League Wide Rankings

0:00I'm Tysmar Wickey along with Jim Toth here on this wonderful Wednesday afternoon coming to you live from the Boston Pizza Studio where this September kids eat free all month long and this hour free. Oh, can you believe it? Free? As in zeros? Unbelievable deal. This hour is also brought to you by Watch Method Car Wash on 690 St. Anne's Road and at Watch Method dot com. Make sure you text the show 204 780 68 68. We're going to be giving away a VIP car wash in the text line to the top text that we get today. And Jim, it's starting to feel like hockey season now. We got players reporting are not reporting, but players taking the ice for some pre captain skate. We got some news coming out from across the league. The Pacific division is making some moves today. We'll talk about that a little bit later on the program. Wow. Are they? Yeah, they had. There's something like to make some moves.

1:00There's some sort of transaction happening. No, whatever gets I usually say September, but it's really once it gets past Labor Day weekend. And I mean, some of these guys have been skating out there like Pionk and Lowry for a couple of weeks now. Just I think they're at the ring for a bit. Now they're having these informal ones. I've always wondered how the informal ones work because I know the players have to rent the ice and stuff, but they do like there was a jets coach, not an assistant coach directly affiliated, but somebody of the organization out there helping them run drills and stuff like that, which I guess you can do. Like it's just probably a here's a podium like to pay if you want to come out or they throw them something. But no, it's exciting. It's that time of the year and watching the rest of the league. And let's face it, Tyson, year 15 has gone by. It wasn't good. It disastrous to be honest, not a shocking everybody with that news. But year 16 could be the biggest year of this organization's history. Yeah. But a transition would be they've built it to what it is. They've built it that it's failed in the playoffs, but been great regular season.

2:03I think most people on paper would agree that from 2018 to now, they've made moves, they've made trades, they've augmented, they've retained, they've signed contracts and everything else. But I don't think they're on the cusp right now of going in a totally different direction, but it's the beginning of that one way or the other. One way or the other, this is going to be a telling season. And I think you could hear that a little bit. We're going to hear this now. Halibuk was at the forefront of everything yesterday, of course. But that is, I think, a metaphor for where they're at, right? Like you and I disagree. You think they got a year. I think they have two years with this core and can still unload some of it. But you and I do agree on this year being pivotal. If they have a season like last year, then you have to make some decisions. If they have a season where they make the playoffs again, I think they can still have another year of life of augmenting and seeing what the off season could bring in all that. But basically, it's, you know, I think the end usually takes two to three years. It's the beginning of the end for an error here for someone. And even if the shifles are still here and Conner's just started a new contract, I think

3:05you're the beginning of the end of in two to three years. He won't be the number one center. He'll be on the team, right? He'll be the number two or have you, whatever that transition, I think is beginning. But and that just all came to me as I'm watching Demelo and Lowry and everybody talk and say like, you know, they, they talk like they understand that, you know, for a couple of years, we've said, you know, you could be running at a time. Well, now that the hourglass is more half empty. Well, and even you just look at some of the players ages, right? Like, Mark Shifleys getting close to that mid 30s mark. Josh Morris is getting close to that mid 30s mark. We know Conner, Halibuk's right in around that age too. Like these players are starting to age out. And so what's coming up next for the Jets, we're going to talk about the whole Halibuk situation here from Adam Lowry and Dylan Demelo on that. Vigo Bjork coming up. But right before we get to that gym and all this audio, that Kelly Moore pooled together for us, shouted to Kelly Moore. But the Jets put out there 2026 prospect challenge roster. And we'll talk about it a little bit deeper there, but they'll be taking on two teams. It's going to be Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg taking part in my mini tournament

