to an American on.
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: A Canadian team. So you're right. Maybe the wife could have.
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: Got sour, and sometimes that's all it takes.
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: And the wife.
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: Says, I want the fuck out of here. you have power,
• 20:13
  Speaker 3: let's get out of here, and that's enough. So, yeah,
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: I don't love it, but, yeah, I also maybe just
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: didn't see the side there that those guys did take
• 20:21
  Speaker 3: a lot of flack from the Canadian markets.
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: And I would agree with you, JD. Like, that's a
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: bad look from Canadians. Like, seriously, just because our country
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: lost these guys, you're going to, like, chirp them and
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: boo them and stuff? Like, they're playing for their country. Like,
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: the other day, the guy's a proud American. Like, sorry. Like,
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: do you think Canadians are being booed in U.S.
• 20:37
  Speaker 6: Cities?
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: Like, that's ridiculous if that actually happens. So, Shame on
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: the Jets fans. But what I'm hoping for, ultimately, Tal,
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: I want to see Halibut not get traded. And then
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: I want to see the reception at Canada Life Center.
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: It's going to be unbelievable. It's going to be unbelievable.
• 20:52
  Speaker 6: Well, you thought the Red Wings were digging in their
• 20:54
  Speaker 6: heels with Dylan Larkin. Kevin Sheveldayoff is not giving this
• 20:58
  Speaker 6: guy away. I mean, you'll remember a few years ago
• 21:00
  Speaker 6: they had Pierre-Luc Dubois who wanted out of Winnipeg. And
• 21:04
  Speaker 6: they got a nice package back for him, including Gabe Velarde,
• 21:06
  Speaker 6: who's a huge part of that team. I was just
• 21:08
  Speaker 6: going to say not to excuse Canadians' behavior post-Olympics, but
• 21:13
  Speaker 6: I think it wasn't just about Americans beating Canada. I
• 21:17
  Speaker 6: think part of the narrative we saw with Austin, too,
• 21:20
  Speaker 6: when he came back was, oh, you're going to go
• 21:22
  Speaker 6: all out for your country in the Olympics, but when
• 21:24
  Speaker 6: it comes to doing that in the playoffs for our team,
• 21:26
  Speaker 6: you're not quite up to the task. Listen, I'm not
• 21:30
  Speaker 6: excusing the behavior. It's bush league to go after a
• 21:33
  Speaker 6: guy and his wife after one of the greatest accomplishments
• 21:35
  Speaker 6: in his career. But I think part of it was
• 21:37
  Speaker 6: more not just the bitterness of losing at the Olympics,
• 21:40
  Speaker 6: but also the idea like, why can't this guy do
• 21:42
  Speaker 6: it in the playoffs for us? And then goes out
• 21:46
  Speaker 6: and puts out one of the greatest goaltending performances in
• 21:49
  Speaker 6: the history of international hockey against Canada.
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: Nate missed that shot.
• 21:54
  Speaker 4: And this is it.
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: We're not talking about this.
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: Nothing. None of the Canadiens fans shit on Brady. None
• 22:01
  Speaker 3: of the Canadiens fans shit on Hellebuck. They don't ask
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: for trades. Everything's right in the world. The timeline has shifted.
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: We're in the multiverse.
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: CERN has hit. We're screwed right now.
• 22:12
  Speaker 6: We'll get that time machine ready for you, JD. We'll
• 22:15
  Speaker 6: get the time machine.
• 22:16
  Speaker 4: Ready for you.
• 22:16
  Speaker 5: I will say, from my time being in Winnipeg, I
• 22:19
  Speaker 5: was there when Chevrolet Op traded Patrick Laine for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
• 22:23
  Speaker 4: He is not afraid. to make a deal.
• 22:25
  Speaker 5: Like if a guy doesn't want to be there, he's
• 22:27
  Speaker 5: going to make the deal and it's going to get done.
• 22:29
  Speaker 5: But like you said, Tal, to your point, like he's
• 22:31
  Speaker 5: not going to give him away.
• 22:33
  Speaker 4: He's going to get something good back for him.
• 22:34
  Speaker 5: But I fully expect Connor Hellebuck to be gone out
• 22:37
  Speaker 5: of Winnipeg with how they've handled things in the past too.
• 22:40
  Speaker 4: So we'll see.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: All right, one more topic. We'll take a quick break.
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: A little bit of news bites here. The Devils acquire
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: Luke Evangelista from Nashville for a conditional first and a
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: second in 2028. 24-year-old winger had career highs last season,
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: 44 assists, 56 points. A deep Devils forward unit added
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: Evan Rodriguez and Anthony Mantha this summer. The Blues also
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: named Robert Thomas, the 25th captain in team history, replacing
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Braden Shen, who was traded to the Islanders last season. Nate,
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: thoughts on either of these moves?
• 23:08
  Speaker 5: I think for New Jersey, I think it's a really
• 23:10
  Speaker 5: good move. I mean, he was, you know, one of
• 23:13
  Speaker 5: Nashville's better players last year. I mean, had, like you said,
• 23:16
  Speaker 5: 54 points. He played with Stamkos a lot of the
• 23:18
  Speaker 5: year last season. Like he's a good young offensive player
• 23:20
  Speaker 5: who I think is going to be in their top nine.
• 23:22
  Speaker 5: So this is a great pickup for Jersey. And then
• 23:26
  Speaker 5: for the Robert Thomas situation, I think that's great. I
• 23:28
  Speaker 5: think that to pick him as a captain, you know,
• 23:33
  Speaker 5: I look at him as a player now that, you know,
• 23:35
  Speaker 5: I remember when he, when they were in the playoffs,
• 23:38
  Speaker 5: when they went on that run against Winnipeg, you know,
• 23:40
  Speaker 5: and he went on that really good run where he
• 23:42
  Speaker 5: almost made the, I think it was a four nations roster.
• 23:46
  Speaker 5: And they were talking about him, you know, and his
• 23:47
  Speaker 5: relationship with Jim Montgomery and how he wanted to be,
• 23:50
  Speaker 5: you know, similar to Patrice Bergeron around out his game.
• 23:53
  Speaker 5: And now, you know, getting to see sometimes, you know,
• 23:55
  Speaker 5: for these guys, it can, it can elevate their game.
• 23:58
  Speaker 5: And maybe for Robert Thomas, it'll do the same. I
• 24:00
  Speaker 5: think it's a good pick for a young core group
• 24:03
  Speaker 5: of players. They have, that's coming up in the St.
• 24:05
  Speaker 5: Louis blues team. Like you said, JD, it was going
• 24:06
  Speaker 5: to be pretty good.
• 24:08
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: I'm going to go the evangelista route.
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: I am, I kind of was a little light in
• 24:14
  Speaker 3: my loafers on the New Jersey Devils, and I don't know, man.
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: I'm kind of looking at this roster right now.
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: Rodriguez, I think, sneaky pickup.
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: I think it's really going to hinge on the goaltending
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: and Jake Allen, and he was the better of the two,
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: but now he's got to carry the male.
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: I think Luke Hughes takes a step forward. He stays healthy.
