What’s Next For Red Wings After Stripping Larkin Of Captaincy?

0:00It's a little terrifying because it absolutely can not miss. The only is now are maybe I'm pretty new. Not, right? Like Canada doesn't have a ton of great options. What's up everybody? Welcome to the hockey news big show. I'm Katie Goss joined by Michael Tracos and Ryan Kennedy. And I'm happy to be back with you guys as we start talking about this upcoming season 2627 quickly approaching with training camps getting started next week. And there are plenty of stories to get into today. But the start of the season also means mediators and Michael. I know that you are flying in red hot off a red eye from Las Vegas. So tell us a little bit about the media tour and what you learned there. Yeah, it was a busy and right. You know this it was a busy what was a two and a half day where we got something like

1:01I think final count was like 34 players, which is kind of insane. Some teams sent two of them, which not going to complain. But a lot of news and I think the news was centered around all the trade demands that we saw this summer. And you know, specifically that team USA group chat from the Olympics, which from a media perspective, maybe a fan perspective Katie. I don't know about you, but it seemed like it took on like near mythical status. This group where he USA players from the Kachucks to the Quinn to the Hughes brothers were kind of pop it masters pulling the strings saying like, all right, Connor, how about you're going to go here? We're ready to get you're coming to Florida. Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes. All right, we're going to New Jersey. We're going here and it's like the players like pump the brakes. That's not what that was all about. These days, all we're doing is texting Connor, hella, bucks saying, Hey, hella, good morning. Thank you again. Thank you, hella, like it was really funny to kind of hear their perspective on things

2:04because from our perspective, again, it just seems like, you know, if you were on that Olympic team, a you formed an incredible bond with each other and be, you know, it made it seem like all these guys don't want to do is just play together. Yeah. Yeah. And we certainly had some fun, but I agree with you. The group chat did take on a life of its own and Ryan, I know from your perspective, we've heard about all of these stories kind of all summer. Now that we're getting to the start of the season, do we expect things to change? I mean, at some point, you have to shift gears and stop talking about the what ifs and the demands and focus on where are these guys right now and what team are they currently playing for? Yeah. And that's going to be very interesting for a couple of those big name players because and I know we're going to talk about it on the show, but, you know, there could be some sort of awkward situations like what if Halibuk doesn't get traded right away by Winnipeg? Yeah. Like what about Dylan Larkin Detroit? You know, feels like, you know, like Zach Orenski has been very upfront saying he wants

3:06to stay in Columbus and then all the trade talk really got blown out of proportion. So how has he received by Blue Jackets fans? Just first couple of weeks, I think you're going to be very interesting to see how fan bases react to some of these players that may or may not have asked for trades. Right. I mean, let's dive right into it because the news coming out today as we're getting ready to record Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Redwings announcing that he will be a training camp next week, but that he will not be wearing the sea. Larkin's statement just detailing how he's had a lot of in-depth discussions with Redwings leadership. And when new leadership takes over because we know they're in the search for a GM, those conversations will continue in what direction will the team go in. He's focused now on the season and his teammates, but I think it's probably fair with the comments he's previously made that he isn't wearing the sea. Michael, what are your thoughts on just the development of this situation and how things are going to start for Detroit this season?

4:07Yeah, extremely, extremely awkward, Katie. And it's one thing to request a trade, but it's another one to be the captain of the team and requesting it. And now to go back with sort of your tail tucked between your legs, it's not going to be an easy situation for Larkin or his teammates. Alex DeBrinquet was the representative that Detroit sent to Vegas for the player media tour. And if you want to believe DeBrinquet, you know, business is business and it doesn't bleed into personal. So his thoughts on Dylan Larkin as a friend, as a teammate, as a person, he said they haven't changed. And I'll take him face value for that. We've talked to Drew Shore, Devin Dubnik about this kind of stuff. And I think a lot of us believe fans are outraged and we expect that teammates and players are similarly outraged. Yeah. It might not always be the case. There was a lot of sympathy for a lot of these players who have stuck it out for years and have not had that success and want to do what's best for themselves, for their family,