4:10in Gatno over the weekend, September 12th and 13th. There'll be two games there. So we'll break down the roster a little bit and some key names to watch out for. But Jim, I'm glad that you mentioned the importance of the pre-camp, Captain Skate. And what it totally entails and who better to hear from than the captain himself Adam Lowry on that. Or maybe somebody who the captain didn't invite. I'm just kidding. Getting off to a fast start, enough to get started so important in this league. And when we want to maximize all the time we have, and like you said, the first exhibition game comes up real quick. So it's important that when camp starts, guys are ready to go. Guys use all the practice time we can, the games to get ready. So we can have a good start. And that's a really important note to Jim, because I think we keep on forgetting that the pre-season shortened. There's not as many pre-season games this year. So now you don't really have that luxury of, we'll toss out some junior players in the first game and we'll just see how they do. Like no, you need to really narrow down who you want to be on your team from the get-go,

5:12because it's just so condensed now. Yeah, well, I was down at training camp last year for a session or two and I remember talking to Scott Arneal about Jonathan Taves. Like you've, you've, you've ever been in a situation like this where not only do you have to figure out which veterans play where and how many of the seven pre-season games and who likes to play more, who likes to play less, we have a guy who hasn't played in, like realistically, Jonathan Taves, although he is 37, should have played all seven pre-season games, but you can't do that, right? You're 37, you haven't played in two and a half years. Scott Arneal said he wants to, but you know, you have to figure that out. Those days are now gone and I think it's better for the fans and I look, it's a credit to the league too because these guys, the idea that you used to come in and you probably were too young for this, but your dad would tell you used to come to training camp to get in shape. Jordy Douglas always tells me the funny story about how you'd come to camp to get in shape and maybe only had a six-beer after practice, six pack instead of an eight pack. It's not a total loss started because there was Matt Behmishkov last year. That's a different culture though, right?

6:15But they come in and I think, like, you know, and the pre-season games now is, and football started this a long time ago. I remember Paul Marisa's head coach to the bombers and he's like, he was one of the first two. He was a V first, but he was one of the first that believed in like no hitting during the week. Like, if you're going to get injured, I'd rather get injured in the game. And I think hockey needs to start adapting that now too. Like, they love the practice time. And they need the practice time and there's going to be even less of it with two extra regular season games. But the idea that you need to float a veteran out there for three, four, five games, they've been skating for three, four weeks. They've now started these for a week before camp. Then camp starts, they can get going and going, but he's right. Like a slow start will absolutely devastate this franchise. Yeah. And those bubble players, I think, are going to see a lot of action. I think those are the guys who are maybe going to play as most of the pre-season there. But we were just talking about the pressure that's on the jets and having not missed the playoffs for quite some time. And Dylan D'Amelho was comparing this off season to the summer of 2022, which was the last time the jets were coming off a non-playoff season.

7:18I think whenever you don't get to where you want to get to, I think you're always striving for more. And I feel like that's kind of the nature of our business and the nature of us individually. I think that's why we are where we are today. As pro athletes, is that you're always searching for more even after great years and not so good years. So for myself and I think the team, until we win the Stanley Cup, we're going to keep asking questions. I'm going to keep trying to find ways in order to get over that hump. Obviously last year was a huge disappointment, but we still feel confident what we got. And I hope everybody had a great summer and hearing guys and talking to guys. It's a pretty motivated group to write the wrongs from last year. It's just two clips that we played so far, Jim, but there's no reason that they shouldn't think this. But the jets roster is currently constructed, still believes in this group and still believes in their ability to make the playoffs and potentially compete for a Stanley Cup. And that comes through and Dylan D'Amelo and Adam Larry's comments and Dylan D'Amelo is such a great speaker as well when it comes to these kind of new interviews.

8:19And so to hear his perspective from that, kind of how do you carry those lessons that you learned back in the 2022 off season to this one after what just happened? Yeah. And look, they're going to believe this is the one thing, right? I know there's that fan base out there that think they're done. They finished, you know, they picked eighth overall in the top 10. They had a disaster season. I get all that. I've just, I'm not trying to say I have a better perspective than anybody else, but I've just been around long enough where good teams have disaster seasons. Bad teams have exceptional seasons and people buy in that way and think they're, oh, they're there faster than we thought. And then the next two years, they're bad again. These things sort of happen. But when you look at the core and people keep thinking the core is four to five players. It's not. It's the core, sheafully, hella buck. Well, hella buck, sheafully morese, Connor, lorry, velardi. And then there's a secondary core, right? Like I went through this. There's about 14 players on this team that make up the entire base of this team.

