Early Leafs Takeaways with Anthony Petrielli & Greg Wyshynski

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1:09But right now, gotta talk to my friend and yours, Maple Leafs Hot Stove, Anthony Petrielli, Anthony Asa Gohman. We were a couple games into the Leaf season and we're getting one more tomorrow. How you doing, bud? It's good to be back. You know, the good it was. It was a long summer. It's nice to be back. It's a long hot summer of bad baseball, and now we are back. It's raining. The Leafs are one and one. There's a new guy in Marchenko. Makenna's here. Cowboy looks great. Yeah, no shortage of topics. I know the king of topics in the NHL right now. I'm sure is the Oilers and Boy-O-Boy. Can only imagine the discourse going on in Edmonton now. But for Leafs, man, it's been a while since we've had this much to talk about. We always find things to talk about, but man, we don't have to look very hard. Like again, whether you want the Makenna talk or Marchenko being thrown in the fold, it's just remarkable how the tree-living tenure was marked by... Okay, more of the same. One guy is going to leave, but they tried to keep him. And Chica has no time for that. It is a whole new world with Chica at the helmet feels like.

2:19One guy was in on everything and the other guy is actually doing things. Yeah, the idea of like, I'll think about it versus I'll actually do it. Boy, oh boy, those things feel really, really different. Okay, so let's start with what I think has probably been the best story to start the Leaf season here. And it has been, I don't know, it's fair to call like the emergence. We certainly have spent a lot of time talking about Easton Cowan, but the jump that he appears to have taken here, are you surprised by this at all? Like I won't lead the witness too much here. Just what have you made of Cowan's start to the season here compared to how he's looked in the first season we saw of him as a Leaf? No, I'm not surprised at all. Everyone would be forgiven for not watching them down the stretch last year. But Cowan was pretty much the best thing about them down the stretch. Yeah, last season. The key looked really good. He played with, he played a time with William Newander and John Tavaris. I think dating back to last season, I believe he's around 12 points in his last 14 games.

3:23So not a, not a crazy stretch of time, obviously. But in between that, he had what 18 and 22 is the Marley's on the championship. And you know, other than act channel off, I thought he was clearly the best player as you would expect. So he was productive down the stretch and that he decided to toss at an age L championship in between and he's kind of hit the ground running. I mean, look, the reality is if they didn't win the lottery, if they didn't even keep their pick. Easing Cowan have had a ton of attention on going into the season, just like last season. But then obviously they did you throw a couple blockbuster type moves at Hall of Famer and at and he kind of gets lost in the conversation, which is good for him. But you know, he's kind of flown under the radar, not necessarily because anything he's done, but. Yeah, I don't think any guy in the market is going to be upset about flying under the radar at times and getting to kind of come.

4:26And you know, put himself back on it with his play. So look, this presents a good problem for them. You can see why they have everyone that's in the top six currently in the top six. And then you have talent who's on the third line and again, good problem for them to sort through it. They have some options. It's just kind of about how he manages it. It was kind of stunning to me that he only played. I think it was 1322 in that game against the Islanders. It felt like he was. On the ice and all over it all the time. Like you could have convinced me he played 17 18 minutes without looking. You played every special teams unit. The line was really good. So you know, if you use up, you keep this up. They're going to have to get more minutes. It's the old for me. It's the old Corey Perry analogy where he played, you know, 12 minutes. He felt like he was out there the whole time. I mean, we we've lived that reality watching that over the years with certain players. Typically against the Maple Leafs Anthony, but it's you're right on Wednesday night.

5:28It certainly felt that way with Easton Cowan and productive at five on five and special teams without question. I think it's great that we can be having this conversation through two games and saying, hey, that's a guy that maybe. You know, the versatility is showing and also if he can be somebody that is consistently pushing for more minutes, I think that's precisely what you want to be discussing as opposed to the alternative here. And I don't know maybe maybe this is where I think the next most interesting sort of narrative lies here when it when it comes to this top six group. You've got the process of trying to get Marchenko acclimated and building that chemistry on the top line with Matthews and Rosalvik. And then you've got a second line where there is this, you know, years and years of chemistry that's been developed between John Tavarez and William Neelander, but Gavin McKenna stepping in as the first overall pick trying to manage his usage and sort of figuring things out at five on five is he adapts to the NHL.