5:11for their career. And I think that, you know, if you believe that and DeBrinquet, you know, certainly seems sure of it, then, you know, maybe they can just kind of treat Dylan Larkin as he always was and just, you know, put that trade request in the back of their minds and, you know, you got to remember, you know, according to DeBrinquet, this is still what he regards as a playoff team. You know, they weren't that far out from making a missing the playoffs or making the playoffs last year, you know, really took a nose die post Olympics. But, you know, they're coming back with a similar roster, obviously they lost Patrick Kane and we'll see what happens with Simon Edmondson. But, you know, it's a young team that should be taking those next progressive steps. And as long as Larkin and that drama can kind of fizzle in the background, you know, maybe the redmains could be one of those dark horse teams. Yeah. Well, I mean, certainly the new GM, whoever it will be is inheriting an interesting situation. It doesn't help though, Ryan, that Larkin has been pretty specific with the teams that he was offering up, you know, how much of that has to change for him to, you know, actually

6:14get out of Detroit. Yeah, I think there has to be some wiggle room there. And, you know, we're at the point where teams only have so much cap space, you know, it's like, yeah, the cap is going up every year. But once you get the training camp, like for the most part, teams are pretty much set. And then, you know, they always want to leave some cap space for the trade deadline. So I do think that, you know, Larkin has to be a little flexible with how many destinations he gives the Redwings. I think that, you know, in the end, Moritz Cider was going to be their next captain at some point anyway. I think it's more at Cider the C now. Let that era begin. As for the GM search, just hire Ryan Martin. Just like, just ended. He won, you know, Stanley Cups with you as an exec years ago. He has tons of experience. And he used to be an agent. And what we've seen is, you know, former agents have turned out to be some pretty good

7:18gems in the NHL. So it's just like, just get it done with. Yeah, just don't overthink it, right? It seems like that probably makes sense. But obviously after Steve Iserman, they want to make sure the next one is the right ones. We'll see what they do. You're speaking of overthinking it. Not sure why the Tampa Bay Lightning are overthinking the new contract that they should be giving Nikita Kutcher off. The 33 year old is entering his final season of his contract. I'd say he's due for a nice raise. He's currently making 9.5 million. He just won his second heart trophy, becoming just the 20th player in NHL history to win multiple times. So are we surprised, Ryan? The Tampa hasn't gotten this extension done yet. This isn't going to be another stamp co-situation, right? I don't think it'll be another stamp co-situation simply because of what you just pointed out, which is the heart trophy. You know, it's like he is still, you know, playing incredible hockey for the Lightning. And if you think about Nikita Kutcher off on a long-term deal, like his biggest asset

8:23is his mind, right? That's not going to change. It's not like skating or something like that. Or, you know, he's not a huge guy that might, you know, have a lot of bumps and bruises over the years and kind of break down. You know, it's the hands in the mind. So I think it's a matter of Tampa Bay figuring out where they are in the Eastern Conference pecking order. I think they're still quite high. But they aren't older roster, right? If you think about Victor Hadman and Ryan McDonough on the back end, just how much hockey they've played in their NHL careers, it'll be interesting to see. And I do think like if you're Kutcher off, you've won championships, you've won individual accolades, you're going to get paid. So what do you want? Like, you're in a pretty good situation, you know, we know the Russians love Florida. So he's in a good situation there. I wonder if, even if he could take more, if he says, you know what, give me 15 million

9:28times seven years and we're cool. Yeah. Yeah. Like, how much does that change? What he wants versus how much he wants to get paid? Because Lord knows him on the open market would be insanity. Oh, yeah. 22. Yeah. Yeah, I almost feel like Kutcher off. Maybe not exactly like Cindy Krosby, but you know, Krosby, you know, historically. It took less money just to kind of match up with his jersey number. So, you know, for years, you're like, how is he only making 8.7? This guy should be making like, you know, double that amount and Kutcher off, you could say the same thing. I agree completely with Ryan. I think he's going to age really well in the NHL because, you know, like you said, Ryan, like he doesn't rely on physical attributes that are going to, you know, slow down, break down or whatever. Like his mind is like a steel trap and talking to all the players as we can, you know, one of the guys, Mark Lazarus from the athletic was asking everyone if he could pick one skill from someone and not make David speed, not a mention shot like an underrated skill.

