Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 571: Featuring Michael Misa, Jason Gregor & Elliotte Friedman

Summary

Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 571 Summary

Release Date: June 30, 2025
Guests: Michael Misa, Jason Greger & Elliotte Friedman
Hosts: Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, and Mike Grinnell
Platform: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

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I. Introduction

In Episode 571 of Spittin’ Chiclets, hosts Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, and Mike Grinnell engage in lively discussions about the recent NHL draft, free agency implications, and significant changes in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The episode also features an in-depth interview with Michael Misa, the second overall pick by the San Jose Sharks, providing listeners with exclusive insights into his journey and aspirations.

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II. Highlights of the NHL Draft

A. Decentralized Draft Critique The hosts express significant dissatisfaction with the NHL’s decentralized draft approach:

• Ryan Whitney [11:08]: "It was a comedy show. It was an absolute goon squad of errors."
• Jason Greger [11:10]: "They kind of dragged it out and it became way too long."

B. Key Picks and Emotional Stories

• Matthew Schaefer – New York Islanders (First Overall):

  • Michael Misa [14:26]: "Seeing the emotion he showed seeing his ribbon and his mother's initials on the Islanders jersey... it was just world class."
  • The draft was marred by technological glitches and mishaps, but the emotional pick by the Islanders stood out as a memorable moment.

• Michael Misa – San Jose Sharks (Second Overall):

  • Ryan Whitney [17:43]: "Michael Misa, an absolute stallion of a player... very excited to chat with this kid."
  • Misa’s exceptional performance in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) positioned him as a top prospect, generating excitement among Sharks fans.

C. Islanders' Successful Draft Strategy The Islanders were lauded for their strategic acquisitions:

• Gregor Wyshynski [30:37]: "They have two legit defensemen and a scoring prospect... a home run win for the New York Islanders."
• Trades involving Noah Dobson and selections like Victor Eklund and K’Sean Akichin showcased the Islanders' depth and future potential.

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III. Interview with Michael Misa

A. Personal Background and Journey Michael Misa shares his upbringing and path to the NHL:

• Michael Misa [50:32]: "Since I was seven years old, I played a year up with 2006 sports... building a rink in the backyard."
• Growing up in Oakville and playing minor hockey for the Senators, Misa's dedication from a young age was evident.

B. Draft Experience and Reflections Discussing the draft day emotions and being selected second overall:

• Michael Misa [49:58]: "I have a good camp here. So my goal is to play for the Sharks next year, so I gotta prove myself."
• Overcoming the disappointment of not being invited to World Juniors enhanced his determination.

C. Future Aspirations and Development Misa outlines his goals and preparation for the NHL:

• Michael Misa [58:20]: "This summer I’m going to get bigger, stronger for myself... the goal is just to get bigger, stronger."
• Emphasizes the importance of physical development and readiness for the competitive nature of the NHL.

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IV. Free Agency and CBA Changes

A. Term Lengths and Contract Strategies The hosts discuss the implications of shortened contract terms in the new CBA:

• Paul Bissonnette [80:03]: "After the age of anybody who signs after the age of 27 free agents is maximum five years."
• Ryan Whitney [80:10]: "I wouldn’t mind if they bumped it one more time after this... maybe on the next one where it was five and then six."

B. Impact on Dead Cap and Team Flexibility Shorter contracts reduce dead cap space, offering teams more flexibility:

• Paul Bissonnette [80:46]: "They just have to give me a reason to leave Florida... unless he's going to Colorado, he’s downgraded in skill."
• Emphasizes the strategic advantage for teams to manage salaries effectively without long-term burdens.

C. Player Contracts Analysis Discussion about specific players and their contract statuses:

• Jason Greger [34:24]: "Lane Hudson's got to compete... it’s a weapon they’ve added right now defensively."
• Analysis of Evan Bouchard and his contract reflects on performance versus salary expectations.

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V. Team Strategies and Player Trades

A. Potential Trades and Team Needs

• Jason Greger [21:02]: "He might become a studio whip and just be like, no, I’m not gonna go there."
• Speculation around Mitch Marner’s potential move to the Vegas Golden Knights amidst tampering concerns.

B. Analysis of Specific Players

• Paul Bissonnette [93:22]: "If you sign him, he’s definitely going to elevate the team... he's got to be a fascinating locker room addition."
• Examination of players like Sam Bennett and their value in free agency highlights the strategic decisions teams face.