6:28Do you see or what would be the threshold, the time of which you would say, you know what, you don't want to start experimenting with different things like I don't know that two games is enough for it, but from your perspective, when would you be content or comfortable to see Jim Heller start to mix and match a little bit and try different things. Well, they start on a four game home stand and then they they head out to the Vegas Colorado trip, right. So probably basically the four game home stand. Because the right out the shoot in the span here. Yeah, in the sense that it, you know, I mean, the mindset that mine wasn't good against the founders, right? Like that is our team is not particularly good. I think I think that's a virus line was out attempted 19 to three in that game at home. Pretty ridiculous numbers. Look, if they're going to do that two more games and then you're going to head to the Vegas Colorado's Utah's of the world. I mean, I wouldn't throw them to the wolves like that. Like those are those are top teams. Those are all playoff teams teams. I consider themselves contenders.

7:36It's one thing when you're at home, you know, you can control the match up a lot better. All that. So it's it's not even necessarily about like, well, you just get four games and it is what it is. It's kind of you get four games in your controlled state before we go off to the road. But if you're going to keep doing this, I can't you can't possibly just throw them out there. Against those teams and expect to have you been remotely successful road trip like at some point, it's just too detrimental to the overall group and to that line. Right. So it's it's not to say the clock is ticking. It's not to make it immediate decision, but they definitely can't keep looking like they have and you can't just keep throwing it over the boards, especially when you're about, you know, you can't like going to Colorado and just do that. And we're like, well, we've done do this for four games now, but let's just see how it happens in Colorado. No, no, you don't want to you don't want to do that. Yeah, like look, we we have we have fluctuated on this and leafland, right? It's like, ah, there's the blender. You can't keep anything together. And it's like, ah, come on. We've seen enough of this. Shake it up. Like we we fluctuate on this all the all the time.

8:45What do you mean? Let's just let's just dive right into everyone's favorite exercise. And let's make some lines here. Okay. You know, we we look at the top six and look that that top line. It seems like they are going to they are wanting to give Roslavic every chance. And I think part of it is. It's like if you thought it was a problem to throw Max Domey in the bottom six. I mean, what are you doing with Jack Roslavic down there? It's like at least Domey had some of the jam and Pugnacity and punch and literal punch that you you wanted in some of that role. It's like you're not getting any of that from from Roslavic. So it seems like he's going to get every chance to stick there. But what you make the idea of, I don't know, like you throw Nick Paul up on the left side with Tavarez and he landed and you're just like, all right, you're kind of worker be grunt or I mean, you could do decisions, I suppose as well. But then you have the like kid line sponsored by or centered by and I guess sponsored by also works like responsible adult, or Paul like I could kind of be talked into either way. What would you make of doing that to kind of give McKenna somebody who's really going right now in in in cow and in kind of letting the kids kind of feed off of each other? What would you make of that machinations if that's the way they wanted to do it?

9:55Yeah, I mean, it's a bit of their they're in an interesting spot that way because you know, we said that they obviously want to give things time and you can't blame them for that. You know, I don't think anyone will sit there if they have the exact same lines tomorrow and say I can't believe he's running them a third straight game. Right. That's fairly reasonable for him to do that. At the same time, when you when you look at it, let's pop line they haven't scored, but they've been really good. You know, like they've they've dominated play when Matthews and Marc Encore hopping the boards. The puck is immediately tilting to the other side of the ice. They just obviously haven't played together. They just met each other this week. So you can kind of see it in what they're doing right when they're moving off each other and you can see how. You know, talk if they are on the bench. No worry. I don't think anyone should be worried about them coming, you know, eventually bursting through and eventually just going on a run where they probably both get pretty hot at some point in the season and do quite a bit of damage.

11:01And then the third line obviously looks good. You know, I hear arguably their best line against the Islanders. They were excellent. They started that game. They played against the Boho or that line primarily, you know, which frees up the other two lines a little bit, which is something that has been discussed. Pretty much since the brewery are ended while during it as well. And so you kind of don't want to touch those lines at, you know, and then again, it brings us to the second mind. So yeah, like that kind of thing is what what I'm thinking as well, words like you can kind of keep the top line together and flip between the second and third line. I thought the easiest thing you could possibly do is just flip Nielander and Sizzle. So Nielander played Paul and Calon is they have, I think, Calon and Nielander genuinely have some built in chemistry. Yeah, we saw it all through the last season for, you know, whenever they played together and obviously they scored a nice goal against Montreal.

12:04And Paul looks good so far. I thought his first period was a bit shaky. Yeah, taking a Montreal. Oh, him staring him staring into the corner is Josh Anderson's whack in a puck home is not my favorite moment of the year for sure. But yeah, I agree with you. I got it going since. Yeah, but since then he's been he's been really good in using moving wall and came in a nice plate of set up season's goal. If if he was centering like Nielander, said a lot worse, put it that way and still don't pretty well. And I do think to Varys and Cal and sorry to our some a kind of like they make sense as a combo right playmakers shooter, you know, experience of that. Citizens just provide some I'm not expecting him to provide a ton to them, but you know, go for check. He'll help it out defensively. You get a right shot like all of those kinds of things. I've always just like looking at it not always, but looking at in the past couple of days. I thought that's probably the easiest path of least resistance type move. That still makes sense and kind of balances it out. But then again, they kind of get into that tough spot where it's like, well, if you want to Paul line to go up against.