• 24:36
  Speaker 3: I think if Brett Pesci, those are man-size ifs, but
• 24:39
  Speaker 3: they got a decent decor. This team might surprise some people,
• 24:43
  Speaker 3: and Sheldon Keefe, who is, yeah, he's still the coach here,
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: Sheldon Keefe.
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: He is for now.
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, for now.
• 24:49
  Speaker 3: I think it's going to be, he's got tons of
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: talent up front.
• 24:54
  Speaker 4: So much.
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: They've got a boatload of skill.
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: So I'm going to see, it's going to be interesting
• 24:58
  Speaker 3: to see if that skill can translate. But I, man, I, listen,
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: I like that team right now. I like their lineup.
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: They're going to be very, and we'll see what Anthony
• 25:09
  Speaker 3: Mantha can do. The man on a one-year deal who
• 25:12
  Speaker 3: is unstoppable, can he do it with a newly minted contract?
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: Maybe they add Connor Hellebuck.
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: Fuck!
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: Luke Hughes for Hellebuck? Luke Hughes for Hellebuck, would you
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: do it? But you can't do that because Jack won't
• 25:27
  Speaker 3: accept that. No, that won't happen. What about Jesper Bratt and.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, they don't have much to give. They'd
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: have to give... They'd have to give some....
• 25:41
  Speaker 3: Because Winnipeg wants an impactful forward, an impact defenseman.
• 25:49
  Speaker 5: The young defenseman, Nikita, how do you say his last name?
• 25:56
  Speaker 4: Oh, Gritsuk? Gritsuk, Gritsuk.
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: Oh, that forward? Yeah, that little lefty, Gritsuk?
• 26:00
  Speaker 4: Gritsuk, not D, yeah, forward Gritsuk. I'm thinking of Nikita.
• 26:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, in the system, they don't have a ton.
• 26:05
  Speaker 3: They got Riddich in the, you know, I mean, they
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: don't got much, but.
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: Oh, interesting. That's interesting. This is an interesting day for us.
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: Good conversation, guys. Continue.
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: This is what we're getting here, J.D., now that September
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: has come. I mean, listen, training camp right around the corner.
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: We'll get into this. So now, with the NHL season
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: weeks away, we'll do little preseason predictions when we come back.
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: Biggest surprise, biggest disappointment, and the one that I always love,
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: breakout players. Coming up next, NHL Unscripted. NHL Unscripted With
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: opening night slated for September 29th, seems like a perfect
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: time to get a little preseason predictions going. So, get
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: them right. We look great. If not, we're a bunch
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: of schmucks. Who cares? Who's going to hold us accountable
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: to this?
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: Okay, we'll do what we want.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: Biggest surprise out of the gate. Which of these teams
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: most likely not just make the playoffs, but go on
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: a little run? Now, the candidates include the Panthers. I'm disqualified.
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: Everyone knows the Panthers are going to be great. But
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: I'll throw in the Leafs, the Blues, which J.D. just
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: said he thinks the Blues are going to be very good.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: The Jets, which I don't know what's going to happen
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: there with Connor Helbuck being traded. The Sharks. The Sharks.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: Demers is a soft spot for his former guys. The
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: team that I'm picking, the Washington Capitals. The Capitals are back.
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: They're going to be a force to be reckoned with.
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: That's a fucking low-hanging fruit. Like, they had the best offseason.
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: What are you, drunk?
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: Well, the Capitals are going to be back, okay? They
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: were great two seasons ago. Now they're back. Oh, you
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: want to take the Leafs? Take the Leafs then.
• 27:28
  Speaker 4: Ooh.
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: Who do I like that's going to surprise some people?
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Leafs, Blues, Jet Sharks.
• 27:32
  Speaker 2: Just so we know, I picked Anaheim last year.
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: Correct.
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: And we were right.
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: You know who you like a lot is Utah. I'm
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: going to guess you say Utah.
• 27:39
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, Utah, I think Utah is going to really
• 27:43
  Speaker 3: surprise some people. And then I think, listen, I think
• 27:47
  Speaker 3: the Toronto Maple Leafs make it back to the playoffs.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: Wow, you are taking the bait. He took the bait, yes.
• 27:52
  Speaker 4: I think they do. That's a good one.
• 27:54
  Speaker 3: And please don't clip this because anytime we clip the
• 27:59
  Speaker 3: Maple Leafs stuff, it doesn't do good on my Instagram page.
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: Just leave it off.
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: Okay, people don't love it. The McKinnon-Barkoff stuff, they loved it.
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: And they're going to love it. And Nate said Makar
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: is the best player.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: In the NFL. That was great. That was good.
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: He's fucked.
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: I can't wait for the Edmonton Oilers fans. Bob Stauffer
• 28:15
  Speaker 3: is going to call you right away.
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: Come at me.
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: Excellent Bob Stauffer shout-out.
• 28:20
  Speaker 4: Come at me.
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: No, I like Toronto.
• 28:23
  Speaker 3: I do think Toronto, I think their power play is
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: going to have something they haven't had in a long
• 28:28
  Speaker 3: time with Darren Radish. And then also McKenna is going
• 28:32
  Speaker 3: to be dishing out to Amats, and if Amats just
• 28:35
  Speaker 3: uncorks that shot and gets open, I think we could
• 28:38
  Speaker 3: see an Amats back to 50 goals and Toronto back
• 28:41
  Speaker 3: in the playoffs.
• 28:43
  Speaker 4: I like those picks. I'm going to go off the
• 28:45
  Speaker 4: board on this list, and I'm going to say New
• 28:47
  Speaker 4: Jersey Devils.
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: There it is.
• 28:49
  Speaker 4: New Jersey Devils. Okay, we're in. I think.
• 28:52
  Speaker 5: They're going to make a deal for a goalie somehow,
• 28:54
  Speaker 5: some way, make them better, and I think other than that,
• 28:59
  Speaker 5: they're sitting pretty, and I think that they could be
• 29:00
  Speaker 5: a team that makes the playoffs and make a run.
• 29:02
  Speaker 5: I think that they're going to be I mean, you
• 29:04
  Speaker 5: guys mentioned the Caps and Panthers being the obvious choice
• 29:07
  Speaker 5: of getting back to the playoffs, but I think I
• 29:09
  Speaker 5: put them in probably that third spot in the Metro
• 29:12
  Speaker 5: behind Washington, Carolina, whoever's one and two, I think.
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: I think Jersey's in that third spot.
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: I got another one for you. You ready for this one?
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: This is my wall.
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: You already had the Leafs show. Go ahead.
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: Well, I had the Leafs.
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: We'll go each division.
• 29:26
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: Don't fucking start with me.
• 29:28
  Speaker 4: We got no guess.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: No, because what's going to happen is if you're wrong
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: in the Leafs, you'll go, well, I got that one right.
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, fine.
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: Well, I'll go each division for you.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: He's hedging his bet right now.
• 29:36
  Speaker 4: He's hedging right now.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: Make one pick. How about four? Okay.
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: We have no guests. Why don't we do one surprise?
• 29:42
  Speaker 4: I'm going to hedge my surprise.