9:22Well, perfetti, Dylan D'Amelon, Neil Pion, Dylan Sandberg, it goes on and on, right? So the core of it though is the elite players and where they're at, but they believe. And I think that, you know, again, they're not idiots. They're not sitting here going like we know who the top five teams, the National Hockey Ligar, we believe we're good enough to make the playoffs. And we believe that, you know, with some youth and everything else, we can make a run at this. And then once you get into the playoffs, we've all seen that, you know, people can go on runs or whatever. And who knows what the roster looks like by then? Who knows how some of these rookies or our second year players 50, 60 games into the season now look like they've been in the league four years and get that experience? A lot of people think that's hopeful thinking and all that. I don't think it's hopeful thinking. I think it's the proper approach to every season. There are the Chicago's and the Seattle's that are going there going. Hey, we hope to surprise some people in shock, some people and get some things done. There's about five or six of those teams. There's three to five teams that know the elite, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Dallas

10:24Stars, the Tampa Bay Lighting, the Florida Panthers, Colorado Abilance, those teams know that, you know, bars, you know, forsaking an absolute disaster like the Jets had. We will make the playoffs. And then there's the middle. And I think they're in the middle. Yeah. Let's hear from Adam Larry on the potential for the Hellebuk situation to cause a bit of a distraction amongst the rest of the roster. And Jim, that's something that we've talked about. A lot of textures that brought up as well. Maybe it could be a problem. Let's hear from the captain himself. Signing Stewart, you know, injecting some youth into the lineup. I think we're real optimistic that we're going to be able to rebound from the year we had last year. And Halley's a good friend of ours. So it's not something that we think is going to really impact the room. It's, you know, it's not going to create a big divide. You know, it's a personal decision that he's made and one that he thinks is best for his family until that situation's resolved. So we're just going to, like I said, approach it.

11:25You know, he's our teammate. He's our friend and go from there. And kind of way like what you've been mentioning Jim is that these guys are still going to be friends at the end of the day. They know what's a business. They've seen guys come and go, but I do think that there is a little bit of maybe some frustrations just about having to continuously deal with this and not letting that be like becoming distraction, especially when it's the captain addressing it. And that wanted you want to set that example for the rest of the team. Well, you and I were talking about this and how long it goes off the air yesterday. And I said, I would eventually say that at some point, like the shifle or the lorry or the morriscy in a casual conversation with Kevin Chivaldale goes, Hey, is there anything on the forefront? Like is there any way we can sort of get this done and move past this or stuff like that? They might have an interest in that. They might not. They might just go, he does his job and we're not bringing it up. Hey, Kevin, how are you today? Buh, blah, blah, blah. But let's be honest, you're right. They're all going to these guys have grown up together and they've accomplished some great things together, but just not the greatest. And at the end of the day, they're probably all going to remain friends and stuff, but

12:26not all of them. And there's some people there that this will be. And now the Kevin Chivaldale, I understand would even in November go Connor, the door is still open. Couldn't figure out a trade if you wanted, you know, join a roster. How he does it, but if you're willing, if you're willing, we can sit down and have a discussion how it looks, what it's going to be like. Skinners got the ball right now, blah, blah, blah, blah. Do you want to get some games into? We move you or have you changed your mind? Kevin Chivaldale always has that door open because he has to. He always has to have that door open. He's never going to be a jam that's going to have the latitude to go. Sorry, that's enough. Because if it makes the team better, he's got to look at the options because he doesn't have the same options as others. But that being said, do I think it happens? No. Yeah. And I think Connor Hellibuk, you know, by going public with this, as this has worn on and there's still no deal, that's kind of the last card for Connor Hellibuk. Yeah. Oh, for sure. And let's just wrap up the segment just because we're right up against the clock here,