10:34Like, I'd say like nine out of 10 players kept saying Kutcher off and they're like, yeah, it's his ability to kind of, you know, see the ice or play off the side wall or fend off defenders without using his size or anything. And it's like, yeah, that's not going to change. So I think it's really going to be about what it's Kutcher off one. And I kind of feel like he's going to take a significant discount just so that Tampa Bake and remain competitive. And it's amazing that they did remain competitive last year because of all the injuries and everything that kind of went wrong for them. So in an ideal world where everyone's healthy and Victor Hedman has a bounce back year. And I really hope for him that he does have that. I think Kutcher off and the lightning could be looking at, you know, potential, you know, I don't want to say they're a Stanley Cup. You know, they're my number one pick for a Stanley Cup. But they're in that mix, I think, maybe in that second tier of teams that could contend this year. Yeah. And the ever challenging Atlantic certainly adds to, you know, the discrepancy of where

11:34you want to rank any team really on any given day. There's so many, so many good clubs coming out of there. But it'll be interesting to see what they decide and how they get it done. Let's talk a little bit about something we were discussing earlier. This slew of team USA players and now Connor Hella book is continuing to be one of the names that continues to come up as he expressed his interest in a trade. The Winnipeg Jets put their statement out following that. And so far, it seems like the rumors are swirling, but they haven't been able to find a partner to dance with. So TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBron saying maybe the Carolina Hurricanes and the Utah mammoth could be possible landing spots. And we talked about this earlier, the awkwardness of that first day of school and you're still on the team. So what's the chances that we see Hella books starting the season in Winnipeg? And what are the Jets looking for in terms of a return to make this trade he asks for possible? I think the chances are strong that he starts the season and finishes the season in Winnipeg.

12:38I think the Jets want to be forced into a trade that puts them behind. Like you had to remember it's Winnipeg. It's always going to be tough to attract free agents and players to come to Winnipeg. And the Jets thought they had that in Connor Hella book. Like him and Mark Schifley signed basically identical contracts to be part of the solution. And when you've got those two guys plus Kyle Connor, plus Josh Morrissey and some intriguing players like Cole Perfetti and some other young pieces that you're expecting to take steps up. And you're like, okay, we're set. But if you lose Hella book and you don't get the return that makes you at least the same level or better boy oh boy, it's going to be tough for Winnipeg especially when you're in that central division. So I honestly think that if I'm GM Kevin Shevel Dayoff and just knowing Chevy, he's not going to be forced into a trade. I think that's the reason why this trade hasn't happened already.

13:40It hasn't been a secret that Hella book wanted out and they've tried to make a deal. Just haven't got the return. And I think if they don't see the return that they want, Hella book is going to be there and he's going to be there all year. Yeah, to me it's almost a harder situation than in the, I mean I think it is a harder situation than what Detroit is dealing with, right? A gold tender, the caliber of Hella book, he's the entire Winnipeg Jets team on many occasions. So to know that you're in this uncomfortable spot when you're trying to replace a player like that, a gold tender Ryan, that only makes it more challenging. It does, but let me throw out a trade proposal for you. Here we go. Okay, and now granted it just did occur to me when you mentioned the central division that Utah is also in the central and I don't know if they want to trade Hella book in their division, but if they did, would you, if you put on your GM hats, Carl Vesmelka, because you need a, you need a starting gold tender back, right? Jack McBain, who gives you a bottom six center, plus you need to sort of work out the cap,