13:11Right, you know, the board, the bow or that line like are you still going to do that with with Nielander there? And then what does that mean for the Matthews line and that's the domino effect that they're probably trying to balance right now, right? Like it is just a bit of a tricky tricky spot. There's nothing that they're going to do that you're going to say. This is this is like a hundred percent the right thing to do on paper. Yeah, it's going to be really funny in January. We're like, God, we had to hold the spot for Jack Roslavick the whole time. Like it does kind of feel like that's where this is ultimately ultimately trending there. But you know, when you look at that, when you look at that top line and the way they have and the way they have kind of played, you know, maybe the raw production numbers haven't been there. But when you look under the hood, it's like that line is really kind of humming. What do you, what do you make of the way Matthews and Marchenko have looked through the first couple of games here? And you know, it's funny like we've all sat here doing all the thought exercises all summer, but we didn't have time for that one because it's like he just got here and then the season started.

14:11Like I don't think I think with everything else, we've had a lot of time to sit there and percolate on like, OK, Cowan and Nealander or McKenna and Tavares or McKenna and Matthews. It's like Matthews Marchenko is just something nobody had on the bingo card. How do you think those two fit together? Because I think for a lot of people and you know, it's it's pretty rudimentary, but it does make a lot of sense. The idea of like, is there enough puck when there's two shooters on a line? They like Marchenko and Matthews. Yeah, funny because the other easiest thing they could do is just put Nealander and Marchenko, right? And Marchenko might even be a bit more of a line driver in Nealander, but Matthews, to me, Matthews and Marchenko have looked so good that you just kind of want to keep that rolling. Like you want to protect the integrity of the top of your lineup. It's not like Colorado sits there and says, well, McKenna and then make has to really tearing it up, but the other lines aren't doing that well. So we should split them like to top teams generally. We kind of been in a strong all summer. It's like top teams play their top right winger with their top. Like center they play their top winger in general with their top center.

15:14And you couldn't argue whether it is Marchenko or Nealander, but I do think Marchenko is probably the better at just driving a line across 200 feet of hockey, where you probably say Nealander. I mean, you can't like objectively Nealander has just been more productive. So it's an interesting sort of, you know, the lamp I guess to have, but the, you know, just as you said that line has been like every time they're on the ice, they're just they're right in the offense was on their making plays. To me, that everything you could possibly hope they've done other than score, which is funny to say, because eventually you will need them to actually score, but considering their brand new, they didn't get to practice together. You know, how many hours of Mark have sleep did Marchenko have between both games combined, probably not much. Right. I'm sure it's a whirlwind for him as well. So considering he needs to settle in and, you know, practice with the team and kind of understand what they're doing, especially on the power play.

16:20I don't think any of them know what they're doing right now. It's been to me very, very encouraging star like to again, the point where you're like, let's not break this up with we have something coming here. They just need to kind of put the puck in the back of the net, loosen up and feel better about themselves that way, especially Matthews. But the, you know, to your point of like the shooter and like how they look, it's just like they're both six three and they're hopping the boards and Matthews is skating well and we know Marchenko's a blazer. Like it's kind of nice to just have these six three big talented, fast guys hopping the boards and just completely tilting it whenever they're on. It's such a long season that inevitably we're going to see different combinations. I like that you brought up something their Anthony in regards to, you know, maybe you maybe you do at some point see 86 and 88 flipped. And now it's knee lander skating on a line with Matthews for a bit and 86 is out there with Gavin McKenna or Gat or John Tavares or both.

17:26I think there's certainly some intrigue there and what's nice is it feels like provided everybody's healthy the Leafs have options right they have options they have guys that might be pushing for more ice which we haven't necessarily been able to talk a lot about and certainly last year we didn't talk a ton about some of these situations so that part is pretty comforting and refreshing. I think when you're looking at a Leafs Ford group that seems to have some versatility to it on the back end and this was one of my other takeaways from two games again small sample size B as it may. I think what we all have sort of come to the realization of here is yeah the Leafs were active and the blue line. And they went out they got down radish they paid him that's great and he can be a weapon hopefully and provide more offense back there they are still old and they look they look slow and I do wonder how much that becomes. Problematic for them going forward and if the conversation the noise surrounding hey can they go out and still find an opportunity to get another blue liner would that actually sort of intensify if this blue line starts to look their age because I think you got that sense even though it was only two games I think that's that kind of stood out to me through these first couple of regular season matchups.