13:27Jim. But a little bit of some downer news talking about the Hellibuk situation, whether this team's going to get back to where they once were at the top of the regular season standings. But let's hear from Dylan D'Amelo on the Jet's brightest star right now in the prospect of the set, Aburabub, or Vigo Bjork. To be able to get a guy like that, obviously, we haven't drafted that high in a long time. So to get a guy like that, that, you know, looks like he can step in and hopefully be a contributor right away, that's crucial for our group, you know, a young guy, a lot of energy, a lot of speed. He's got some skill for sure. At World's Air, I felt he was really tenacious and went after guys. He wasn't kind of star-struck. I guess until after the game asked, instead for a stick. But I was, that was Tee-Z and when I said, jeez, you just played one in game against, you had more stones asking for a stick than I have had over my career so far. So did you get a stick? No, I did. I'm still scared asking for one, but now that I've played with Sid and I guess after VEGLE broke the seal, I can maybe ask Sid for a stick now this year and see if I can get one after playing with Sid. But no, I mean, he's got great instincts even. You know, we're kind of obviously messed around three on three and it's not full tilt,

14:28but he's got great instincts and he's got a great feel for the game and smaller guy, but he gets in there. He's feisty and that's what I kind of noticed to a world. And sticks out to me, I mean, first of all, just to have the stones to do that, like Dylan Demelo said, I mean, that's a great line. But the kid does just ooze confidence and that's the one thing I've taken just from hearing about some of the players on the jets and likes Cindy Crosby who've talked about VEGLE Bjork. They have such high praise for this kid already. And I think Jets fans really, you know, I was a little bit tempering expectations just because you worry about an 18 year old coming in and just setting the world on fire right away. But man, he's got, he's, I think he has it. He has just that sway here to him. And there's a video on the Jets Twitter right now. You should check it out. He's got some absolutely disgusting hands as well. Well, here's the last thing I'll say about this is what he said. Like we talk about this young generation and everything and how they expect more. And all I want to be in the top six. And I want to be traded. I want to play here. I want to how they demand out even before they even play it on us. The flip side of that is the confidence that VEGLE Bjork has.

15:30Like the idea of you coming is he nervous, of course he is, but is he scared? That's two different things. And the idea that an 18 year old isn't scared to ask Cindy Krosy for a stick and also, you know, play against them and stuff. That's the positive of this new generation, right? Is the confidence. And I'll go even a little step further, even with mental health and this day and age and stuff. You have to believe in yourself. And a lot of it nowadays is viewed as arrogance. And it depends on VEGLE doesn't seem arrogant to me. He just seems he believes in himself and his confidence. And for an 18 year old to be doing anything in life, that's a good positive thing in this day and age. I think that that's kind of where he is. Is he a little bit cocky? Maybe, but hopefully I find it more confidence and believing in himself. And to see that is interesting as opposed to, oh, there's Cindy Krosy, I'm not even going to say hi to him. Like I'm so like, you can't be that way. And I think that that's a valid point that Dylan Demello pointed out. And the point of when he came in the league, like he would never have the stories to do that, right? Yeah, no, totally. And he's played against men over in Sweden, played against some of the best players in

16:30the world championship this year. He's going to be. I'm excited to see him play, but let us know what you think. 204 780 68 68. We're going to take a break and we'll be right back with more jets at noon right after this. Welcome back. We're coming to you live from the boss and pizza studio where this September, kids eat free all month long. This hour is also brought to you by watch method car wash on 690 St. Anne's Road and that wash method dot com. We'll pick the VIP text a little bit later on in the program. Jim mentioned in the sports update there Chris Crider and the Anaheim ducks are expected to agree to waivers for contract termination, which would make him a free agent. Now I'm sure the jets would be all over this once he does hit waivers, but all indications from Crider is that he will not report to a team that he doesn't want to and he is preference is to play on the East Coast. I'm not going anywhere. Yeah, you should have used coast. You want to get rid of me? Well, I'm just going to pick where I go.