14:47right? In terms of evening up the money, plus Jack McBain's dad was drafted by the Jets and started his NHL career with Winnipeg. I think he played like five or six seasons with the Jets. So Jack McBain would know about Winnipeg, at least he was dad could tell him about it. And then you throw in either a first rounder or a high end prospect like a Caleb de Noir. Does that get it done? That's a pretty spicy little offer or pretty. I almost think that was fair. Yeah, yeah, listen, I think you got to get like a tige again, again. You know, he basically grew up in Calgary, so he's used to being in like that area of Canada where it's not glamorous. But when there's a recommendation, I definitely love the Val Malco one. I would maybe, I still think you need a player that's going to help you this year, like

15:48a roster player. Well, McBain is a roster player, right? I know he's not your rival line, but maybe a higher level. You want a top sixer? Yeah. I want a guy that's going to be like, you know, he's going to be up there at least, maybe top five and scoring on your team. Because you got to invest tough. For that buffer, that buffalo was offering like they wouldn't part with consta Hellenius. And I think that's the kind of, they want a guy that's going to pop off this year. That's fair. But yeah, you could take a chance on to Ginnla, like he hasn't played in the NHL yet, but he is one of the best prospects outside of the NHL. So that could be the nice risky move. And it would be incredibly poetic if Ginnla was involved in a trade that worked out for both teams just like his dad was when he got traded for Joe Newandike before Jerome got to the NHL. There you go. We love narratives. We love that full circle moments.

16:49I've had an interesting and Utah right. What's that? I was the fishing in Utah. He said Utah, like, oh, for Hellenius. That could be component. Yeah, I know. They have the big Salt Lake. I don't think there's any fish in there. They're already pre-brined. Maybe some fly fishing. Not sure. He's more of a bass. I think he's more of a bass fisherman now. So I don't know. He's fresh water. Yeah. He's fresh water. That's right. So what? Well, have to see. The other person I want to kind of talk about just to play devil's advocate, the fact that Carolina was thrown into this and it intrigues me because of what their current goalie situation already looks like. What do you guys think just about the fact that their name is being kind of thrown into this mix? What would that look like? They don't need hell of a. Can we do play that kind of style and system? Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to drop on the pads for the Carolina hurricanes. It's a reason why an e-bug goalie was able to perform so well when David Ayers, like

17:54Stonewall, the Toronto Maple Leafs way back when, like a Zabone driver. That's the level of goal technique they basically need to win a Stanley Cup. As long as you're healthy, the defense will take care of the rest. Yeah. Yeah, Carolina, I mean, if you made a deal with Carolina, I mean, they're very good at drafting. And Winnipeg's problem in recent years is they are not good at developing. So I don't know if taking a good Carolina draft pick actually helps Winnipeg. Because I don't think it's necessarily been Winnipeg choosing the wrong guys. They just haven't developed them in recent years. But if you're Carolina, I think you say to yourself, like, do we really, like, because Carolina did nothing this summer, except celebrate. And why not? Like the roster, other than losing Freddie Anderson, the roster is like untouched. So do you really want to tinker with that? Or do you say, like, let boys, let's just run it back. It worked last time. Right.

18:55Yeah. What would you offer? Like, and it would have to be a bussy probably or a cut check off obviously. Busy because he's the more known quantity at this point, I think. Like, could check off been up and down as much as I would make a race. Possibly. If I win a peg, I would definitely ask for Jackson Blake. I don't know if Carolina would do it. I think Nikkeesian is an obvious one because it sounds like, you know, things haven't gone well in terms of them figuring out, you know, a contract for him. So that might be an easy one. But is and then, you know, do you rely more on like future first rounders and second rounders to even it up? But I'm not sure if that helps win a peg right now, right? I also just think, I don't know. I mean, we're talking to go from Connor Hellbuck to anybody else, but I mean, bussy, good on him. Still, I think there's still some question there about what that's going to ultimately look like for him. Sure. That's a lot to put on a goalie who's, you know, developed in a unique way to say his