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VI. Player Development Paths

A. Junior vs. College vs. AHL Debate over the best path for player development:

• Jason Greger [85:09]: "Players are going to go play college, which you’re going to see. There’s like 120 kids this year going from major junior to NCAA."
• Elliotte Friedman [59:50]: "I love watching any type of playoffs. This year was incredible. But yeah, in general, love watching it."

B. Exceptional Status Players Highlighting Misa’s early entry and development:

• Elliotte Friedman [50:55]: "I was thrown my name in the hat. It ultimately worked out nicely."

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VII. Goaltending Position Analysis

A. First-Round Goalies and Their Success Rates Critique on the unpredictability of drafting goaltenders early:

• Jason Greger [40:14]: "More of the difficulty in the goaltending position... they're very fickle."
• Ryan Whitney [41:31]: "I'd be curious to know how many first-round goalies actually pan out."

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VIII. State Tax Issues and Team Advantages

A. Impact on Player Decisions Discussion on how state taxes influence free agency choices:

• Paul Bissonnette [88:43]: "They need to give a break to players going to higher tax places... it's going to create a competitive advantage for certain teams."
• Ryan Whitney [139:11]: "What do you think they're going to do? Apply Jon Adams?"

B. Long-Term Implications Concerns about escalating costs due to state tax differences:

• Ryan Whitney [141:07]: "Do you think Yzerman's feeling the heat a little bit?"
• Paul Bissonnette [141:24]: "If things stay like this for five more years, then we'll see if they might deal with it."

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IX. Miscellaneous Topics and Humor

A. Light-Hearted Banter and Stories Hosts share humorous anecdotes and playful interactions:

• Ryan Whitney [144:43]: "You have to be a big hard guy if you're Marcel and handle that stuff in halts."
• Biz Nasty [149:18]: "That's what we're saying. Just as Biz said, make things up, and you're like, oh, I knew I was getting it wrong."

B. Podcast Dynamics Discussion about behind-the-scenes aspects and podcast production:

• Biz Nasty [146:32]: "We’re lucky we work in a market where people love sports... it's fun."
• Michael Misa [149:07]: "Did I hit the greener?"

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X. Conclusion and Final Remarks

The episode wraps up with the hosts expressing gratitude towards their guests and listeners. They highlight the importance of staying informed about the NHL developments and the evolving dynamics within the league. The humorous exchanges continue, underscoring the hosts' camaraderie and engagement with the audience.

• Ryan Whitney [149:19]: "You’re a legend. Oh, you’re first in my books."
• Paul Bissonnette [150:03]: "We can have a conversation right now about free agency and who's going to be the contract that ages the worst."

The hosts sign off by encouraging listeners to stay tuned for future episodes, highlighting ongoing discussions around the NHL landscape.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Ryan Whitney [14:26]: "Seeing the emotion he showed seeing his ribbon and his mother's initials on the Islanders jersey... it was just world class."
• Jason Greger [11:10]: "They kind of dragged it out and it became way too long."
• Paul Bissonnette [80:03]: "After the age of anybody who signs after the age of 27 free agents is maximum five years."
• Elliotte Friedman [50:55]: "I was thrown my name in the hat. It ultimately worked out nicely."
• Michael Misa [58:20]: "This summer I’m going to get bigger, stronger for myself... the goal is just to get bigger, stronger."
• Paul Bissonnette [88:43]: "They need to give a break to players going to higher tax places... it's going to create a competitive advantage for certain teams."
• Ryan Whitney [141:07]: "Do you think Yzerman's feeling the heat a little bit?"

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Final Thoughts

Episode 571 of Spittin’ Chiclets offers a comprehensive analysis of the recent NHL draft, insightful discussions on free agency and CBA changes, and an exclusive interview with rising star Michael Misa. The hosts provide a balanced mix of professional commentary and entertaining banter, making it a valuable listen for both avid hockey fans and casual followers seeking to understand the intricacies of the sport.

Transcript

[Biz Nasty]

Hey Spit and Chiclets listeners. You can find every episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Ryan Whitney]

This episode is brought to you by.

[Paul Bissonnette]

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[Ryan Whitney]

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[Paul Bissonnette]

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[Elliot Friedman]

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[Paul Bissonnette]

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[Michael Misa]

Me and Ryan have been officially welcomed.

[Biz Nasty]

To the jungle that is Barstool sports.