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: I'm going to hedge everything. So Toronto might miss the
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: playoffs too. No, I'm going to go. If they can
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: fix this, and I don't know if they're going to
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: be able to.
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: They're not going to be able to.
• 29:58
  Speaker 2: With their top winger.
• 30:00
  Speaker 3: Goal-scoring winger, if they can't fix it and they can
• 30:03
  Speaker 3: get a good trade, I'm still bullish on the Columbus
• 30:06
  Speaker 3: Blue Jackets.
• 30:07
  Speaker 4: Wow.
• 30:08
  Speaker 3: I think Columbus surprises, and they iron out all that
• 30:11
  Speaker 3: nonsense with bonus. Marchenko gets traded. I know he really
• 30:14
  Speaker 3: wants to go to Montreal. So what are they going
• 30:17
  Speaker 3: to get back for Marchenko? They'll probably get a haul
• 30:20
  Speaker 3: for him. They'll probably get a couple. They might get
• 30:22
  Speaker 3: a player or two. You could see, you know, I'm
• 30:27
  Speaker 3: trying to think who's there that they could maybe get,
• 30:29
  Speaker 3: but you could see a new hook go the other way,
• 30:32
  Speaker 3: as well as, like, maybe a Struble, a new hook
• 30:37
  Speaker 3: and a Struble, something on the back end. You could
• 30:39
  Speaker 3: see maybe an Arbor Jack guy.
• 30:40
  Speaker 4: Nice.
• 30:42
  Speaker 3: And new hook for Marchenko and maybe a pick. I
• 30:45
  Speaker 3: think Marchenko's going to command a lot, but, yeah, maybe
• 30:49
  Speaker 3: a Michael Hage for Marchenko.
• 30:51
  Speaker 4: Maybe another D, too.
• 30:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but I think Columbus....
• 30:57
  Speaker 3: I think the Russians are going to get them there
• 30:59
  Speaker 3: this year.
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: The Russians do like to stick together. Tal has a
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: team nobody's mentioned yet for a big surprise. Go ahead, Pinchowski.
• 31:05
  Speaker 6: Surprise no one's mentioned.
• 31:06
  Speaker 2: The Shacks.
• 31:07
  Speaker 4: Nice.
• 31:08
  Speaker 6: San Jose Shacks.
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: I'm paid by them, so I can't.
• 31:11
  Speaker 6: Okay, that's fair.
• 31:13
  Speaker 2: I'm biased.
• 31:13
  Speaker 6: Company guy. Listen, the Pacific Division is garbage. I think
• 31:18
  Speaker 6: they did a great job kind of getting some vets
• 31:21
  Speaker 6: in on that team over the summer. I think Max
• 31:25
  Speaker 6: Selle has a nice shot at an Art Ross trophy
• 31:27
  Speaker 6: this season. I think, you know, they're trending upwards, and
• 31:30
  Speaker 6: that's a team I see not just making the playoffs,
• 31:33
  Speaker 6: potentially surprising some people. I also picked Calgary as a
• 31:37
  Speaker 6: dark horse last season.
• 31:38
  Speaker 4: Wow.
• 31:38
  Speaker 3: I love when Tal did that last year. No, I
• 31:40
  Speaker 3: love that pick. That was a great pick. That could
• 31:43
  Speaker 3: be the worst pick of all time. That pick looked
• 31:45
  Speaker 3: bad by, like, the middle of October. So, you know,
• 31:48
  Speaker 3: take it for what it's worth. But props to Shaqs.
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: I like Tom bringing up his lousy pick from a
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: year ago. That takes integrity. Go ahead, J.D.
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: What are you upset?
• 31:57
  Speaker 3: You don't think the Anaheim Ducks' decor has improved from
• 32:00
  Speaker 3: last season?
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: You don't think they're going to make a run?
• 32:04
  Speaker 4: I do not.
• 32:04
  Speaker 3: I mean, what about L.A.? Nate, you know L.A. the
• 32:07
  Speaker 3: most out of any of us. What do you think
• 32:09
  Speaker 3: of L.A.? No.
• 32:11
  Speaker 2: I'm on the fence. Can't be at center, I heard.
• 32:14
  Speaker 4: I'm on the fence with that as well. Yeah, and
• 32:16
  Speaker 4: they should. I mean, I... Adrian Kepi.
• 32:19
  Speaker 5: Has played center before in the past. They started him
• 32:21
  Speaker 5: at center as a prospect, and that's where he– I mean,
• 32:23
  Speaker 5: even when I played with him when I was there,
• 32:24
  Speaker 5: they had him at center. But I just think he's
• 32:25
  Speaker 5: a better-served winger. So, I mean, the big thing is
• 32:29
  Speaker 5: is Quinton Byfield, right? Quinton Byfield has to be the guy.
• 32:33
  Speaker 5: I think adding Eric Holla, Zuccarello, those guys, that's going
• 32:36
  Speaker 5: to help. But the other question for me too is–
• 32:40
  Speaker 5: That's another one I thought of for goaltending was Hellebuck
• 32:43
  Speaker 5: going to L.A. because Darcy Kemper being his last year,
• 32:46
  Speaker 5: I think this is the last year of his deal,
• 32:50
  Speaker 5: and health with him. I wonder, and like you said,
• 32:54
  Speaker 5: the big thing for L.A. is that they are in
• 32:57
  Speaker 5: a weak Pacific division. That helps them, and the fact
• 33:00
  Speaker 5: that the Ducks didn't get better over the offseason helps them,
• 33:04
  Speaker 5: but I put them in also, I guess, flashing red
• 33:08
  Speaker 5: of missing the playoffs, too.
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: Exactly. They're going to miss the playoffs. This is a team,
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: if you discount all the loser points they got, there
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: were 12 games under.
• 33:16
  Speaker 4: 500.
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Like, this is one of the all-time jokes that
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: the Kings made the playoffs last year.
• 33:21
  Speaker 2: They're not going to get it.
• 33:23
  Speaker 3: So we're saying, basically, three teams from the Pacific will
• 33:26
  Speaker 3: make it in.
• 33:28
  Speaker 2: We don't think Seattle is a shot? No.
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: Kraken, no. That's going to get us to the... Go ahead.
• 33:33
  Speaker 2: You don't think Bobby McMahon can get them there?
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: Okay, let's get to the teams that made the playoffs
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: last season. Most likely to miss out this season. Candidates
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: include the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ducks, the aforementioned Kings,
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: and Nate was on with Ashlyn Sullivan, so he can't
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: pick the Flyers. He's been giving some good Flyers content
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: on IG. Love Ashlyn Sullivan. Great job on Flyers games.
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: Go ahead, Nate. You get first pick. I'm going to
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: call the Penguins. It was a great story a season ago.
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: They were a pleasant surprise. Now they're going to realize
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: they're not that good. The Penguins are making the playoffs.
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: Go ahead, Nate.
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: Dick, Big Dick, Muse.
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: We loved Muse a year ago. That was our guy.
• 34:05
  Speaker 4: I picked the Pens, too. I did.