18:46Yeah I mean this was just purely. There was a few times where they pan to check out during the game. It is I was like I think about the defect is grabbing a photo lot use grabbing a lot. I mean I think everyone is right like the like the reality is they definitely need some help you were you were hoping that Andre could at least be a piece of that younger fresher legs actually pretty decent for Columbus. In his in his day view there and set up nice for nice school but you were kind of hoping you would be you know bit of a younger fresher legs. He was late to be the youngest defenseman on the team. So you know and then beyond him in the youth department of the organization it's you know hopefully Ben Danford at some point. But he needs time and then the Marley's to have a ton of veterans themselves right whether it's Dakota Mermis or Philip Myers or kind of go down the list it's there's also quite a few older guys there as well so.

19:55Look ideally they're bringing in someone out here and you know on the ascension that could potentially work their way into some form of top four role type thing. It's a hard trade to conceive given all the drafts that they've traded already and you know the players you that might be able to help you get something our players you don't really want to create or you know you kind of get to the point of you know you're robbing you're robbing here pay Paul type thing. Like do you want to trade Easton Cowan to potentially bring in a defenseman I mean in fear yes you would trade a winger to. To add a defenseman obviously but how much better is that making the bottom line of your team right away probably probably not right teams probably aren't trading a better defenseman for a winger who slightly worse it probably the other way around so. Yeah you're in a bit of a you're in a bit of a pickle and how way so you're hoping more than anything that that tan upstairs healthy because he makes huge difference like it is very nice having Chris tan a back as everyone would have expected like it's just.

21:04He's still really good definitely clearly like that that's not even in question actually it's just whether he can stay healthy or how long he can stay healthy and radish helps right you know you could see the difference between the first game in the second hand yeah. The bar to clear was not very high but he did it and you would help eventually that he kind of settles in and relaxes and look the team just looks to join get in general and you can everyone understands why guys are brand new throwing strangers on the ice together especially the first game it's going to take defenseman in particular time because they're looking up on like no one go or expect them to be. Like what is like like the break is not in crisp and there's a ton of new line mates and guys going all over the ice and you know look at top six like brand new guy that just got here whatever it is 72 hours plus ago 18 year old like that doesn't help defenseman right so no.

22:06It Hitler's kind of talked about it a lot and in terms of the forward need to come back and really help the defense out I think they're probably in that territory and you hope that some sort of defense opportunity comes to fruition because yeah but it is an older slower unit. And you worry about how long that's going to last and other than Danford it's not like the Marley's are flush with exciting younger options. No not exactly the way it's gone there but I think more more positives and negatives through the first two games that's that's for sure let's just have a little fun looking outside of our our fish bowl here in Toronto can you imagine the conversations we would be having if the leaves had the first two games the oilers had I mean up 72 and nearly blowing it climbing back and still losing to the connox is just like what fire wagon hockey they're playing and like yeah I mean it's fun. Watch I'm sure if you have any hair left at the end of it but just can you imagine the capital D discourse that would be going on here if the leafs had started the season the way the oilers have.

23:14I can't imagine that you know backcock is enjoying his return back to the league so far and I don't know if the players are going to enjoy much either if this continues because yeah I try I watched a good chunk of that game as I think we were coming back and it was. It was it was funny but it was there's couple of like yeah it's like less funny ha ha funny like more that if you're if you're an oilers observer there can't wait for the rest of the season and as I like to say the seasons really just getting started because there's 82 games left for for the least after they're back to back and the real season starts tomorrow first game battle of Ontario against the sends Anthony always always love getting on you know I love reading your stuff and we'll talk plenty of the season goes on thanks for taking some time this morning. Thanks for having guys there goes Anthony Petrieli writer Maple Leafs hot stove there yeah there are definitely things you can poke at I think the power play is probably going to be the big topic of conversation in terms of the way it's set up I think for the lines you

24:17probably do want to give him a little more time not to crystallize by any means but to see exactly what you've got there but power play and the way it is deployed I think that's interesting too because we haven't seen the one one group gets a minute 50 and the other group gets 10 seconds it's been way closer to a split than I ever would have envisioned I actually don't mind that though right now I know I don't dislike it I'm just shocked if I if you were to told me that there's a unit that has all the guys on it other than McKenna I would have assumed that they'd be getting a box 50 of the time fair. I think the difference though is you could also argue it's well there isn't there isn't Kevin McKenna there isn't Eastern Cowan there isn't yeah whatever we think of them Morgan Riley but to a to a degree even at times we saw that second unit look fairly dangerous through two games yeah the goal so exactly so I think I think it makes sense and for now and I wonder what alterations we ultimately do see when it comes to the power play alignment and what that top unit sort of ends up graduating into right what that looks like because I think a lot of people do