20:01career has been interesting. So to come in and be the new Connor Hellbuck, that's true. Of course. There you go. Straight Skinner. He's, this is the year. This is his year. I just know it. All right. Let's talk about the St. Louis Blues, Mason McTavish, heading into a season with something to prove he was telling reporter for the athletic journey. He wrote the firm that he has a chip on his shoulder for sure, not happy with how his time in Anaheim came to an end. So, Michael, what do we think about McTavish and, you know, what he can do now that he's part of this Blues team? Yeah, he's been my pick. Like whenever we talk about players who could have breakout years and change a scenery, he's always the top of my list. I think McTavish is going to, you know, thrive in St. Louis. Like now he's going to get the opportunity, the minutes and, you know, the chance to show like what kind of offensive player he can be because, you know, in Anaheim, it was a numbers game. You know, he stuck behind so many players that felt like that he wasn't able to kind of really thrive that way.

21:02So, I'm expecting a huge year out of him. I think St. Louis is going to be a really interesting team to watch in the West. Again, I've been saying it for, you know, a number of episodes here that, you know, they are Mike Dyer, of course, candidate for a wild card birth this summer or this season. So in terms of how many goals, how many points, I think it's, it's totally a reasonable to expect like somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 25. And if he really does pop off, then, you know, we could be looking at a potential 30 goal score, especially if he's playing on a top line with Robert Thomas. So I'm really excited to see what he looks like and who he plays with there. Yeah. Yeah. And I actually just did a story on Mason McTavish for the magazine. He'll be on the cover. It'll come out soon. And yeah. And, you know, he was, he was obviously excited to be in St. Louis. You know, it obviously felt very different for him to be skating with new guys and not being an anion high anymore, but he did feel it was time to move on from anion high.

22:05And you know, talking to Alexander Steen, the GM of the St. Louis Blues, what he liked the most about McTavish was his mindset. He talked about the resiliency, the fact that McTavish is willing to take on challenges and sort of push through the adversity that he's gone through. He also pointed out that McTavish tends to play his best hockey in big games. And you know, that goes back to the world juniors when he had that like all time defensive move when he batted the puck out of the air on the Canadian goal line. And what would have been the gold medal winning goal for Finland in overtime and then Canada went down the ice a minute and a half later and won it. So we've seen McTavish thrive in pressure situations. So I, you know, I'm with Mike like I'm intrigued to see what he can do on a Blues team where a lot of the important players are around his age. Yeah, that's true. It certainly would be interesting. You've got them there too, right?

23:06And Robert Thomas like it's a new era. Alex Dean is now the GM. You know, again, they're in tough because like you say it constantly, that central division is not getting any easier, especially now that Utah is for real. Yeah. But, you know, again, I just, something about the Blues just screams out to me like they're going to make the playoffs. They're going to be one of those surprise teams and maybe they're not even a surprise team anymore. Well, yeah. I mean, they've proven they don't need a whole season of being great. They'll just turn it on in January and they can still just do whatever they need. Oh, my God. You mentioned McTavish as a name for, you know, a dark horse type player who could just pop off and have a stronger season than ever before. But let's talk maybe a little bit about dark horse award candidate. It's always fun. You know, there are so many great players and there are so many consistently great players that we see the same names, most of the same names from year to year for a lot of the different NHL awards. So, are there any players that you could see, you know, foresee maybe an unexpected name

24:09getting into the race, into the hunt for an individual award this year? All right. This might sound crazy because he had such a bad sophomore year, but I'm really interested to see what Matt Vey and Mitch Cough can do in years. Oh, okay. You got to remember, year one as a rookie. He tied Celebriini in points in that rookie race. And then just, you know, whether he came into camp out of shape last year or whatever, didn't gel with Rick Tauquette ended up in his doghouse. We didn't have the greatest year. Still scored 20 goals, but this guy is a score, right Ryan? You know, comparisons to Connor Bedard, to even Alex O'Vetchkin, which are ridiculous. But, you know, reportedly, he shed something like 29 to 30 pounds in the summer. His body fat percentage is down to 10%. I don't know how he lost 30 pounds, by the way. First of all, he was not that out of shape last year. Yeah, that sounds a little high. It does. But, talking to Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegris, they said he's coming in with an FU mentality. I believe it.