[Jason Greger]

Our white whale, Sydney Crosby. Shave his head. Shave his head. Shave his head.

[Ryan Whitney]

Ryan.

[Jason Greger]

Whitney. Paul.

[Ryan Whitney]

Ms. Annette Ra.

[Jason Greger]

Mike Grinelli.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Spitting chick legs.

[Jason Greger]

What is up everyone? Welcome to episode 571 of the Spit and Channel Chiclets podcast. And oh my God, what a week we have in store. We have Canada Day. We have fourth of July. And all of those amazing holidays involve a little Pink Whitney. Hopefully. Because Pink Whitney can make your holidays even more special. What? You're out on the boat right up in Muskoka or. Or in business. Best boating area in the world. Victoriaville. Even though it's on the ocean.

[Michael Misa]

Victoriaville.

[Jason Greger]

If you're down the Jersey Shore and you're running amok being trashy, just have Pink Whitney. Just, just take a sip. Just try a drink and enjoy. Whether you're celebrating Canada's national birthday or the United States's national birthday. Let's bring Pink Whitney all and together as one and shout out memes. It's memes birthday. He says his barrel has a. A MILF orbit around it. Apparently all the old milfs love his barrel. Love him his NASCAR look. So shout out Canada, United States and memes. And shout out Pink Whitney. Go get the big old bottle that'll last you the whole holiday.

[Ryan Whitney]

Guys, is there anything more Canadian than memes?

[Jason Greger]

No, no, no, no. But he's going to. But he's also Floridian. He fits in well with both. He's. He's a.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's a chameleon.

[Jason Greger]

He's a genuine, just kind of hockey loving Canadian at heart. But he's a piece of trash. Floridian at heart, too. So I think he's going to fit in wherever.

[Ryan Whitney]

He looks like a NASCAR booster. Like, he's got all the NASCAR shirts. He's got Dale Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Keith said he is.

[Jason Greger]

The 51st state, but we're not doing that discussion this week. It's our birthday. It's your birthday? Is Canada Day your birthday?

[Ryan Whitney]

You're asking me?

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, not yours. Your countries. Like, fourth of July is our birthday.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yes. It's your birthday. It's Canada Day. Yes.

[Jason Greger]

And how many years is that for you?

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, here we go. Here we go. I didn't know I was getting the SATs. I can't even recite the national anthem without reading the words off, for crying out loud. Not a good memorizer over under a hundred. Really? I want to thank Whit for opening up Pandora's box here. I'm gonna direct my attention back over to Memes. How about when we were down in Florida and he. He was in your putting green in the backyard and he just, like, he had his shorts up his cornhole. What was that about? Is that.

[Michael Misa]

Sold that house, though. Oh, you sold that house. It's gone. Yeah. As soon as I saw that you're not homeless. Yeah, I'm living in Memes's house. And then Ninny. Yeah, I couldn't believe my eyes. Like, I. I do a nice thing, allow the. The boys to come over, do a podcast, and all of a sudden, I see on. On Instagram as Memesy in a thong, just putting away on my putting green.

[Jason Greger]

It's like you have young daughters.

[Michael Misa]

It's a neighborhood. There's. There's families around.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like, you probably have to give the birds and the beast chat. Chat after that one with. With how far those shorts.

[Michael Misa]

He was a cart. A cartoon. They were like, who is that guy that looks like a cartoon character? I'm like, oh, that's Mimzy. It's his birthday.

[Jason Greger]

Or the grizzly bear and Wilderbeast combo. I mean, that's not birds and bees. That's just big old thick and. Oh, my God.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, hey. I will say for the little barrel and maybe what I expected of those legs. Not bad legs. You got a little bit of hamstring definition. He's got. He looks like he's got some tight it bands.

[Jason Greger]

I think he has rash on his legs, though, if you look.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, he should be using the moisturizer that I was. That's the problem. I used it all up.

[Jason Greger]

I could be the first to Admit, I would trade for those legs any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I mean, those legs, my legs, everyone knows they're bad memes. Legs. I agree. Besides seeing his asshole, I. I was very impressed by the legs. I was like, those are pretty nice memes.

[Ryan Whitney]

And for those of you listening and not watching, on our Spit & Chiclets YouTube channel that now has 413, 000 subscribers, sometimes we pull up the picture online so we can describe it and go over it. So for those of you who don't watch the YouTube channel, you might be confused sometimes when we're breaking something down that you're not seeing. So, hey, check us out over here if you guys want. But back over to you, Whit. You guys, You. I thought you were in Nantucket.

