Empty Netters Podcast – Episode Summary

Podcast: Empty Netters
Host: Almost Friday Media
Episode: Is Draisaitl's Injury Good For The Oilers And Blue Jackets On A Heater
Date: March 19, 2026

Episode Overview

The Empty Netters crew – brothers, hockey aficionados, and beer league veterans – gather for a lively episode packed with their signature blend of humor, insider analysis, and banter. The focus: major injury news around Leon Draisaitl and its impact on the Oilers’ playoff hopes, the surging Columbus Blue Jackets, and a spirited rundown of the current NHL playoff races, personal traditions around non-federal holidays (especially St. Patrick’s Day), and their signature betting and trivia segments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Leon Draisaitl Injury: Blessing or Disaster? (06:24–11:29)

• Situation: Leon Draisaitl has been shut down for the rest of the regular season.
• Debate:
  • Is this a strategic "Echom Situation" for rest and recovery, or is his return timeline worrying for the Oilers’ Cup hopes?
  • The Oilers’ persistent lack of depth means losing Draisaitl could devastate their powerplay and playoff matchup flexibility.
  • Top-heavy teams like the Oilers are always vulnerable to losing elite talent.
• Playoff Implications:
  • If Draisaitl is healthy for playoffs, panelists agree "this doesn’t matter" since Edmonton is almost certainly making the postseason.
  • Without him, Edmonton may barely survive the Pacific but risks early elimination.
• Quote:

  "The problem with being that top heavy is if you lose one of those guys, it devastates your special teams, which they rely on heavily in the playoffs, and it devastates your line matchup ability at all times." (09:16, B)

Blue Jackets on a Heater (16:07–20:47)

• Recap:
  • Columbus is on a 10-game point streak, defying low expectations.
  • Discussion of last year’s surprising run after tragedy, fading late in season. This year’s team is “who we thought they’d be.”
• Playoff Hopes:
  • Internal debate: Is this run now “playoffs or bust”?
  • Columbus could potentially overtake Boston, Detroit, and the Islanders if they win their games in hand.
  • Remaining schedule is tough; odds are against them, but panelists love the fight.
• Quote:

  "They have a blessing, Dan. They have a blessing. It's called the Pacific Division." (10:27, B)

Penguins and Crosby’s Milestones (12:21–14:26)

• Sidney Crosby returns after Olympic injury.
• Crosby could extend his record of seasons averaging over a point per game if he gets 12 points in final 15 games.
• Host admits hoping Sid would rest to "protect" the streak, but admires the competitive fire.
• Playoff chances: Panel is bullish on Pittsburgh making it.

The Hyper-Competitive Eastern Playoff Race (19:17–20:43)

• Teams in the hunt: Pitt, NYI, Detroit, Boston, CBJ, Ottawa, Montreal all vying for a handful of spots.
• Discussion about how Boston’s “fast retool” makes the other rebuilding teams crazy.

Individual Player Streaks and Superstar Chases (21:08–31:18)

Kucherov, McDavid, and the Art Ross/Rocket Richard Races (21:08–29:59)

• Nikita Kucherov surges into the Art Ross lead; the guys marvel at his annual late-season stat explosions.
• Debate whether this is finally Kucherov’s MVP (Hart Trophy) year; current betting odds favor Nathan MacKinnon.
• Cole Caufield breaks through as a 40-goal scorer, finally delivering on his touted potential.
• Speculation on whether Caufield can catch MacKinnon for the Rocket, and which other snipers might ride a hot streak to 40.

Quote:

"He [Kucherov] literally is going to. He's four points back. He's not going to make up the games, obviously, because he missed time, but... he is going to win Art Ross in seven less games. And I'm like, this is a fucking clown show." (22:47, B)

Quote (on Caufield):

"For those who are unaware... everyone has this joke about Cole that he is the best 40 goal scorer to never score 40. It actually used to.. be best 40 goal scorer to never score 30... [now] he scored 40 last night." (25:48, A)

The Professors’ Corner: Picks, Fades, and Parlays (32:32–46:08)

Weekly Review – Hot & Cold Bets (32:32–34:41)

• Run through last week's picks, noting a rough stretch but maintaining faith in their process.
• The “Friday Fade” continues its hot streak, defying all logic.

Friday Fade & Saturday Selly (35:03–38:34)

• Friday Fade: The Toronto Maple Leafs (without Matthews) to beat the Carolina Hurricanes, fading the much-stronger 'Canes despite no logical reason — and that's why the "Fade" works.
• Saturday Selly: Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks to score against the Flyers, riding red-hot form and playoff desperation.

Sunday Hat Trick Parlay (38:35–39:53)

• Bet: Tampa Bay Lightning to win in Calgary, under 6.5 goals, and Kucherov to record a point.