• 34:08
  Speaker 5: But, I mean, and I say that because can lightning
• 34:11
  Speaker 5: strike in a bottle twice for them?
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: No, no.
• 34:13
  Speaker 5: You know, like everything went right for them last season,
• 34:15
  Speaker 5: and can that happen again?
• 34:16
  Speaker 4: I don't know. I mean, is it possible that.
• 34:19
  Speaker 5: They're going to have to hit on the guys that,
• 34:23
  Speaker 5: you know, that they've signed, that the guys that– free agents,
• 34:26
  Speaker 5: you know, young guys.
• 34:27
  Speaker 4: I mean, I don't know. That one makes me very skeptical.
• 34:30
  Speaker 5: I mean, if I'm going to pick somebody else since
• 34:33
  Speaker 5: you've got the Penguins, maybe I'm.
• 34:35
  Speaker 4: Going to say the Senators. Yes.
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: No Brady.
• 34:39
  Speaker 4: The Sens possibly.
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: Brady revenge tour?
• 34:42
  Speaker 4: Yeah. I don't know.
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: I don't know.
• 34:43
  Speaker 4: Maybe the Sens. That's another team I could see missing.
• 34:47
  Speaker 3: Big year by– I think big year by Bath or Sens.
• 34:50
  Speaker 3: I don't know. I think Ottawa's going to be fine.
• 34:53
  Speaker 3: I think they're one of the better coach teams. I'm
• 34:55
  Speaker 3: going to tell you who I'm going.
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: To go with, Nate.
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: I do love Travis Green.
• 34:58
  Speaker 4: I know who you're going with.
• 34:59
  Speaker 2: Who am I going with?
• 35:02
  Speaker 4: Fly guys.
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, fly guys. Yeah, buddy! Bye-bye Flyers.
• 35:08
  Speaker 2: They did a bye-bye Flyers.
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: A quiet offseason.
• 35:12
  Speaker 2: I commend Danny.
• 35:13
  Speaker 3: Breer for going for Leo Carlson, but in doing that,
• 35:17
  Speaker 3: they missed out on a lot of other players.
• 35:19
  Speaker 2: Do they still.
• 35:20
  Speaker 3: There's still, I mean, the other thing we're going to
• 35:21
  Speaker 3: talk about, there's a lot of free agents on the
• 35:23
  Speaker 3: board still that are guys without contracts that might take
• 35:26
  Speaker 3: PTOs that are some good. Vladdy Tarasenko, there's some guys
• 35:30
  Speaker 3: that are out there that are not signed.
• 35:31
  Speaker 2: But I don't love Philly's decor.
• 35:34
  Speaker 3: I think they punched out of their weight class last year.
• 35:37
  Speaker 3: I don't think they're deep enough. I think they, you know,
• 35:40
  Speaker 3: they were very structured. Talk had them well coached. They
• 35:44
  Speaker 3: played kind of a sit back and they leaned heavily
• 35:47
  Speaker 3: on Vladar. Can Vladar do what he did last year?
• 35:50
  Speaker 5: I think Vladar is just, I think they have wall
• 35:52
  Speaker 5: to wall too, but.
• 35:53
  Speaker 3: I think they struck gold with what I think they
• 35:55
  Speaker 3: struck gold with Vladar. I think Vladar really came into
• 35:58
  Speaker 3: his own, that big goaltender, but I just don't know
• 36:00
  Speaker 3: if it's enough. I don't know if it's enough. I
• 36:03
  Speaker 3: think they struggle. I think Columbus is a team that
• 36:06
  Speaker 3: gets better. I think Jersey gets better. I just don't
• 36:09
  Speaker 3: think that they're in that, you know, they're in a
• 36:13
  Speaker 3: good spot and then the Atlantic is going to be
• 36:15
  Speaker 3: very good. I think there'll be some good teams in
• 36:17
  Speaker 3: the Atlantic. So, to me, I think Philly's the team
• 36:20
  Speaker 3: for me that misses.
• 36:22
  Speaker 4: All right.
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: Next up for you, J.D., breakout players.
• 36:24
  Speaker 2: Nate had some. Nate had the finger up. He had
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: the finger waggle.
• 36:28
  Speaker 4: I've got to give it to him.
• 36:29
  Speaker 5: I was listening to Chicklets, and I was listening to
• 36:32
  Speaker 5: the Carberry interview, and he made a pretty interesting point
• 36:35
  Speaker 5: about how if you look at the Eastern Conference, every
• 36:39
  Speaker 5: single team expects– to make the playoffs when you look
• 36:43
  Speaker 5: at it. You look at every single team and it's like,
• 36:45
  Speaker 5: we need to make the playoffs, we need to make
• 36:46
  Speaker 5: the playoffs, we need to make the playoffs. If you
• 36:48
  Speaker 5: look at it, that's the expectation. So the Eastern Conference
• 36:51
  Speaker 5: this season could be just as wild as it was
• 36:53
  Speaker 5: last season.
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it could end up being that. We look at
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: the breakout players. Which player most likely a breakout this season? JD,
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: Michael Mesa, your boy. I know you like him a lot.
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: Ben Kendall, Easton Cowan. We get to.
• 37:09
  Speaker 3: Wait, the Rangers.
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: Wait, I got to double back. The Rangers expect to
• 37:12
  Speaker 2: make the playoffs?
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: Every team expects to make it, yes.
• 37:15
  Speaker 2: Rangers ain't making the playoffs, let's be honest.
• 37:17
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 37:18
  Speaker 2: Rangers are fucking... Shisterkin's going to take.
• 37:20
  Speaker 3: He's going to arrest the last 20 games again, and
• 37:23
  Speaker 3: they'll be done.
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: Nothing against them.
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: I love Zane Perak. Zane Perak with the towels, flames.
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: Are we going players that break out?
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you're going to take Michael Mesa.
• 37:35
  Speaker 6: Uh.
• 37:36
  Speaker 3: No, I think Misa's turning into a really good two-way center.
• 37:40
  Speaker 3: If you want me to go, I'll go someone from
• 37:42
  Speaker 3: the Sharks. I think Sam Dickinson has a breakout season.
• 37:45
  Speaker 3: I think he's a big year. He rounds out the
• 37:47
  Speaker 3: offensive side. And my pick in the East, I think,
• 37:51
  Speaker 3: is going to be, per Daryl Demers.
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: Nice. Dad's coming in.
• 37:56
  Speaker 2: I think Ivan Demidov, the demigod, has.
• 37:58
  Speaker 3: A fucking explosive year. Where we're like, what the shit?
• 38:04
  Speaker 3: I think he's a point of game. That'd be awesome
• 38:06
  Speaker 3: to see. I'd love that pick.
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: All right, go ahead, Nate.
• 38:09
  Speaker 4: I'll go in the West. I'll go Calgary, Zane Parekh. Yes.
• 38:12
  Speaker 5: I think he's going to get a big chunk of
• 38:14
  Speaker 5: ice time. I think even with Simone Nemech being there,
• 38:17
  Speaker 5: I think that's going to help him, and he's going
• 38:19
  Speaker 5: to have a breakout year because of that. And in
• 38:21
  Speaker 5: the East, I'm going to go off the board. I'm
• 38:23
  Speaker 5: going to say Gabe Perrault is going to have a
• 38:26
  Speaker 5: breakout year this year for the Rangers.