[Jason Greger]

No. Nope, I'm going over there. I hope to be going over there Tuesday afternoon, if not Wednesday morning for America's birthday. I believe this will be our 249th birthday. I'm being told right here by fish that you're. You're turning 158 years old on. On Tuesday. So that's amazing. We got you by, you know, close to 100 years, but we work together. It's a pink Whitney Canada Day 4th of July episode. Draft Free Agency. I'll be over there soon with Keith. The Y3K. The Yandel Hockey Camp the week after the 4th of July, where kids from all over the world fly into Nantucket to skate around for a couple hours under the guidance of Keith and Brian Yandel. So I can't wait.

[Michael Misa]

The Forget your skates. Witty. You're gonna be out there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Congrats, Keith. So it's just a way to give back to Bostonians and I guess the community over there in Nantucket.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, the. So I didn't even know that there's a rink here till, you know, my first year living here. Went over there one day, I'm like, oh, my God, this is. The rink is beautiful. They just put the ice down. It got finished today, so it's going to be fresh, ready to go. Is there anything better in the world than some fresh ice? Even though we're out of hockey mode right now, we're, you know, getting into the summertime, Going over to that rink the other day and just getting the smells of an old school rink. Best part about this rink biz, there's a Chinese food restaurant right in there.

[Jason Greger]

I heard it closed. I heard it was Thai food, and I believe it's closed now. Did you go over there?

[Michael Misa]

So I didn't see if they were open or not. But yeah, they. Maybe they did. I'm not sure. I hope not because it's a nice little treat after a couple hours on the sheet. Oh yeah, Get a little crab rain.

[Ryan Whitney]

I might actually come back and join it. I was going to, but we've gotten so deep into the summer with, you know, TNT doing the Stanley Cup Final and just, I mean even like you guys said just mentioned, with, you know, free agencies coming up and then the draft, which there's been a lot of signings and craziness going on, it's really hard to even dial out of hockey. Like Twitter is fucking exploding. Especially just before we hopped on with the, the nice deal. But going back to Nantucket, what if you could describe your most perfect weekend in Nantucket, how would you do so because you guys get to spend a bunch of time together.

[Michael Misa]

For me, it's one of my favorite things to do here is go to the beach at like 1 o' clock, 2 o' clock, where you kind of get in there at the end of the day and then you can put like I have a little pizza machine. You can put it on the back of your truck, drive onto the beach and then fire up some pizzas or whatever you got going. Eat at the beach, stay there till about 8:30 and then you're home, kids are in bed and everyone's going to sleep.

[Ryan Whitney]

You watch the sunset there.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, it's beautiful.

[Ryan Whitney]

Where you do that, you got the mini pizza oven.

[Jason Greger]

I don't have a mini pizza oven. There's this place, the meat and fish market. It's probably the best. It's not a grocery store, but it is. It sells just fresh fish and meat and then also anything you'd need if you were to rent a house, right? Or rent a house there, you'd be looking for coupons there, biz yourself. But I mean it's just world class. So I like going there. I get, I get some, I get some like lobsters.

[Biz Nasty]

What do you mean?

[Ryan Whitney]

It's that expensive?

[Jason Greger]

It's a little pricey, but I mean the whole island is it sometimes it gets a little out of control, but.

[Ryan Whitney]

Do they have coupons?

[Jason Greger]

No, no. But you could maybe do like an ad. Maybe you could do a little advertisement on the ferry over. You could be the face of the ferry.

[Ryan Whitney]

You see me out there, I got the fish costume on. Fucking 100 degrees out with humidity. What the fuck you doing? Just trying to pay for some fish.

[Jason Greger]

It's better than me. I'm like the human version of the wind thing that's always blowing around at the car dealership.

[Ryan Whitney]

Can't say it fast like they do in inflatable Wacky Guy. Inflatable wacky Guy. Kind of. You guys get what I'm saying?

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, I can't wait. I can't wait. It's very exc. And Keith mentioned the, the sunsets at the beach. That's kind of the, the best thing. There's some golf courses there that are just out of this world biz. Only one of them. Well, one's public. It's a nine hole course. It's sick. It's like, it's like almost like Lynxy. It's crazy. So nice. And then there's another public one, My Comet. That's beautiful. I think it's one of the top legit five public courses in the country. Like it's that. And then there's two ultra private ones that Keith and I kind of are able to kind of finagle our way on once in a while. Keith more so than me. He met a good buddy who are.