25:09I think, you know, you said dark horse. So I'm going to say, Matt Vey and Mitch Cough watch out. He could be in that rock and recharge race. All right. I like it. Okay. Ryan. Matt, two, one might not really be a dark horse at this point. But more at Cider for the Norris. I know he's probably gotten a little bit of like love in the past year or two for the Norris. But, you know, we don't. We don't put his name out the same way we do like McCarr and Hughes. So I think Cider, if he has a huge year and Detroit makes a playoffs, I think he could definitely get a lot of Norris consideration. And then, okay, how about this one? It's not a dark horse name, but given the scenario, what about Conor McDavid for the Selkie? Oh, because of bad luck. Because of Babcock. What if he goes the Steve Iserman route of, I'm not going to score 130 points. I'm going to score 100 points, be, you know, a match up guy and a penalty killer supreme.

26:17You know, this is how we're going to get back to the Stanley Cup final. So that's my sort of like non-Darkers as a dark horse. A healthy, a healthy, a healthy average. I would be, I would be I would be, I would be. I'd be extremely disappointed if he does win the Selkie because that means that McDavid is not going to be scoring like 147 points. True, true. Maybe dry side looking, he drives up can be that I think dry side of wants to win the Selkie himself. So maybe they can have an internal competition as to who is the most barcough-esque. Yes, but it's like barcough is the new berserun and if he's playing the whole season and he's healthy. Yes. Gosh darn it, he's getting that award. Yeah. We shall see. I mean, we know that every once in a while we like to see the awards get switched up, but also there is kind of a consistency with voters for certain awards where if he's there, he's getting it. So we will see, but yeah, I don't know if it's as fun for the game if McDavid is playing that style, but hey, they want to win.

27:18Maybe they do have to change something up. For over 75 years, guys, the hockey news has been the ultimate hockey fix and now you can get 12 issues delivered straight to you with stories, stats, a bonus issue to kick things off. So visit THN.com to get in on the action. Let's talk a little bit of rapid fire and starting things off obviously earlier this week. They lost a great hockey personality in a great hockey player and coach and broadcaster and Barry Melrose who passed away after a courageous battle with Parkinson's. He played 300 NHL games, including three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, won the Calder Cup as a coach in Adderandac and most recently and most known now is his beloved presence for ESPN and how he helped so many people fall in love with the game of hockey and he rocked a great mallet while doing most of it. So certainly we're thinking of Barry and his family. But guys, do you have any memories? Anything that stands out to you when you think back on his career as a player, coach or broadcaster?

28:18Yeah, for me, it's obviously he was like the US version of Don Cherry with the playing for the boots and the mallet like you mentioned. You know, a very flashy guy. For me, I don't even remember him as a or don't regard him as much as a broadcaster as I do a coach and I go back to the 93 playoffs where the Toronto Maple Leafs faced off against Melrose's LA Kings, which was just an electric conference final or semi final series. And Barry Melrose nearly got into a fight with Pat Quinn and I had to tell you how it was. No, it's Pat Burns. Sorry, Pat Burns, yeah. And Pat Burns was like former cop and obviously I wouldn't want to get in the fight with any one of those guys. But just that's the image I have is just both those guys just barking at each other and nearly getting into blows in the middle of the game. Yeah, that's exactly the same thing I was thinking of was the Pat Burns Barry Melrose feud and just how, yeah, just how electric that was when you're watching that as a kid,