• 38:27
  Speaker 3: Also, that's why you said every team thinks you're going
• 38:29
  Speaker 3: to make the playoffs because.
• 38:30
  Speaker 2: Gabe Perrault and the Rangers.
• 38:31
  Speaker 5: I think that the Rangers played some good hockey down
• 38:33
  Speaker 5: the stretch last season at the end of the year.
• 38:35
  Speaker 5: And I think that it's possible that they think that
• 38:37
  Speaker 5: they're going to be battling.
• 38:39
  Speaker 4: For a playoff spot. At least.
• 38:41
  Speaker 3: When I was with the Coyotes for those first two years,
• 38:45
  Speaker 3: and we were statistically out of the playoffs in November,
• 38:47
  Speaker 3: we played some great hockey down the stretch, too.
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: Because everybody had.
• 38:51
  Speaker 3: Their fucking rookie party in Arizona before they played us.
• 38:55
  Speaker 4: True.
• 38:55
  Speaker 3: And they're all hung. I've never seen more hungover guys
• 38:58
  Speaker 3: I was playing against.
• 38:59
  Speaker 4: In my career. I'm just trying to give Gabe Perreault
• 39:00
  Speaker 4: some love.
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: I like it. I like to give Gabe Perreault, yeah.
• 39:03
  Speaker 2: But I like a pro. Who else do you, what
• 39:05
  Speaker 2: do you got?
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: Tal?
• 39:06
  Speaker 4: Yeah, who you got, Tal?
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: Tal won Demidoff probably, but go ahead.
• 39:10
  Speaker 6: I'd love to see Demidoff have like a point per
• 39:13
  Speaker 6: game season. But no, I was going to go with
• 39:16
  Speaker 6: Anton Frondel in Chicago. He had nine points in 12
• 39:20
  Speaker 6: games when he joined the team last season. He's going
• 39:23
  Speaker 6: to get a lot of ice time. They're just going
• 39:25
  Speaker 6: to hand the reins to him. Bedard doesn't look like
• 39:26
  Speaker 6: he's even going to start the season.
• 39:28
  Speaker 4: No.
• 39:28
  Speaker 6: So he's going to be one of their big guns
• 39:30
  Speaker 6: up front. So they're just going to let him do
• 39:33
  Speaker 6: his thing out there. I think, is he considered, he
• 39:36
  Speaker 6: played 12 games last year. Is he considered a rookie
• 39:38
  Speaker 6: this year? He must be, right? I think so. That's
• 39:41
  Speaker 6: a potential Calder front runner. I like Zach Benson and
• 39:45
  Speaker 6: Buffalo to build on what he did last year.
• 39:48
  Speaker 2: He started scratching the surface a bit. Talking about teams
• 39:51
  Speaker 2: we're disappointed in.
• 39:53
  Speaker 6: Well, I was going to bring them up. Can Buffalo
• 39:55
  Speaker 6: do that again?
• 39:56
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 39:57
  Speaker 2: No, I don't know.
• 39:59
  Speaker 6: But I think he'll have a great year. And they'll
• 40:01
  Speaker 6: need it because Tuck is gone. Byram's gone. So he's
• 40:04
  Speaker 6: going to have to become like a marquee guy for
• 40:08
  Speaker 6: that team now. And I think he'll step up and
• 40:09
  Speaker 6: do it. I don't know if they'll have as much
• 40:11
  Speaker 6: team success as they did last season.
• 40:13
  Speaker 2: But I like Benson. Yeah, I think they're a bubble team.
• 40:16
  Speaker 2: I like Benson, though. He's a dog. What about, do
• 40:19
  Speaker 2: we like J.J. Paterka?
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: Well, that's what I was about to get to. So
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: that's offseason acquisition, which will make the biggest impact on
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: their new team this season. So the options are Brady Kachuk, Paterka,
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: Vinny Trochek, John Carlson, Jordan Cairo, Darnell Nurse, Jacob Truba,
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: Sergey Bobrovsky. I think you make a case, Judy, for Paterka.
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: 24 years of age. They had a long GMO forwards
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: in Utah. He goes to Boston. He'll get plenty of
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: ice time. They think he's a top six guy. Paterka
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: is a big year.
• 40:47
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he was a little bit too much
• 40:48
  Speaker 3: poopy pants for me last year. I'm more leaning Jordan
• 40:52
  Speaker 3: Cairo in D.C. I think Jordan Cairo fucking, I forgot
• 40:55
  Speaker 3: about him. I think he, we had, speaking of Carberry,
• 40:59
  Speaker 3: he's such a great interview.
• 41:01
  Speaker 2: Hey, when you talk to him, so personable.
• 41:04
  Speaker 3: We had him on the network and we asked him,
• 41:06
  Speaker 3: I was like, hey, I was like, you look so excited.
• 41:08
  Speaker 2: Just like, what do you make of your pickups?
• 41:11
  Speaker 3: And he's like, honestly, he's like, we have so much
• 41:13
  Speaker 3: of the same in the Protis, Wilson, You know, all
• 41:16
  Speaker 3: these guys, he's like, Jordan Kier, we haven't had this
• 41:18
  Speaker 3: electrifying skill on the wing with all this meat in
• 41:23
  Speaker 3: a while. And he goes, I think him, Ryan Leonard,
• 41:25
  Speaker 3: I think he's like, he's really going to thrive in
• 41:27
  Speaker 3: that system.
• 41:28
  Speaker 2: And I think he's going to do great this year.
• 41:33
  Speaker 5: I'm going to pick the older elder statesman defenseman, John Carlson.
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: 36 years of age going to Tampa Bay Lightning. You
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: love it.
• 41:41
  Speaker 3: Wow.
• 41:42
  Speaker 4: I do.
• 41:42
  Speaker 5: I think that that addition there, I think that helps
• 41:45
  Speaker 5: their power play, first off. I think you just think
• 41:47
  Speaker 5: about John Carlson and Cooch going back and forth.
• 41:50
  Speaker 2: No headman?
• 41:51
  Speaker 5: Well, I'm thinking that they're going to put John Carlson
• 41:55
  Speaker 5: on that first unit.
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: That's what I'm thinking.
• 41:57
  Speaker 2: Nate, you're not allowed in the building anymore.
• 41:59
  Speaker 4: You're not allowed in. That's what I'm thinking.
• 42:00
  Speaker 5: You're not allowed in. What's the name of that arena now?
• 42:02
  Speaker 5: You signed John Carlson to a long-term deal or a
• 42:05
  Speaker 5: decent deal for him, and... You see what he even
• 42:09
  Speaker 5: did in Anaheim last year. He was a great addition.
• 42:11
  Speaker 5: He can still do it. He can still put up numbers.
• 42:14
  Speaker 5: He can still do it. He's a great defenseman. I
• 42:16
  Speaker 5: think he's going to be a great fit in Tampa.
• 42:19
  Speaker 3: Nate, you've made three insanely hot takes today.