[Ryan Whitney]

Members that we would know. Anybody listening? Any hockey guys?

[Jason Greger]

No.

[Michael Misa]

No.

[Ryan Whitney]

I heard you were telling me. Was it Brad Richards had like 10, 12. Crazy. What do you call memberships of these? All these different golf courses around the world.

[Jason Greger]

I know the number he's at 10 might be high, but he's at like some world class golf courses. And as you know, Brad Richards, I mean that guy, he made a boatload of money. A boatload. And so I think he, he made.

[Ryan Whitney]

Today'S money back then.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

Really. So imagine investing that shit correctly with a, with a solid financial advisor over the past 10 years biz. That's why he's joining all these beautiful clubs. And he's a great golfer, good guy, very high.

[Ryan Whitney]

He didn't need no coupons.

[Jason Greger]

Very high speaker. But for us guys, the NHL draft was held in la and let me tell you, the NHL sometimes, and this is not the NHL's fault the leagues, this is the GM's fault they decided to hold this. How do we call it?

[Biz Nasty]

Biz?

[Jason Greger]

Decentralized draft.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, you nailed it.

[Jason Greger]

It was a comedy show. It was an absolute goon squad of errors.

[Ryan Whitney]

And I think it was that bad.

[Jason Greger]

Buddy. That's because you take the league side on everything. You're a chill.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, listen, keep in mind after like the 12th pick, I went for a time time massage. So that might be why I was like, oh, it wasn't that long and painful. But I will say the fact that they continued and even Thought of the idea to zoom interview the player with the GMs afterward. I was like, what? But here's the problem though is I thought the moment between Schaefer and the Islanders was very special. So the start to it was. I was like, oh, wow, this is really cool. Like, this is different. But then the drop off after that, including I think at the, like the pinnacle of like this is maybe a little silly and gonna drag out and be way too long, was the Bruins where they were just kind of giving him the silent treatment. Probably not hearing what he was saying. I'm like, oh, here we go. Contract negotiations already. They're giving, they're, they're being savages.

[Michael Misa]

But he got, he got to get announced by Happy Gilmore.

[Ryan Whitney]

That was a signing bonus that they used it on that.

[Michael Misa]

Okay, that was, that's all time.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. When he asked for like a monster 8 year extension out of entry level, they're like, no, you're getting three years at four per season because Happy Gilmore picked you.

[Ryan Whitney]

So say we got you in the third, the third movie, you're gonna get a cameo and that's it. That's all you're getting. You're gonna take the four million dollar deal we're offering you. Here it is.

[Michael Misa]

Hey, you know what? You know what makes me feel old is how young the parents look now. Like that. They're like, they look like they're already.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's why they're making out like they were a couple years ago. They're.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, it was prom.

[Ryan Whitney]

30. Yeah, it's like prom for them. There's tonsil hockey. All on national television.

[Jason Greger]

Well, when we were interviewing Hagens last week, I was like, oh, in my mind, talking to his dad, I'm like, what you College? When they ran off those four in a row, early 80s, he's like, Buddy, I was like one. I think that guy's my age. So. Yeah, I mean, seeing now, I, I actually, I shouldn't have been negative yet. It was just so funny to see a guy get drafted go up and then there'd be something wrong with the Internet. GM can't talk to the player. But, but I first want to go back. Not first, because I already went to the negative part. I want to go back to Matthew Schaefer. And if you didn't get a little teary eyed and you didn't get a little emotional and just so happy for him when he was picked first overall, the passing of his mother last year, the battle with cancer, she dealt with the emotion he showed seeing his, the Ribbon and his mother's initials on the Islanders jersey, who not only had him. I mean, they crushed this draft. We'll get into that in a little bit. Dobson trade. But, man, what that family's been through and to see the just emotion just take over for that kid. I was so happy for him. Everything I've been told by all these different scouts is we're looking at a true number one, an absolute game breaker on D. But it wasn't even anything about his ability as a player. It was more like the kind of kid he seems like and what he's been through that had me just kind of sniffling a little bit watching that Friday night. Bizarre.