17:32And this is just my own personal philosophy. We talked about a bit on the podcast today. If you want to go there and listen to it too, listeners, but I just think a lot of the GM's don't care for Pad for be. And that's why offer sheets come. That's why like trades when you're trying to get rid of salary, never come to fruition and you have to go this route. He's going to control zone destiny. Now it's 6.5 million cap hit, but it's only 4 million cash because you got a bonus on July or something like that. So a 6.5 million cap hit, there's not a lot of teams that can do that. Basically what I'm I think he's saying is I got my bonus and I'll pick and choose where I go and I'll get my salary that way. Yeah, my teams were saying, oh, well, I bet you at one point during the summer, he said, sorry, buy me out. Yeah, exactly. Like, I'm not I'm not doing this. I mean, because he does have a limb to no trade so he can kind of control where he wants to go to a certain extent, but I don't know Jim. This is has a GM ever had as bad as an offseason as Pat for because had this one. Well, that's why I kind of think like I'm look, we talk about GM's and what they get

18:37done and stuff and that, but I mean, when you get off, she did 18 million and you were hoping to sign for 11 or 12 kind of gochays now, you know, in there and apparently, you know, he's not taking what clearly the for big thought he could sign for. He's in trouble. He needs a cap space. And I would think Criter's upset because you look at that roster and you're like, it's got to be Criter because he's 6.5 on the cap. I need that 6.5. And Criter's probably going to there's a lot lesser players than me, but they don't make as much as me, right? You'd have to get rid of three two million dollar players. Yeah, exactly. Or two three million dollar players. So they're like, Criter, it's you and he's probably like, this is how you GM. It's yeah, totally. Don't match the sheet then and let him go. I don't know if Criter's saying that I would presume Criter's a smart enough hockey guy that go and I get you have to match that. But there's a lot of mismanagement going on here around the roster and the deals and everything else. He's already traded all that like everybody thinks Logan Stanley is going to sign there. And I would imagine that's another reason why he's getting rid of Criter.

19:37They need another defenseman because they traded true by everything. I don't know like that. I don't cover. I don't know the intricacies of how he works. But I just he wasn't well liked as a player, but he was respected, right? He did a role to a tee, even though it was a role nobody enjoyed playing against. Yeah. And he plays any GM's like he played. And GM's a kind of the same way. He's a grinder. He's not given an inch and all this stuff like that. And it's coming back to bite him. And Criter's just sitting there like if he wants, he probably wants to win. So it's not going to be the Rangers, but I would imagine the Rangers are just waiting to bring him back probably at whatever cost it would be. But I would think he's going to go and then he's going to talk to the Florida's and the Carolinas and the East Coast and go, I'll play for League of Minimum. Yeah, there is a spot in Tampa. And he'll probably get two or three. Yeah, Tampa's top nine. Come on. Yeah, that would be crazy. And right now, what can you give me? I got my bonus. He might not make the four. He's due. But getting a biode, he knows he's going to make probably two to three.

20:38Yeah. And you mentioned maybe Logan Stanley signing with the ducks, but with, let's say Criter does end up just getting just contract terminated. The ducks are totally clear of his cap it. That's six and a half million dollars. They currently have just a little bit over nine million cap space. So that would bump him up to 15 and a half million dollars in cap space. 15 of that's probably going to go to Cutter Goche and that leaves you with only half a million which is under the league minimum. Yeah. I don't know what they're going to do. It's going to be really interesting to see, but that does a franta. It's nice to know there's other teams around the league that are also. What do you mean with the jet slubs to bring him? Of course. Oh, yeah. Right. Like they would love to and they got a little bit of cap space to make it happen, but will he come to win a peg? I doubt it. Yeah. Absolutely. Jim, we're going to look at some league rankings. And it's about that time in the year right before training camps open up and just want us to get your initial thoughts. We're going to look at the forwards and D rankings. We're not going to do the goalie rankings per se just because I mean, that just turns into a top 32 goalie list, right? Yeah.