• 42:23
  Speaker 2: You might not be allowed in the ring.
• 42:25
  Speaker 4: I mean, think about it. Do you not like him
• 42:26
  Speaker 4: on the first unit?
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: I love him.
• 42:27
  Speaker 4: I'm not taking away from Hedy.
• 42:29
  Speaker 5: I'm not taking away from him, but him on the
• 42:30
  Speaker 5: first unit power play with With Cooch on the half wall,
• 42:34
  Speaker 5: John Carlson, right shot.
• 42:36
  Speaker 3: That's the replacement for Darren Radish, who excelled. But Victor
• 42:41
  Speaker 3: Hedman came out, and I think we have him in
• 42:43
  Speaker 3: our notes. Yes, we're going to talk about that next.
• 42:45
  Speaker 3: He's mentally healthy. What do you do with El Capitan?
• 42:49
  Speaker 3: You put him on the PP2?
• 42:50
  Speaker 2: He's going.
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: To get his PP hurt if that happens.
• 42:55
  Speaker 4: I mean, it's going to go back and forth, I'm sure.
• 42:57
  Speaker 4: I'm sure it's.
• 42:57
  Speaker 2: Going to go back and forth. Or do you put
• 43:00
  Speaker 2: Hedman up top?
• 43:01
  Speaker 3: And you put Carlson as your one-timer on the wing,
• 43:04
  Speaker 3: because they didn't really have in that Stamko spot.
• 43:07
  Speaker 4: Maybe. You could do that, too.
• 43:10
  Speaker 3: Put Pointer in the middle, because now you lost Nick Paul,
• 43:12
  Speaker 3: and you put Hagel in that front with Pointer in
• 43:15
  Speaker 3: the bumper.
• 43:16
  Speaker 5: Honestly, I think if you put John Carlson on that
• 43:19
  Speaker 5: one-timer side, that's a really good point. That's going to
• 43:21
  Speaker 5: help Braden Point produce more because of that.
• 43:26
  Speaker 2: I think so, potentially. So, I don't know.
• 43:28
  Speaker 4: Interesting. Interesting.
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: Good predictions. We'll see if we're right or not. We'll
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: have the fans tell us as NHL Unscripted continues in
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: the months ahead. When we come back, Hedman ready. We'll
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: talk more about Victor Hedman, plus give some flowers to
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: Will Smith as we wrap things up here in NHL Unscripted.
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: Time now for a little Cinephile in 60. Watch Backrooms
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: among the two horror movies that got a lot of
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: buzz this year along with Obsession. Further reason why never
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: to go to a furniture store. Chipotel, a GFR, runs
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: said furniture store and then one day realizes downstairs in
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: the basement, ah, there's a bunch of interlocking rooms and
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: it's like a big old escape room and I can't
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: get out of this place. It's a giant maze. And
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: then he goes back upstairs. He's like, I can't do
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: that again. He starts talking to his therapist. He's play-acting
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: his relationship with his ex-wife, etc. But of course, he's
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: tempted to go back down there again And then all
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: hell breaks loose. I will recommend the film and say
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: if you like horror films, it's a good example of
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: that genre. But if you're claustrophobic like me, maybe not
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: the best film to watch either because there's no place
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: to get out of that thing. Just a gigantic maze.
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: Good performances all around. My 15-year-old son loved it because
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: he loves a good little horror movie. But I will
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: say of the one-two punch of Backrooms and Obsession, I
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: did prefer Obsession because I had a stronger human element
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: to it. But good horror film overall. And I kick
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: it to J.D. whose wife, Jillian, was in a horror
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: film called Porno, which all people should see.
• 44:43
  Speaker 2: Any thoughts?
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: Go ahead.
• 44:45
  Speaker 2: No, no, my thoughts on what?
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: I was going to say, horror movies, because you're not
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: a big horror guy, but again, your wife has been
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: in a horror movie, so you know what this world
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: is like.
• 44:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. I'm just not a horror guy.
• 44:56
  Speaker 3: And that porno one that she did was kind of
• 44:59
  Speaker 3: like comedy horror.
• 45:01
  Speaker 2: You know what I mean? With the ball sack exploding
• 45:03
  Speaker 2: and everything. It was quite gory. You should check it out.
• 45:06
  Speaker 4: And it's not that gory.
• 45:07
  Speaker 2: It's not actual porno.
• 45:09
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: But it was the name of the film was porno.
• 45:12
  Speaker 4: No, I.
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: Man, the horror.
• 45:16
  Speaker 3: Is it just me, Adnan, or has the horror movie
• 45:18
  Speaker 3: genre seen a resurgence?
• 45:22
  Speaker 4: 100%.
• 45:22
  Speaker 3: And they're like... It's all downhill. Downhill in the good sense.
• 45:26
  Speaker 3: The momentum for horror movies is crazy. That obsession is.
• 45:32
  Speaker 2: I mean, isn't it.
• 45:33
  Speaker 3: It's a theme right now already. They have it at
• 45:35
  Speaker 3: some theme park.
• 45:37
  Speaker 4: It's crazy.
• 45:38
  Speaker 6: The actress is also going to be in the next
• 45:41
  Speaker 6: X-Men movie. The Star of Obsessions.
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: Indy Navarrete, yeah. $ 750, 000 budget. It's made half a billion dollars.
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: I think what a horror movie is, JD, you can
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: make it on the cheap, and then you can get
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: a great return. You can make $ 4 or $ 5 million
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: with some YouTuber, and all of a sudden it makes
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: $ 50 million. Studios are going nuts. So that's one of
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: the reasons why the horror movies are definitely a great bang.
• 46:00
  Speaker 2: For the buck.
• 46:01
  Speaker 3: Does that kind of show how the majority of people
• 46:04
  Speaker 3: in the world are just sadistic fucks?
• 46:08
  Speaker 4: I mean, you lost me at a horror movie.
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: I was about to say, it's not fitting to our
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: age group. Really, the horror genre gets big at like
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: 16 to 25. Those guys can't get enough of them.
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: And I'm like, yeah, I don't know what your generation
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: is thinking about, but.
• 46:21
  Speaker 2: Desensitized.
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we watched Nightmare on Elm Street, you know, sure,
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: Friday the 13th, but they can't get enough of these
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: horror movies.
• 46:26
  Speaker 4: It's a little bit scary.
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: Tal, I know you said you watched I Swear. Do
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: you have any other movies to recommend? I Swear is
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: currently on Netflix. I do want to check it out.
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: A film about Tourette's, but it's not a comedy, right?
• 46:35
  Speaker 4: Or is it?
• 46:36
  Speaker 6: I'm not sure. I loved it. I don't know if
• 46:37
  Speaker 6: you're supposed to be laughing at someone with Tourette's syndrome,
• 46:40
  Speaker 6: but I was cracking up the whole time. Not to
• 46:44
  Speaker 6: give away too much, but he goes to this posh
• 46:48
  Speaker 6: boarding school in the UK and the headmaster of the
• 46:51
  Speaker 6: school comes to him in the dining hall and goes,
• 46:54
  Speaker 6: are you enjoying the food in the cafeteria? And the
• 46:56
  Speaker 6: kid just spits his food out and goes, fucking shite!