25:23envision. Get McKenna will find his way onto that top power play unit at some point no like that that feels like it it's probably going to happen somebody unfortunately then at that point and established star is going to have to be the one that's the odd man out but it was going to be Matthew Nies that was the odd man out already was right so I think it's a good problem to have because it means you've got a lot of skill and you've got a lot of talent. I definitely think that's a point of curiosity here moving forward and even just want to see better execution because it was a one of seven I think right Gunner two games on the power play you certainly expect them to click at an operate at a better clip than that because that was an area where in addition to the goal tending the defense a year ago you thought special teams was bound to be better. Power play was bound to be better just because they have so much talent and Marchenko can be it looks like he's buzzing right this guy looks like he's dynamic in all phases so I think I think that is I'm interested to see how that sort of

26:29develops here in terms of if we see a guy like mechanic eventually break through and if he does at whose expense isn't you don't want to be different for different sake by any means although different for different sake with the least power play in the way it's been in rough several times over the years you can understand it but it is just so different having radish at the top and the gravity that he provides when it was mo up top or even like when they do the like and I didn't hate this iteration of it but even when they do the like okay Oliver Larson's up top now yeah he'd be a little more quick and decision making than Riley of times but it wasn't a shot that anybody was threatened by or that they felt they had to change or that the least we're looking for they're looking for radish up top and I don't know if it's a case of like all right show them shot early get them to respect it and then we can kind of go back to working some seam passes or working the high load that would they they love to do but it's just honestly from an entertainment product standpoint as well like night and day of how much more enjoyable this group is to watch than it was at any point last

27:31year. That's a really good point. I also fell in general with radish as you mentioned earlier look way more comfortable night to the night totally totally. I just look like you know that there are some of those jitters those nerves big contract is playing in Toronto he kind of you know I was able to settle in a little bit more because night one that combination of he and Riley boy was it a mess and night two better yeah still I think fair to have some questions about it but better so we'll see how much rope those to get as a tandem together. But I think yeah pretty obvious if if they if John Chica had one more magic bullet left in them yeah to go out and make another sizable move something that could really impact the team 100% on the blue line to try and upgrade that of course of course and I will say you know offense but best 43 since Nazum Kajoo like offense Kyle Clifford Brett Sini and my boy Lou Cames that definitely you think radish is going to be the best 43 since since Nazum Kajoo

28:34there and he was a jettisoned away for Alex Kerfoot and parts in Tyson Berry of course how could we forget how could we forget what's going on elsewhere in the NHL we can't because there's so much going on to start this season the commissioners talking about no trade clauses bark of might be heard again Jack Hughes doesn't think your jokes are funny there's a lot going on and Greg Wiesinski will join us to wrap up the show so we head into the weekend final segment of the show next fan morning show continues on sports nap 590 the fan. It's not just electric it's Toyota electric and during Toyota's easy choice sales event going electric is easier than ever right now safe instantly on a new Toyota eB with special incentive programs for first time eB buyers and prior eB owners choose the sleek busy the adventurous busy winland or the sporty chr but don't wait these special savings won't last we make it easy Toyota let's go places

29:34unrivaled insight analysis and opinions on all things blue jays Blair and Barker be sure to subscribe and download the show on apple spotify or wherever you get your podcasts fan morning show signing French as he weekend not for you got a whole work day ahead of you everybody but me I love it in for people I look it's part of the charm okay wow like it I think I think I don't know I'm going to get I'm the school bullies like that kid loves the swerley I don't know what you're talking about for the underneath you know my favor yeah yeah exactly that's where I'm getting out of here you know I'd be bothered by me until Monday morning when I'll either be completely elated because the leaves one or you know like in my wounds because battle of Ontario didn't go their way I don't want to live in a world where they've lost in three games to the habs in the sense

30:37I just like so I I will say it's like you know I know long season even longer now with the 84 games but I don't want to live in a world where that has happened to the leaves but man so much else going on in the NHL like I know the leaves are always taking center stage but it has been as hot and firecrackery an off season as you can get and man tons of stuff going on in the early goings on I'd like to report I think the oilers just both scored and gave up another goal even though there's not a game being played somehow and joining us to discuss everything that's happened through the first three days of the NHL season my friend and yours Greg Wysinski wish how's it going on a Friday man it's going well I was over at the devil's flyers game last night where many things happen with jack Hughes and and and it was good to be back at the ring that was my first game of the season and it's it's still weird that it's happening this early but but you know I think looking around the league in particular with our