[Ryan Whitney]

I agree. And that's why, like, early on, I'm like, actually, the exchange, you know, between him and his family and. And. And even the Islanders organization, like, I thought, like, that was very impactful. And that's why, like I said, I. I thought as the draft went on, it got more and more criticism, but for that moment alone, I felt like it was worth it because you got to see his. His. You know, who he is as a person and everything that he's dealt with. And he missed, like, a fair bit of time, too. Correct playing.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

So, you know, I think that when you're evaluating these types of things, when you take the. The character into account, you know, as a player, you've seen enough, but also as a person, you've seen a lot, too. So just. Yeah, very, very emotional moment. And what, like, what else about it did you. Were you kind of, like, not down with it felt, like, weird because every.

[Jason Greger]

Time somebody took 48 hours.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, they're on the 18th pick right now.

[Ryan Whitney]

They had to dab up 20 guys on the way in. That's.

[Jason Greger]

So that was. So VZ Texted me.

[Ryan Whitney]

Keith.

[Jason Greger]

He's like, is every kid gonna dap up every other kid in the crowd? Like, it was. Because it was a little. But I. I respect that. Right. These are kids, you've kind of battled with some of them since they're 10 years old. Right. Like, that's how this whole circuit works. And some of these kids in the last two, three years. But at some point, I mean, I think you need to have, like, Terry Tate, office linebacker, come in and be like, no, like, you're not tapping up anyone else get on stage.

[Ryan Whitney]

You know who they should go to the Zoom Room.

[Jason Greger]

Go to the Zoom Room and try to get Zoom Room.

[Ryan Whitney]

You know who they should hire is the guy who. Who came to our meet and greet that just tried to be the guy who worked the line. We thought he worked for the. Remember that guy? What was his.

[Michael Misa]

I think we had him on GM Joe.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Gm. That's. That's who they needed. And they could have made that draft 2. 2 hours and 45 minutes if they would have.

[Jason Greger]

I'll tell you what. GM Joe treated me better than anyone has ever treated me though. So, like, I got no bad GM shows. Like, what do you need to drink? Let me take your jacket. It was like.

[Ryan Whitney]

I have a confession. For two years.

[Michael Misa]

Really nice. He built your place.

[Ryan Whitney]

He was my con.

[Jason Greger]

He was. He let all the crickets in. GM Joe's doing the deal for biz and Nantucket Meat and Fish market.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

He might get him a deal on his filet.

[Ryan Whitney]

He forgot to get the exterminator biz.

[Michael Misa]

How funny would it have been though? We're one year late to see Lou doing those zooms with the first overall pick.

[Ryan Whitney]

I didn't know. I think that that's why they let him go knowing that they had to do those.

[Michael Misa]

That's right. I did read that.

[Jason Greger]

Fix this thing. Fix this thing right now.

[Michael Misa]

Imagine being the intern who's like in charge of the Internet and it's not working. And lose there.

[Ryan Whitney]

You could hear talk back on half of them. Whatever was.

[Michael Misa]

I'll tell you one thing. Danny Brier knocked it out of the park. He was so good on that. The guy must be doing face times left and right. He knew what he was doing up there. He was great.

[Jason Greger]

Mike Greer for Misa, who went second of all. Who we're going to have on later. I believe. We're interviewing him in a couple hours. Very excited to chat with this kid. I mean, dominant in the ohl. Like player of the year. Led. Did he lead the CHL in points? I believe.

[Ryan Whitney]

I believe he did this year.

[Jason Greger]

And. And. And from exceptional status at 15 to go on to be the second overall pick. Very interested to hear his story.

[Ryan Whitney]

But also a world Junior Snub. Didn't even get invited to.

[Jason Greger]

There was like seven world junior snubs on your 158.

[Ryan Whitney]

I know. But. But if. If. If you. You. If you lead the CHL in points and you don't get an invite to camp, that's kind of crazy.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. There was. I think there was legit four or five other kids that had no business not being invited.

[Michael Misa]

The kid who was drafted by Calgary. The kid who was drafted by Calgary. Iggy's kid.

[Jason Greger]

Me.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was also thinking about questions. Ask him. And he. He was with Saginaw. They won the MEM cup last year. And he was also on the team that was involved in pussy gate. Should I wait till the end of the interview to ask him about that?