Life on the Line Parlay (42:22–46:08)

• Fun, poetic—and occasionally off-color—presentations of their must-win picks for the upcoming week.

St. Patrick’s Day, Holidays, and Authentic Irishness (49:53–70:36)

St. Patrick’s Day Traditions & Reflections (49:53–53:52)

• Sean offers a delightful primer on how Ireland celebrates March 17, noting it feels akin to the US 4th of July and is an official holiday back home.
• Discussion on whether Irish people feel “gatekeeping” over St. Patrick’s Day when Americans get extra into “Ireland Day.” Sean says not at all:

  "I think it's really cool that such a small country on the other side of the world is being celebrated by such a large country here." (52:22, C)

Flags Deep Dive (53:35–56:54)

• Surprise segue into flag geekery—Sean reveals Ireland’s national color is blue, not green(!), and critiques US city flags’ complexity. Calls for simple, memorable flags:

  "A good flag should be... something you can identify from like a kilometer away off the top of a sailboat." (55:29, C)

The Best Non-Federal Holidays — Power Rankings (58:09–70:36)

• Panel power-ranks non-bank holidays: St. Patrick’s Day ("everyone’s so happy"), Halloween ("undefeated lore in New England"), and Cinco de Mayo ("rocks in Southern California").

• Playful roast of Valentine’s Day as “big Hallmark, big chocolate,” but Dan goes contrarian:

  "I'm a big softie. I think we should all...be doing date nights more often... It's Valentine's Day. We're going to have a lovely date night tonight." (63:15, A)

• April Fool’s Day gets mixed reviews, “good for the first two hours,” but too risky for prank-haters.

• Fun fact: Ireland and the US have different dates for Mother’s Day.

• Discussion of cultural holidays, with Sean promoting China's “grandparent matchmaking in the park” as Valentine upgrade.

• Final consensus on best “fun” holidays: Halloween, St. Patty’s, Cinco de Mayo.

Trivia: What’s the Connection? (71:39–82:47)

• Signature "What’s the Connection" segment—nine hockey trivia questions, the answers all share a subtle link.
• This week: The answers are all first names of Leonardo DiCaprio movie characters (Bob, Jack, Jordan, Jay, Calvin, Teddy, Danny, Frank, Rick).
• Memorable moment as Dan slowly pieces the connection together, groaning with realization as the pattern emerges.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Draisaitl’s Injury:
  "If Leon is out for a while here...this might be that tough, rough pumpkins for this team." (08:19, A)

• On the playoff picture:
  "Dude, it has been so fun watching...the...battle of who's getting in and how sick is it that Columbus is like, 'Excuse me, I would like a seat at the table, please.'" (20:43, A)

• On Cole Caufield finally reaching 40 goals:
  "Cole Caulfield scored 40 goals. Cole, I knew you could do it. I mean, I've literally been there the whole ride, baby." (31:06, A)

• On holidays (St. Patrick’s Day):
  "Everyone's just so happy on St. Patrick's Day." (66:51, A)

• On flags:
  "Our actual national color isn't green, it's blue. That's why, like, if you ever go to like the President's house or anything else like that...it's all blue. Blue is a big thing. But a lot of Irish people don't even know that because green is so synonymous with Ireland." (53:35, C)

• On flag design:
  "A good flag should be. You know, a child can not only draw it, but can remember it to draw it." (55:08, C)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Banter, Unabomber/Costume Gags: 00:00–05:37
• Oilers' Draisaitl Injury Debate: 06:24–11:59
• Playoff Races / Eastern Conference Drama: 11:59–20:47
• Kucherov, MVP and Scoring Leaders: 21:08–25:01
• Cole Caufield 40-goal Run: 25:06–31:31
• Professorial Picks, Fades, and Parlays: 32:32–46:08
• St. Patrick's Day & Irish Traditions: 49:53–53:52
• Flags Deep Dive: 53:35–56:54
• Holiday Power Rankings & Banter: 58:09–70:36
• Trivia: What's the Connection?: 71:39–82:47

Tone & Style

The episode is energetic, irreverent, and deeply knowledgeable, blending razor-sharp hockey analysis with self-deprecating humor and the warmth of true brotherly rivalry. Their discussions move seamlessly from serious player injuries and Cup hopes, to betting passion, holiday traditions, and random expertise (flags!). Inside jokes ("professors," "Friday Fade," "spunk," etc.) abound, punctuated by memorable one-liners and hearty laughs.

Final Thoughts

This episode encapsulates everything that makes Empty Netters your “favorite NHL player's favorite podcast”—smart, fun, and never afraid to chase down a tangent if it brings a laugh or new insight. If you’re looking for a fast-moving, sharp-edged pulse-take on the current NHL landscape, this episode delivers, rink to barstool and back again.