29:20just seeing, you know, I was obviously intense on the ice and it carried over to the benches. So yeah, that's to me because I mean we're Canadian. We didn't really see Barry Melrose that much. But obviously had a huge impact on. Yeah, for Americans, I think the broadcaster version was so prevalent because again, this was also at a time when, you know, sports center and ESPN weren't talking about hockey, you know, nearly as much as other sports. But Barry was that kind of that that strong presence for the sport. He taught so many people about the game. He was so honest and blunt with his opinions and he really did so much for bringing Americans into the fold when it came to hockey. And you know, he made an impact because after his passing Lil Wayne tweeted about how upset he was and how much of an impact he made. So hockey fan Lil Wayne, we have a lot to thank Barry Melrose for and that is just one example. So good memories guys. All right, let's talk about John Klingberg who has officially announced that he is retiring

30:21from professional hockey at 34 years old. He played 700 games, six different NHL teams during his NHL career. So Michael, what are your thoughts on this announcement and maybe a highlight moment that stands out from his career? Obviously, you know, cut short, we know by the hip injury that he couldn't quite get over. Yeah, not surprising that, you know, it's getting to this point for Klingberg. Obviously, he was, you know, always regarded as one of those offensive, offensive defensemen. And you know, you were not signing Klingberg to be a defensive specialist. You're getting them because, you know, either he's going to run your power play or you just needed, you know, a fourth forward to kind of join the rush. So I know the Toronto Maple Leafs took a crack at them years ago and didn't work out, you know, several other teams looking that way. You know, every team is always looking for a Klingberg type of guy. And you know, now in today's NHL, it seems like everyone now, every defenseman plays with that kind of offensive slant. And I want to say it's credited to Klingberg, but, you know, he was one of those, you know,

31:24early adopters, definitely of that style. Yeah. Yeah, I think about, you know, sort of his peak in Dallas when he was really racking up points. And then you think about that playoff run during the bubble where they lost in the final to Tampa Bay. But it's pretty incredible looking back on it. John Klingberg was the second highest score on the stars during that postseason. Number one was Miro Heskenin. So they were in lid by two defensemen. Klingberg had 21 points. So I mean, you look at the impact and how he obviously helped the stars get all the way to that final and what was clearly a bizarre postseason. But that was sort of the best of what he could provide on the ice. Yeah. And you look back at highly reals. I was looking at some this morning after seeing the announcement. He was one of the greats of dancing along that blue line and moving that puck up the top. It was, it was certainly fun to watch some of the old highlights from him. So congrats on a great career to John Klingberg.

32:24All right, guys, how about the goalies heading into these upcoming season? We talked a little bit about dark horses. But is there any goalie that could be a dark horse or set us up for a Vesna level season performance? Anybody that you think is due for that moment? Well, if I'm the New York Rangers, I'm hoping that it's eager to start. And that really is the difference maker between, you know, are the Rangers going to be a bottom of the conference team? Or are they going to be a team that's challenging possibly the Islanders, the Flyers and some other teams in the Metro for one of those final spots? And I think it really does come down to, you know, can't have a door of a score like he did in Vegas, but more importantly, can just Durkin kind of clean up any of the messes that the Rangers had. And similar to Connor Hellowbuck, you know, we know he's done it before and it's possible. It's just, you know, you're asking him to be superhuman on every night. And, you know, he's got that in him.

33:25So that's guy that I'm really intrigued to see because again, he can be a huge, huge ex-factor. Yeah, they need it. What do you think, Ryan? I'm going to go with the Rangers Archrival, the New York Islanders and Ilya Sorokin, somebody who's very similar. Exactly. Two good buddies if I'm not mistaken. But you know, Sorokin, he was great for most of last year and he kind of flagged down the stretch when they fell out of the playoffs. And it was just, I think they just, they had to play him too much, right? They bring in Vanna Check, you know, you hope that Varlamaff will give you some starts this year, which he obviously couldn't do to injury last year. I think as long as Ilya Sorokin is fresh, he will be one of the best gold tenders in the NHL, Night in and Night out. And if he can get the islanders into the playoffs, then I think he'll be one of those players that we have to consider as a, as a Vesna favorite. Yeah, the Russian dominance in between the pipes continues and certainly two teams that