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, we can wait to hear about the end of pussy gate. For people who don't remember, I think there was like a 10 game suspension given out because I think it was five. Was it Simmer's son? John Sim's son called John Sim's son?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, he called the kid a pussy. And I guess in the rule book in the ohl, that's one of the words you can't use. And apparently the captain for Saginaw who it was said to go, goes to the ref. Like, did you hear what he said? And then next thing you know the guy who called him a pussy is getting a five game sussy. Like, listen, like, I get it, like you can't be chucking out derogatory terms, but I feel like calling a kid a should be fair game. No, I'm not saying it mights.

[Jason Greger]

On a week where we're celebrating and coming together as two nations. On our birthdays there were Canadians storming the beach of Normandy with Americans. They were. The fact is that if you told those guys a kid couldn't call a kid A in the ohl, he'd be disgusted. So we all know we talked about that story. That thing was overblown. But I do want to hear Misa's side of it. But back to why I brought up Misa. Besides him being the second overall pick and an absolute stallion of a player to go with Celebrini, Smith, Eklund, and who's the defenseman that they have that's supposed to be a stud?

[Michael Misa]

Lassic.

[Jason Greger]

No, no, Vlassic's part out, I believe Vlasic. What a career, what a run. I'm sure he might keep playing. Gee, what's that? What's that defenseman's name? Stud. Either way, Mike Greer sitting there, he's doing the best he can on the zoom with Misa. He's got like his whole crew in like a movie theater behind it. Looked like they were watching a movie. Just from then, from after Schaefer on, I'm like, I'm pretty sure this is going to be a one and done decentralized draft. Apparently the vote was 26 to 6 that GMs voted to do it this way. I think we might have a 32. Nothing to go back to the way it was.

[Michael Misa]

No, Stevie, the amount of money they, the amount of money that they save because I think each team has to pay for it. Like you. You're flying out all your scouts, everyone, like hotel rooms. I would keep it the way it is, but just don't have the, don't have the.

[Jason Greger]

Saving the owner. Saving the owner money.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

I mean, what a guy.

[Ryan Whitney]

My understanding is Stevie y loves it. And they were. He was hitting the vape pen the last couple. Cause he, you know, he, like, Stevie bong rips. Likes the bong rips. So he's like, fuck, I need to hit the real thing. And then that's why he likes it. Where they get the be just in their offices in Detroit and the money component as. So that's, that's what I'm hearing.

[Jason Greger]

He loves the kid.

[Michael Misa]

How about the kid who got helicoptered to Disney? He's like, what is going on? That kid had no clue what was going on, suit, at Disney.

[Jason Greger]

I mean, this kid, this kid, I, I, I don't know if Anaheim just picked him based on that. He's legit. Lightning McQueen.

[Ryan Whitney]

Who?

[Jason Greger]

He just picked number 95 today. Like, it worked out to perfection. But he's got the number now. He's at Disneyland in the helicopter. And I mean, if you, if you guys saw the, the kid who went right before him to Buffalo, Rowdy Murtika. M R T K A. An enormous Czech defenseman. He's just, he, There was a picture taken where he was just like, oh, Buffalo. Oh, no. And then McQueen's on a helicopter.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, no, no.

[Jason Greger]

Mickey's giving him back rubs. And this kid's like, on the way to Buffalo, he's like, I thought I got out of Czechia. What happened?

[Michael Misa]

But, but they, but he got the, the Google dolls got to it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Misa]

Announcing.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hey, hey, listen. They got some bangers. And you're like, oh, what do these young kids know about the Google dolls? Well, they should know their whole catalog because those are timeless tracks. No, you don't like the Goo Goo Dolls.

[Michael Misa]

Yes, I do. But there's not one kid in that, in that stands that knows who they are.

[Jason Greger]

Why don't you slide?

[Ryan Whitney]

They have about four or five absolute bangers you could throw.

[Michael Misa]

The guy told him to stay away from the food in Buffalo.

[Jason Greger]

Iris. Iris by the Goo goo dolls has 2.4 billion streams on banger.

[Michael Misa]

All from biz.

[Jason Greger]

Bang. All from biz.

[Michael Misa]

GM.

[Ryan Whitney]

Joe Dance used to give it to me, him and Gordo about some of the music I would play because it was all these indie bands like the White Elephants and, oh, the Blue Sneaker Truck. The worst I Try to throw any investors.