31:38friend and Edmondson and Vancouver getting together a couple times I think it's a little early for everybody I mean I talked to a lot of guys that have just been talking about and you know the adjustment without having the full preseason and I think you could see it in a lot of these games so far so I have I've been on record that and I will be honest about what has led me to this take in the before times where I just knew like come on the Leafs and make the playoffs every year it's like that's okay we could have some sloppy hockey to start the season but there's no time for that the Leafs got a win games out of the shoot here that maybe led me to this opinion but yeah I do wonder like everyone hated the the days of the preseason where it's like all right here comes the seventh and eighth preseason games but as we watch nine seven games and teams blowing leads all over the place and looking sloppy do you think there's any element across the league of people going and maybe we flew a little too close to the sun with the game basically no preseason on the other side of things. No I think it all gets balanced out with the amount of revenue they're going to gain from you know an extra home game an extra road game every season and you know

32:39the players I spoke to a lot of the players about the 84 games season at the mediator in Vegas last month and first of all not not I couldn't find anyone that really said that they were going to be all that impacted by it I think the best answer was Jacob Slave and saying it's two more pregame naps this season. I think that was a pretty good line. But you know a lot of them did say without the pre-stiff full preseason they expected it to be kind of sloppy to begin with maybe some high scores. If nothing else one thing I found interesting I I asked Sheldon Keith about the Slasthite of the doubles game the doubles are really good at three on three I mean they got yes for Brad they've got you accus but he said that they actually moved up their practice and their refinement of three on three in the shootout much earlier in the preseason than they normally would and he said it's because one we didn't have a lot of time in two because they put a lot of value on being good in those areas so I think one of the things that we'll see in talking to coaches is like a

33:42re prioritizing of what we really need to work on quickly because we don't have much time to do it. That's a really good point I hadn't fully considered that if anybody knows three on three it would be shelving Keith I mean he had the three on three merchant William Neilander Square a bunch of OT winner here in Toronto. Maybe you'll get to take over for battles twice and he'll get the best three on three team in the league the oil. It's very possible I mean boy you want to talk about Pawn Hawke and the Oilers are certainly providing that I mean I think just in terms of the quality piece of it because everybody's been talking about this I think I'd still rather take the earlier start in a couple extra regular season games then having to sit around and wait for six or seven preseason contest that are you know meaningless and people are just crossing their fingers and hoping guys don't get hurt so I think I'll sign up for this new reality that we're experiencing right now it does obviously is as Gunnar alluded to it opens the door to the possibility of teams looking a little shaky here and there I mean my thing with and I look at Edmonton at the point of that thing what we've seen

34:43the first couple of games for them you know the home and home situation with the conucks and last night it's a 9 7 game they've allowed 13 goals I just can't I can't wrap my head around Greg how they they're still in position where they don't have an answer in goal like maybe it's Freddie Anderson right like they did that they thought hey Devon Levi had some insurance and maybe a young interesting you know guy prospect who was certainly highly touted at one point but how is it possible that even after all of this they're still sitting here and they don't have a real solution there for a team that is supposed to be knocking on it on the door of obviously trying to break through and win a Stanley Cup. First of all I find it hilarious they started the season with back to back games against Vancouver it's like in college football when like Texas opens up against Appalachian state yeah you know they shouldn't be playing Appalachian state but they're going to do it anywhere and they're going to win you know 100th and nothing but in this case obviously Texas is never defense either in the case of Edminton. I listen as someone as someone who doesn't

35:44want like bad cockcoach again this league this is the greatest thing ever because there's a chance he might quit 20 games in just because of how bad the way they're cool spending it like I thought that guy was just going to lose his mind after talking about Kristen Jarry after game one and you know Devon Levi didn't really you know inspire much confidence last night either. Hey listen it's this is but this is why I picked him to win the division is because like when when push comes to shove I know they didn't have news last night but that that you know core five if you will of dry side will make David Bouchard and and and Hyman like they're they're going to be fine like they're they can carry teams just based on the strength of those five guys and how much they can generate it's when you get to the more important games of the season and you need quality gold ending and you need quality depth and you need a blue line that can withstand the forechecking of Colorado and Dallas and Vegas is where I just have zero confidence in the Williams actually being a contender this year. You know for all the talk that MacDavid gave us about like Mike

36:47Babcock getting an extra one percent out of his game and Leon's game like the bottom line is that the guy who put together the roster is in a terrible job of building a championship team around these guys so I mean you could get you could clone 1970s Scottie Bowman and it still won't matter because I don't think the oilers are built well to be a championship team. Yeah, one of the guys who is paid for by Conor McDavid playing for effectively free and the new cap landscape here is Jake Walman who is a dash for in a game where they scored nine goals last night. So great, great job by all parties involved there. I mean it is interesting like you know the NFL the way we talk about it every team's interesting we have Conver you can you can be an NFL fan of a Brown's conversation. It doesn't really work that way in the NHL and the NFL as the season goes on things do get a little more siloed but the oilers like even even here where we as you know only thinking care about the Leafs wish not a hockey market just a Leafs market. It's like we can't stop thinking about the oilers at any given time. So yeah it is it is truly the gift that that keeps on on giving. I'm sure you saw the comments yesterday