21:38But wanting to get your initial thoughts on where you think the jets rank when it comes to forward cores in the NHL. Where do I think they are? Yeah, just a ballpark kind of estimate. Oh, man, this is the worst season I ask because I have no idea what needle, needle, rider, domestic off are anymore, but they do have a solid bottom six. They literally with Lowry and Cole kepty and Morgan Baron and Alex, I have follow if that's your bottom six, that's better than most. Yeah. So I would say I would put the bottom six probably in the top 10, like nine or 10, maybe 11 in around there. Now the top six is interesting because what is that second line, right? I have no idea. Yeah. And that's the big question. But the top line I love, I really do. And I think there was a time when they were together during the present cup running season, they were the highest score in five on five line in the national hockey. Yeah, absolutely. The already Connor Schifley. So I would put them in the top 10, but what that second line is right now and to be totally

22:39fair, it's bottom 10. So what is that two 10s at a bottom 10 adds up to 14th, 15th in the lead. Right around the hat, right around like the 16 mark. I actually put them and I just did a, I went and looked through all the line combos. I was just doing a based off of paper kind of evaluation. I didn't, I didn't was, I wasn't able to dive super, super deep into each team's forward groups, but I had the Jets ranked at 18th. So kind of around that area, I think the top line does a lot of the heavy lifting there. And then if Adam Lowry is able to bounce back, like you mentioned, there's just so many question marks with this team that it's kind of hard to exactly gauge where they are. But just ahead of them would be Ottawa and Anaheim. Two teams that are kind of in similar situations where they got a really solid top line and then some question marks. So you have one of the team through they are ranked. I have them at 18. Okay. I'll say I have them at 15. No, I'll say 16. Yeah. And for me, they're just ahead of teams like Boston and we even with a guy like David Posnerk on the team, like I'd still think the Jets have some of that firepower.

23:39I'm going to reverse this. There's two top 10s and one bottom 10 in my mind. So I'm going to go. They are 14th in the national hockey. All right. That's fair. I have Buffalo around 14th Buffalo, San Jose, Anaheim Ottawa are all kind of in that area. Just depending on what kind of flavor you're feeling that they could go up a couple spots who feel it exactly. But then they're ahead of teams like Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, some of those other teams that also have, Philadelphia is more of a more balanced team up and down their lineup. Boston and Detroit have the higher end players on the top line and then questionable death after that. So I think that's an okay spot for them. But what about the defensive ranks? And I think that this is where the Jets may be fair a little bit better. But just your initial ballpark on where the Jets defense ranks. Defences. So with Salamon center without? I took into consideration that Salamon's would be on the team. I'm stalling. Salo Monson. Yeah. I do their lineup is like the forward core, right?

24:44It's not that one exceptional. Although I think the top line is, but it's not exceptional, but it's not bad. It's not bottom 10. But I don't think it's top 10. I'm going to say they're probably around the same 13th, 14th. I don't know. I'm going to go one less. I'll say the forward core is ranked 14th in the national hockey league and I think the D course rank 15. I actually gave the Jets a little bit more of some grace in the D rankings. And I put them at 12. I think that and in doing this, I should make clear that I do value more. If a team has a high end number one defenseman, that plays a big factor because the guy's going to be playing 25 minutes a night over close to half the game. See, and I put credence into it. If Samberg is a little bit further along, like I like that one stud guy like Morrissey, and then I like to have a second or two two beats. And so if Samberg was a little bit further along, I would be like, I think they're 12th or 13th. But I just, I need to see something from him this year and then Solomon's is going to grow.

25:45I like Pionk as a three, four guy and Morrissey. And then I like the addition of Ferraro for sure. I don't know much about St. Ivany. I'll go away to see, but I'll go for it or 15th with them. Yeah, no, and I like their, I mean, Josh Morrissey, I'm a huge fan of Josh Morris. And I still think that he doesn't get enough love across the league when it comes to top demand. I mean, he is the engine of this Jets team. And to your point about Dylan Samberg, yeah, he didn't have the greatest year last year, coming back from an injury to start the season. You go back to the season before that though, he was absolutely lights out. Yes. I don't know what guys who defend at a high level and then we're purely talking defend. Dylan Samberg is one of the most underrated in the NHL when it comes to that. And he's got a pretty solid first pass out of the zone. The offense and offensive skills aren't totally as far along as you maybe would have hoped. But I really do think that Samberg is one of the more underrated defenders in the NHL. And I think that he's going to have a huge balance back season and kind of push himself