34:30are very much reliant on performances from their gold tender to drive the success for their teams overall. All right, let's talk about the younger teams heading into this season and, you know, teams that have been maybe on the up, teams that are continuing to develop. We've got a list of five and we want to know which of these five young teams is most likely to win the cup first. Certainly not saying that this is in the next year or two, but never know. Let's go with the Montreal Canadians, the San Jose sharks, the Buffalo Sabers, the Anaheim Ducks, and the Philadelphia Flyers, who is destined for a championship first. I'm going to go with the Montreal Canadians because I feel like they have all the elements right now. I'm not saying they'll do it right now, but like Nick Suzuki is definitely becoming a elite center. He's got a lot of help up front, you know, Deemodov and Savkowski are only going to get

35:34better. And then you have a dynamic defenseman on the back end in Lane Hudson. He's got a decent amount of support. And then Jakob Dobysh, I mean, if he is what we saw in the playoffs last year, then he is a legit number one gold tender. And they do have other options behind him so they don't need to have him play 65, 70 games which basically nobody does anymore. Anyways, but I feel like Montreal to me is sort of the safest answer. Yeah, and they were, I mean, we've seen it. They're the closest just based on the recent performance, right? They are maybe, you know, they're young, but they're a little more old as a group. These are young guys that are young together, but have played together now a little more. So that definitely boosts their chances. What do you think, Michael? Is there a team? The Buffalo Sabers are kind of interesting because I don't even know, like, are they young or they just like finally getting good? But what's your pick on that list? Yeah, you know, you could make a case for everyone. I'm going to go San Jose, guys.

36:35And obviously, Maclin Celebrini is the centerpiece of that team, but I love the summer that Mike Greer had as a GM in San Jose. I thought it was, you know, bold move trying to get Darnell Nurse. I kind of like it though. I think a fresh start for Darnell and getting out of that huge market. Yeah. Edmonton, where are the spotlights on them and going to San Jose might actually revitalize him as well, getting Jacob Truba in Michael Kesslering. I think, you know, both those additions make their defense a lot better. And, you know, we know what young talent they have up front. Like, you know, I'm expecting Stemberg to potentially make the team. And if he does, and, you know, you've got Michael Misa there, then it is intriguing. And you said not just this year, Katie said in coming years. So give the charts a couple more years. And I think they could be definitely competing. Yeah. I think those are both solid picks. So be interesting to see how the moves that were made play out and for other teams on

37:35that list, for example, Anaheim. They've made some moves. And they're kind of in an interesting situation as well before we wrap up out of the savers, the ducks and the flyers. Which team do you guys think is kind of your third choice for the next up and coming group? I mean, I would probably go Anaheim because Leo Carlson could be that elite center that you need. And Lukash Dostol, you know, he can steal games. He's still working on things. And I think he'll be even better. But I think Anaheim does have the elements. Yeah. I like Philly. I think Porter Martone could easily win the Calder this year. And like I said, if Maffa and Mitch Goff has a bounce back year, then you're looking at a really, really intriguing forward group there. And Philly, the surprise a lot of us this year. And can they take that next step? We'll see. Yeah. I mean, the ducks also have the fact that they're in the Pacific, which at least recently has

38:37bowed well for opportunities to get a little bit further into the mix for the playoffs. But it'll be interesting to see lots of young teams, some older teams, and a lot of exciting stories as we continue to get ready for NHL training camp. Thanks, everybody, for watching. We want to end the show today by taking a moment to acknowledge this 25th anniversary of the attacks on September 11th and just pause and remember all the lives that were lost on that tragic day. Thanks for watching. And we will see you guys next time.