• 47:00
  Speaker 6: And has like a Tourette's episode. I mean, I was
• 47:02
  Speaker 6: cracking up. I don't know if you're supposed to. But
• 47:05
  Speaker 6: I enjoyed that. I think another thing I was going
• 47:08
  Speaker 6: to recommend, and a friend of mine's in it, and
• 47:11
  Speaker 6: it's really good, and I'm not a superhero guy at all,
• 47:13
  Speaker 6: but the new Green Lantern show.
• 47:16
  Speaker 4: Hey.
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: Lanterns.
• 47:17
  Speaker 2: Dude.
• 47:18
  Speaker 4: I'm down.
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: Kyle Chandler.
• 47:20
  Speaker 4: Very good.
• 47:23
  Speaker 3: They broke it down. I'm a big comic book guy,
• 47:25
  Speaker 3: so you got me. The way they have made this.
• 47:30
  Speaker 2: One and the style... It's so gritty and dark. It's fantastic.
• 47:34
  Speaker 3: The way they've made Hal Jordan just kind of this,
• 47:37
  Speaker 3: you know, drunk substitute teacher that just doesn't give a shit. This, like,
• 47:41
  Speaker 3: hero that doesn't care. And then, you know, the storyline
• 47:44
  Speaker 3: of Jon Stewart and all that.
• 47:45
  Speaker 2: And, you know, I like it. I like it.
• 47:47
  Speaker 4: It's been good.
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: Check out Lanterns currently on Max. Good review there. All right, Nate,
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: let's get back to hockey. Lightning captain Victor Hedman, very
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: candid at the recent European player media tour about his
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: challenging season. Limited to 33 games, he missed the Lightning's
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: first-round series against Montreal after taking a leave of absence.
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: He told NHL.com, for me, it was not really feeling low,
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: but it was performance anxiety. Kind of feeling that pressure
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: in your chest as soon as game day would hit.
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: How big is it first off? And again, you're wearing
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: a hat right now. This is checking your teammates. You've
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: been very outspoken about guys willing to be honest about
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: challenges they're dealing with. So I think you're law to
• 48:20
  Speaker 1: heaven for being publicly honest about it. And assuming he
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: comes back fully healthy, what does it mean for Tampa
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: if indeed they get their 35-year-old captain back to being
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: who he is?
• 48:29
  Speaker 5: I mean, you're getting another defenseman that's going to eat
• 48:32
  Speaker 5: up at least 18 to 25 minutes a night, and
• 48:35
  Speaker 5: he's 6'6, and he can skate like the wind, and
• 48:38
  Speaker 5: he does everything at both ends of the ice. So,
• 48:40
  Speaker 5: I mean, you're getting a guy back that's going to
• 48:42
  Speaker 5: make a huge impact, and like I said, they get.
• 48:45
  Speaker 4: John Carlson before that.
• 48:46
  Speaker 5: But from what you said, A.V., just touching on how
• 48:50
  Speaker 5: he came out, I think what I love about what
• 48:52
  Speaker 5: Hedy came out and said, he was just so honest.
• 48:54
  Speaker 5: He came out and said exactly what was going on
• 48:56
  Speaker 5: in his head, and and what he needed to do
• 48:59
  Speaker 5: and the time he needed to take off and the
• 49:01
  Speaker 5: fact that he was honest about it, it's great. It
• 49:02
  Speaker 5: just brings more awareness to it, and the fact that
• 49:06
  Speaker 5: he did that I think is huge. So I think
• 49:08
  Speaker 5: for the Tampa Bay Lightning getting their captain back, I
• 49:12
  Speaker 5: think that's it. They get their captain back. Hedy's been
• 49:15
  Speaker 5: there for a long time. He's done a lot for
• 49:18
  Speaker 5: the organization. So to get him back in the locker room,
• 49:20
  Speaker 5: I think that's another key component of it, to have
• 49:22
  Speaker 5: him back in the locker room with the guys.
• 49:24
  Speaker 4: I think that's going to be a boost for Tampa, too.
• 49:27
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's hard to explain to people and convey what
• 49:32
  Speaker 3: it feels like to have what he explained, and unless
• 49:35
  Speaker 3: you've experienced it yourself, and we all experience, I think, forms.
• 49:38
  Speaker 2: Of anxiety and stress, and it's part of life.
• 49:41
  Speaker 3: It's part of the human experience, but when you can't
• 49:44
  Speaker 3: get a control on it and you can't get a
• 49:45
  Speaker 3: handle on it and we've all, you know, I'm sure
• 49:48
  Speaker 3: at least one time in your life, somebody has been
• 49:50
  Speaker 3: there where you just can't control yourself or your emotions.
• 49:53
  Speaker 3: But when you get that consistently and you can't get
• 49:55
  Speaker 3: out of that negative loop, it is very difficult and
• 49:58
  Speaker 3: it's impossible to tell.
• 50:00
  Speaker 2: I always tell people it's like being.
• 50:01
  Speaker 3: In a, you know, you're, you're in a straight jacket
• 50:03
  Speaker 3: and you just can't get out and you're trying to,
• 50:06
  Speaker 3: you're just, there's just no way you can't figure out
• 50:08
  Speaker 3: a way. And it's, it's just, it's so difficult. And
• 50:11
  Speaker 3: I think, you know, we, we, it's nice to see
• 50:15
  Speaker 3: athletes talking about it more.
• 50:17
  Speaker 2: I'm seeing guys.
• 50:18
  Speaker 3: Being more vocal about it because it does affect a
• 50:21
  Speaker 3: lot of guys. There's tons of guys in the NHL
• 50:23
  Speaker 3: that I think in years past have probably suffered, their
• 50:27
  Speaker 3: game suffered because of it. And you could see with Hedman,
• 50:30
  Speaker 3: a lot of that could have led to his injuries,
• 50:32
  Speaker 3: you know, the, the stress that, that stress, it causes.
• 50:35
  Speaker 2: So much inflammation in the body.
• 50:36
  Speaker 3: There's so much so many studies coming out of what
• 50:39
  Speaker 3: that level and rise of cortisol can do to you physically, mentally.
• 50:42
  Speaker 3: And if you just have that at a consistent basis,
• 50:45
  Speaker 3: which it seems like he did, and you don't really
• 50:48
  Speaker 3: know what you have other than that person, that individual
• 50:51
  Speaker 3: on the inside, but yeah, it's, it's, it's a healthy meant,
• 50:55
  Speaker 3: you know, mentally healthy Victor Hedman and the best version
• 50:59
  Speaker 3: of Victor Hedman can only help this Tampa Bay lightning
• 51:01
  Speaker 3: team that, I do have pegged his back in the
• 51:04
  Speaker 3: playoffs and making a push because what they did without
• 51:07
  Speaker 3: him was impressive.
• 51:09
  Speaker 4: Well said.