37:51that were made by Gary Batman on on our own fan hockey show here talking about trade clauses no trade clauses no move clauses maybe them getting away from their initial initial point and you know reason for having them in the league is I want to be here as opposed to no I want to have it so I can tell you where I'm going to go it's like they've basically become must trade clauses to this one or two particular teams. I just honestly the NHL commissioner and he's not alone in this a lot of commissioners are there to protect the shield and when they have something bad to say about the league man will keep that to themselves. The fact that Batman admitted there was any problem with this was kind of shocking to me. What did you make? Because look this is a this is a commissioner that's been asked about no Tates and no state tax stuff and things on those lines and there's always no no that's over blow and no no that's no problem for him to admit that this is maybe you know the the horses got out of the barn a little bit here. I thought that was pretty pretty telling from the commissioner. Yeah. Listen I'm who is who's gripping about it is always the first thing that

38:54you want to wonder because the commissioner isn't simply just the guy running league is running the league at the pleasure of the board of governors and you know run GM meetings and things like that. So who's coming to him and complaining about this and you know is it Detroit. You know like there's a couple of interesting things that he didn't really talk about in that conversation. I thought that was a great question from Mike Feudal last lot yesterday on that show because I thought the answer was was one that you know kind of shook the league a little bit. One is that when the cap is going up as high as it is. The function of a no trade clause within the cap system is to save money. Right. It is to give somebody something that not only entices them to stay with your team but also kind of compels them to give you a little bit of home down down discount. The tradeoff is usually on the on the AAV on a contract. If you're getting no movement clause well then you know maybe you're going to give something back to me so I have to make your cap hit that elephant tie. The way that it's flipped and I talked to a few agents about this

39:55recently is not only you know players leveraging it to basically say I only want to go here trade me here when because I don't want to be here anymore which is into Betman's point not the spirit of a no trade clause but also like it's kind of become ubiquitous. Everyone gets one now you know it's kind of the thing you get when you sign a big contract and that certainly wasn't the case when you had hard line old school general managers like Doug Armstrong or excuse me to give them out to the point where Alex Petra Ranger though left St. Louis because he couldn't get one where I'm at on it is I don't care like these guys can complain all they want. It's a collectively bargain part of your contract and why is it on the players to worry about the future of no trade clauses. They're not the ones give them out. They like the owners and the GMs are the ones that pull the strings on this thing and you know like if you're going to keep giving them out then then you're going to eventually get to a point in the realm of player empowerment where these guys are going to learn and they have oh man I can now use this

40:58power for my own reasons and my own my own wants and needs and you know if these GMs could grow a spine and basically do what Winnipeg is doing which is at bleeding out Connor hella buck with money until he comes probably comes back to the team in November you know then then don't complain. Okay so without any sort of collective bargaining going on because we just we have a new CBA that was just officially implemented what a month ago if not less than that. What is the solution? Is it as simple as what you just said hey if these incidents continue to crop up player with multiple years left on his contract says no I want to now if you're that front office you just kind of have to hardline it and say no you know what we're not going to trade you unless we get 150% of your value to where the deal looks like it is absolutely beneficial to us because we signed this contract be it a seven year deal six year deal and eight year deal whatever the case may

41:59be that it was always our intention to have you a part of our nucleus and that is our plan and we are not going to deviate from it is it as simple as now in order for the leverage to sway you kind of need these front offices these GM's like we're seeing maybe with Winnipeg say well no we're going to try and wheel this much powers we can by not granting your wish enforcing your hand. Yeah I mean that's ultimately their their their power lies in the fact that players can't trade themselves and and because of that they can they can make them play for their team or suspend them or do whatever they want I think they I think teams have to rely a little bit on hockey culture to help out in this situation in the sense that like like if Carre Hall about came back to the jet tomorrow do you think like his neighbor Josh Morris he is going to be like get out of this locker room. No they're going to be like you got you want multiple Vesno trophies and and has got guided us to the conference final welcome back helly like you know like there's