26:45into not quite the Jacob Slaven range. I don't think he's that good when it comes to that. Pretty good if it was. Exactly. Pretty cool if he was. I am with you on that though. I think like what I expected or hope for last year for him, I think happens this year. Yeah. Sometimes it takes a longer year, right? Sometimes you, you're so comfortable that some of the things you do so well while you're trying to improve on other things. Those things get get a little bit sloppier. What have you described it? I think it's a combination now. This is what I do well. This is a step I'm going to take and they combine better than what we saw last year. Yeah. And I do. I still think Solomon's is going to be a really nice addition to that top four once he is fully healthy. And I think Samberg will kind of solidify himself in that, you know, like the Jonas Seagun tholars and the Martin, the heravies of the world, you know, guys who are a little bit unharbleded, but they really do defend at a high level. So we kind of see eye to eye. The jets are kind of going to be in that mid range and it ultimately comes down to what kind of goal 10 they're going to get also from this goal-tending core of the

27:47scanner corner, hellabuck, whoever it might be. But let us know what you think were the jets range. We're too old for. I'll say with hellabuck, like let's say it's hellabuck and Skinner as things currently stand. I would put them one two, one or two because I think Stuart Skinner, if Connor hellabuck is the starter is the best backup in the NHL. But if Stuart Skinner is the starter and say they have a league average backup, I would probably put them towards that 20, 21 range, maybe even lower down the list. No, with the caveat that I do think that Stuart Skinner's play will potentially improve under underweight flaredies guidance. But as things currently stand on paper based off of last season, I would have to put them towards the bottom half. Well, this team has to infer it to go anywhere, regardless of the person. I'll have to get back to that defensive system. So if they do that in front of Skinner, but I right now I'm going with him as a starter. But yeah, top three if they're a tandem, but with Skinner at the starter, whoever backing

28:47up, I have them about 20, 21st. Yep. Let us know what you think. 204, 780, 68, 68. Ryan on the text line says Jets rank about 20th for forward group. Third line also limited with scoring second line. We know is up in the air. I think that's a fair ranking. Like there's only it for forward group. Yeah, he said it's a little low about 20th is what Ryan said. But there's so many teams right in around there that are so close. Like you can look at the Troy and go well, Larkin to brain cad, Lucas Raymond on the top line. Like that's a pretty solid top line. But then it's just what's what groups after that? Do you like like the rest of the time? And I don't think it will be, but if it's Connor, hell, sorry, if it's Shifley, Connor, Valardi, I put them in the top 10. Interesting. Well, let us know what you think. We're going to take a break. And when we come back, we're going to take a look at the Jets prospect challenge roster. Some guys that we're looking forward to watching. And there's quite a few invites on this list as well. We'll tell you about those right after this.

29:54Welcome back to Jets at noon. Tyson, we're lucky along with Jim Toe. Don't forget to call the boss and pizza hockey hotline where we give away a $50 gift card to BP where this September keeps it eat free all month long. That's right. We have all September at BP conditions apply. Hockey hotline is at 204 780 6800. And we have our VIP text from today and that comes from Matt. And Matt says, guys, helly looks so good during the Olympics because he had three top lines at back checked and four checked. He had two fantastic deep hairs in front of him. I'm excited for the season without helly because we're about to find out and we'll be watching his play if traded with a regular and quotations NHL squad in front of him. For me, no more biting my bottom lip every time he leaves the crease to mishandle the puck and an attempted clearing. No more watching to make a great first safe than freeze for one or two seconds only to be scored on the second second attempt because he didn't know where the rebound went. Regardless, I'm excited for a season without him. We're about to find out how many of the Jets issues of last season are on our goal, telling happy Wednesday lads. Well, thanks for that. Matt and congrats on the VIP text. Yeah, we appreciate it.