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: And then we've got a really tough story here. Sending
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: all our thoughts out to the family of Blues prospect
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: and Arizona State defensive Matthew Mayich. He remains in the
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: hospital after collapsing August 20th during an outdoor workout. We're
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: going to wait for the school's investigation to be completed
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: before we get too deep into what happened. But, J.D.,
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: it's obviously a horrible turn of events for this young
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: man who played at Clarkson last season before transferring to ASU.
• 51:30
  Speaker 1: We're sending all of our love and prayers.
• 51:31
  Speaker 4: Out to them.
• 51:32
  Speaker 3: Yeah, anytime you see, oh, it's something like this, and
• 51:36
  Speaker 3: the news just keeps getting worse and worse on it.
• 51:38
  Speaker 3: So prayers to the family, thoughts to the family. I mean,
• 51:41
  Speaker 3: anybody that's listening, put as much positive energy out there because,
• 51:45
  Speaker 3: you know, he needs a miracle, and it's not. It's
• 51:48
  Speaker 3: looking pretty bleak, and it's just an unfortunate, unfortunate thing,
• 51:53
  Speaker 3: and it's tough, man.
• 51:54
  Speaker 2: It's a tough one to kid that young.
• 51:57
  Speaker 3: So trying to find his way to, you know, make
• 52:00
  Speaker 3: a career, and now you don't even know where he's,
• 52:03
  Speaker 3: what's going to happen the rest of his life.
• 52:05
  Speaker 4: If you even have one.
• 52:06
  Speaker 2: So tough.
• 52:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 52:09
  Speaker 5: I just echo what you said, JD, just, you know, it's, uh, whatever,
• 52:13
  Speaker 5: something like this happens in the hockey community, it, it,
• 52:16
  Speaker 5: it hits all of us.
• 52:17
  Speaker 4: Right. So I think it's just thoughts and prayers for
• 52:20
  Speaker 4: everyone there and his family, especially. So this is always
• 52:23
  Speaker 4: tough news to hear.
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: A couple more stories here to quickly get to one is, uh,
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: involving a little bit of rough stuff here. Uh, Things
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: going sideways in the ice is evidenced by the recent
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: postseason game between Dynamo Minsk and Dynamo Moscow. Two teams
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: broke in a full-line brawl with all 10 skaters getting down. JD,
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: I just ask this because you played in Russia. What's
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: the nastiest exchange you've seen either in a training camp
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: or a preseason game?
• 52:46
  Speaker 4: In Russia? Sure.
• 52:50
  Speaker 2: Oh, I mean, Russia's fucking dirty, man. It gets knocked down.
• 52:54
  Speaker 3: There's some fights. Those guys are tough. Dirtiest thing I've
• 52:57
  Speaker 3: seen in training camp I mean, I always go to
• 53:04
  Speaker 3: this one because I just find it so funny. It
• 53:07
  Speaker 3: just happened to me, and I always tell my first
• 53:09
  Speaker 3: training camp, we're playing the Ducks, and George Peros was
• 53:14
  Speaker 3: coming down on like a three-on-two. I mean, he pulled up,
• 53:16
  Speaker 3: and I gapped up and buried him from behind. And
• 53:20
  Speaker 3: when I buried him from behind, we went on a
• 53:21
  Speaker 3: quick rush, like a three-on-two rush. So I get up,
• 53:24
  Speaker 3: and I start skating, and I kind of look over
• 53:26
  Speaker 3: my shoulder to see who's coming late. And as I
• 53:28
  Speaker 3: look over, I just see George Peros, like Mr. Larson,
• 53:31
  Speaker 3: coming down. And he's like, I can hear him like,
• 53:34
  Speaker 3: I am like, you motherfucker. And I end up literally
• 53:40
  Speaker 3: getting into the zone. I open up for a one-timer
• 53:43
  Speaker 3: and the puck doesn't come to me.
• 53:46
  Speaker 2: It goes to the net.
• 53:46
  Speaker 3: So I kind of stop on the goal line and
• 53:48
  Speaker 3: I've now like completely stopped and I'm just kind of
• 53:51
  Speaker 3: standing there. And I look and Peros is literally beelining
• 53:54
  Speaker 3: for me to come bury me.
• 53:55
  Speaker 2: So I dive out of the way.
• 53:57
  Speaker 3: And unbeknownst to me, Christian Ehrhoff is right behind me
• 54:01
  Speaker 3: and just gets absolutely cleaned up. And I'm like, oh
• 54:06
  Speaker 3: my God, he almost murdered me.
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: And lastly, flowers to Will Smith. So much attention being
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: paid to his buddy Macklin Salabrini. Will Smith reminds us
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: he's also a pretty good athlete. Coming off a 24-goal,
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: 59-point sophomore season in San Jose, Smith joins Salabrini for
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: batting practice. Yes, batting practice. Oracle Park making his mark
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: on yard 24. At the old ballpark. It's a reminder
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: to keep an eye on Smitty, who, by the way,
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: is an RFA next summer. Or perhaps you realize some
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: of these hockey guys, Nate, could be baseball guys as well.
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: Enjoy a little BP at MLB ballpark. How impressive was that?
• 54:37
  Speaker 4: It was awesome. I saw it.
• 54:38
  Speaker 5: He got underneath it. I mean, he had a nice
• 54:42
  Speaker 5: little pop there. I mean, I've had a few different
• 54:46
  Speaker 5: examples of being at ballparks. I got to do it
• 54:48
  Speaker 5: three times, once in Tampa, once with the Yankees at their–
• 54:53
  Speaker 5: training facility in Tampa.
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: That's great.
• 54:55
  Speaker 5: And then at Dodger Stadium with the Kings. So I
• 55:00
  Speaker 5: never hit one out, just warning tracks. But, you know,
• 55:02
  Speaker 5: a couple guys that I did it with, like Mike Smith, Smitty.
• 55:05
  Speaker 4: Hit one out.
• 55:08
  Speaker 5: It's a peanut gallery over there. And then, you know,
• 55:11
  Speaker 5: Stammer hit one out too, of course. I mean, those guys,
• 55:13
  Speaker 5: of course, the guys that are usually superstars are the
• 55:16
  Speaker 5: best athletes too. So it's no surprise Will Smith is
• 55:20
  Speaker 5: going to be Going to be a good player for
• 55:22
  Speaker 5: the Sharks for a long time, who can also hit bombs.
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: But you also drilled a ball 370 feet. To be clear,
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: warning track power means you still hit it at considerable distance.
• 55:31
  Speaker 4: Metal bat? It was a wooden bat.
• 55:35
  Speaker 5: It landed on the warning track and bounced over the fence.
• 55:40
  Speaker 2: It was close. It would have been a ground rule double.
• 55:45
  Speaker 2: A ground rule double is like jiu-jitsu.
• 55:48
  Speaker 1: No, it's kind of, well, an incredible trip by GD.
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: Questioning whether or not it was a corked bat, but ultimately,
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: still good stuff by Nate Thompson and the entire crew.
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: Thanks for checking out HL Inscripted. One hour, even without
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: a guest. We'll see you next week. Episode number 97
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: is coming up. NHL Unscripted is a production of the
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: NHL and iHeart Podcast. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio,
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: get your podcasts.