42:59if you hold the line long enough and you don't trade a guy long enough and you lose us enough money then then maybe things slip and he comes back and I wonder if that's ultimately what Kevin Shibbolda is doing in Winnipeg but I do think there's two things I'll say first of all like there needs to be a little bit of empathy on both sides like if you're if you're if you're in Dylan Larkin and you don't want to play there anymore you put in your time maybe Detroit understands that they're pissed off with they understand that but you cannot then go I want out of here oh and by the way the only places I wanted to go are Minnesota Vegas and Tampa here are the best teams in the league who also have no cap taste like what are you doing like that's not how it works and I think players have to play ball a little bit when it comes to you if you if the goal of the goal is to leave you got to give them a few more options and I think Larkin finally has at least a little bit but I was talking to a GM yesterday after this whole thing broke about the idea and it's been floated by a few people of is there a way in the next CBA to put a trigger in where you can buy out trade protection and that gets really tricky as far as

44:01how that money would count against the salary cap because it could be a way to like basically funnel money to somebody you know a real co-ioner plant and trees type situation but buying out somebody's no movement clause but I mean I do think it's kind of like we have to get more creative if it really is a crisis and it is detrimental to the game is better instead then we're going to have to get creative in and what's taking about ways to get around these things while still protecting the rights given to the player in his contract you you watch your tongue that is Raptor's legend co-ioner to you all of a sudden co-ion has developed a personality and that's right is he's happy appears it's like he's the anti NHL he's like get me to Canada it's where I'm happiest I need to be there it's it's a great time and again who who knew he had that much personality if only aspiration had used that personality to sell their trees I think they would never get out of business Greg all we were told he was never marketable yeah can market the guy he was an entrepreneur and he's a very profitable man wrong turns out he's got a personality I do I honestly hadn't thought about that but

45:01the idea of a effectively like a trade kicker in the in the NHL are buying it out yeah I mean as somebody who holds very near and dear his very rich Toronto Maple Leafs sounds like a great plan to me wish can't can't wait to see the way it plays out and dying to see when the first domino falls on on Hell you Bucker or Larkin or how this will figure itself out really really happy to have hockey back and happy to have an excuse to talk to you wish thanks so much for jumping on a time boys thanks there he goes Greg Wysinski he of ESPN okay he referenced everything going on with Jack Hughes we don't need to play it but basically he's getting interviewed in between the benches and like get a rapper self in bubble rap and stay away from the sharp knives and use plaster use plan okay plastic tolerate whatever it is and he's like it's a weird joke leave me alone and it's just like okay is it a weird joke kind of to be so you know you know be so busy all the time okay Jack is about it. Yeah just so busy at the weird I don't know if you saw

46:02this as well they do all these teams do it in I know it feels like only American market things of it's like oh it's the red carpet or carpet and there's obviously like you're a devil's fan you you're an American hockey fan I think you want Jack Hughes's autograph for like take a selfie with him and he just like speed runs through it and a weird it's weird you would think you'd want to bask in the glove this you know who would never Mr. delivering seasons tickets to penguins fans Sydney Crosby would never then that's just doing a 20 years that's the difference you know for all the play that Crosby delivering the seasons tickets gets the actual best moment I've ever seen of that is a Geno Malcolm who dropped him off one time and there was a cat there and he like tried to shake the cat's hand and then she's like hello I'm Geno and I'm like this is this is amazing somehow that's better than anything Crosby ever did I think you can tell you hear me talk all the time in the station I'm pretty pumped up to have the NHL

47:02back but I'm kind of joking kind of not it's just been as electric a start to the season as possible every night you're trying to fall asleep and you can't because a goal horn just blaring across this country from from Vancouver or or Edmonton the Leafs have got off to an interesting start there's goalie goals it really has been a firecracker start to the NHL season if I can add one thing Gunner because we went you know nearly three hours now we haven't mentioned one specific item pertaining to the Maple Leafs Sure and I know you're you're regular co-host Ben and Sharp's on this all the time and I think he's he's right yeah goal tenning it could be as simple as if you get some saves yeah you know what you might be okay because for through two games I know it's only two games but to have a tandem like Sergei Babrovsky Yeah Anthony Stolars and two guys that have been a part of a tandem together before winners and of one together yeah to me that is the greatest level of comfort

48:03you can have you can just breathe easy just relax yeah because you've got two guys that are more than capable and guys that feel like they are well equipped to complement one another perfectly and I just want to put that out there because we haven't mentioned the goal tenning at all but that's been one of my favorite takeaways in fact from this opening week so far yeah I I want to go to a world where I treat goal tenning like officiating if I'm not talking about it means you're doing a bang up job okay no baseball tonight's too that's right no baseball well I mean they're goalies like they're humans but they're more goalies than human okay in terms of no baseball tonight plenty of hockey on the network those sports now ones got Rangers and Redwings at 630 start Carolina and Washington at seven Dallas and St. Louis that's on sports now one at nine and then if you want to watch those ever expensive ducks there on sports net at ten o'clock it's been another edition of the fan morning show on sports net five 90 to fan good morning it's not just electric it's Toyota electric and during Toyota's easy

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