30:54Except I was doing this a little bit last night in my head. I was thinking, say it was to Florida. Say it was to Carolina say it was to Buffalo and they go into the playoffs. Do you think he gets lit up for five games and they lose in the first round? Or do you think he does what he did at the Olympics and what he did last year or two years ago against Dallas in the second round? Because Dallas, don't give him on Dallas was an exceptional. But he shot him out twice, kept him in every game and was much, much better than against St. Louis. And that's all we have to go on. We have the St. Louis three game disaster in St. Louis, but then the four games at home. We have the second round against Dallas where he was, he was an exceptional, but he was very good. He was very good against Dallas in that six game series. And then the Olympics. I just, Buffalo is interesting, right? Because they would, you think take a step forward from last year's playoff experience. But I just, if he's in Carolina or Florida, I just don't see how he gets lit up. No, especially Carolina. I mean, they won't have to do is what Brandon, and I don't want to disrespect Bussie,

31:57but that was his 13th game in the national hockey. He goes three Stanley Cup games, made a game 11, 12, 13 or something like that. I should have looked that up, but I wasn't planning to play a little bit more than that. But regardless, I think he's 28 games total. Yeah. In the show or something. What? Let's just look it out because I don't like to be incorrect or nonfactual. But my point to this is, if you put that Carolina team in front of Connor, hella buck, you don't think they're going on the third round. Oh, for sure. I mean, they, they could have went to like Mark Andre, Flurry coming off that coming up the street and playing. He's had 39 games in the national hockey league and they all came this year. He's had four games in the playoffs and they all came this year. Well, and that's, and look, I don't, again, I don't want to disrespect Brandon Bussie, but when you look at his stats for this season and the regular season, in 895, say, percentage in a two, four, four goals against average, that means that he's not facing a ton of shots. And a point 895, save percentage in 39 regular season games and a two point four, four goals

32:58against average in the playoffs for four games. One point six, oh goals against average and a nine 31 save percentage. You're telling me with the way, and I'm not disrespecting the text at all, valid point, but you're telling me we're going to nitpick about the ball play behind the puck or behind the net and all this. You put them on that Carolina team in a trade. And if Brian and Bussie's getting a nine 31 in four games, what do you think Connor Halibuck's doing in front of that team, probably in that team? For sure. And, you know, this is just pure speculation too, but you know, with the way that Connor Halibuck was feeling at the end of the season, you know, he might come into this, into a new situation and be rejuvenated a little bit and be a little bit more excited to play hockey because, literally, he's frustrated with the direction that the team's going in right now. I just kept going back to that, the announcement two weeks ago and now nothing's happened. I think he's he's frustrated. I think he's like, get me, I told you, I told you, I told you, get me out, move this on, move this along. And I, I don't know what the conversation with Ray Petco.

33:59Ray Petco's a great guy, met him a couple times his agent. I just don't know what the, did they think this was going to happen? Yeah. Did they think you've dealt with Shevel Day off and watched him for years? Did you think just because you asked this was going to happen? And now I can't understand, I bet you he's frustrated beyond belief. That's just my feeling. I'm just so sure. Want to go on, touch on this really quickly right before you wrap up the show. But Jim mentioned that the NHL prospects challenge roster is right for the Jets. We're going to go in more in depth tomorrow and talk about some of the guys keeping eye out on. But just notable names that are on this roster. Alpha on fray on defense will be the most notable defenseman. Forward group is looking pretty staff. They got Braden Yeager playing Colby Barlow, Kevin Hee, Vigo Bjork, the big star. And I'm excited to watch him kind of dominating against some of these other prospects. And here in Walton's going to be on the list as well. Jacob Julian, Dave Manouk's really high on him and he thinks that he could potentially be a bit of a dark horse. So it's really going to be fun. Those games are on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. We should have Dave Ron again this week. Yeah.

35:00Maybe we'll go over this lineup with him and see who he we should keep an eye on and who not. We'll make the call, Jim. We'll make the call. That's it for us today. Special thanks to Jeff Fortj. Yeah, the open day listed. Special thanks to Jeff Fortj making the show go. Jim Total taking all the way to two o'clock and we'll be back same time tomorrow. See ya.