[Jason Greger]

Ten Fey, he's. I mean, he's waiting for that dope.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's got a new album out, and they got bangers. Anybody who doesn't listen to 10 FEI, they did a collaboration on like, a. Like a house track, and that's got, in the last few weeks, 2 million listens. So that's a good little pop for them. That's super rich. They did a remix to it. What did you think else was cool? They had phenows who announced for the mammoth. That was pretty. Tom Green for Ottawa was awesome.

[Jason Greger]

Tom Green was great. Great.

[Michael Misa]

When in doubt, bring a dog. When in doubt, Always.

[Jason Greger]

Yes.

[Ryan Whitney]

He brings his dog every day.

[Jason Greger]

Who's the wrestler that came out there for? Who she come out there for? I think she's like a top. For top wrestler in the game.

[Michael Misa]

Was it Seattle?

[Jason Greger]

Might have been. She had blue hair, so that would make sense. I don't remember who else did. Oh, you know what? I'm just kind of looking through. I'm looking through the draft list right now. Very, very fired up and excited for Sean Horkoff's son, Will. I mean, I. I've. I've known will since 2010. Like, just thinking back, like, this kid was like three years old, you know, four years old, running around in Edmonton. He sprouted up to about 6, 6 now.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think he's a weapon.

[Jason Greger]

Oh, he's a stout.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's a weapon.

[Jason Greger]

And they did the interview after. And knowing Hawk's wife, best person in the world. So funny. Like, she was just kind of like, I think a little nervous. And she looks over at Will, and Will looks over at her, and they both start laughing while Sean's talking. Sean's the serious one. Her and Will can't keep a straight face because they both know how crazy it is. He just went first round to Pittsburgh, so that was awesome. Like, that. That meant a lot to me, knowing the family so well. The best people.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then the other next to you in Nantucket, do they not?

[Jason Greger]

Yes, yes, yes. Right next door. We never get to see each other there because I'm there about two weeks during the summer, a week of time, and then they're kind of there later. Will's training all the time now. He's skating. He's got world junior camp this summer, so pretty hardcore.

[Ryan Whitney]

Too involved, right? Like, he helps the kid out.

[Jason Greger]

Oh, he's just an animal. Like, Hawk's a pros pro. I mean, this guy's still training. He's also a big part. Detroit's management Team. Right. So it's kind of cool that he got to.

[Ryan Whitney]

When you say that you're saying he's just training with his kid or he, he has his own trainer and he keeps in game shape.

[Jason Greger]

No, I think at this point now he's, he's, he's just like doing his own training. But he was always with somebody and.

[Ryan Whitney]

He'S, and he's still going what, five, six days a week?

[Jason Greger]

I, I don't know about that, but possibly. I mean he always was after retirement. He was one of those guys that did the art machine for a while. You remember the art machine. He's tried it all. He's tried it all. So he's very, I'm just very happy for them. Right. Like will, Will left the national program in the middle of the season, went to Michigan, did great. And then he ends up being a first round pick to Pittsburgh. Another pick and we'll get into more of these guys. But did you see who Chicago picked? 29th biz. You see this kid May.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think I had a Thai lady walking on my posterior chain by then.

[Jason Greger]

While listening to Google Dolls.

[Ryan Whitney]

Her big toe. A big toe in my cornhole.

[Jason Greger]

Well, this kid, Mason west plays public high school hockey in Minnesota for Adina. Is this the quarterback? He's going to Michigan State and I don't think he's decided like what he's doing yet necessarily play both.

[Michael Misa]

He's going back to school to finish his senior year so he can win a state championship in football because he already won one in hockey.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I think ushl.

[Greg Wyshynski]

He's going to the USHL the second the football season ends. He's going to play for the hard boys.

[Ryan Whitney]

Imagine having a two sport athlete and, and in the NFL and hockey and what it would do for hockey to bring those eyes over.

[Jason Greger]

So what would you. Yeah, I don't think that can happen though.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think why if he's the baseball.

[Jason Greger]

Football guys, it was the end of one season, the beginning of the other. Right. So it's like I would, I would.

[Ryan Whitney]

Say, I would say focus more on football. The beginning of the season. There's 84 games on the schedule coming up. Who gives a about the first 2020.

[Jason Greger]

Imagine an NFL QB just hopping into an NHL team that would. He would have to play every game. Football and hockey on a Sunday, no game any other days.

[Ryan Whitney]

He could.

[Jason Greger]

He'd be your favorite player.

[Ryan Whitney]

That would be sick if the. He would do the morning NFL game like the 12 o' clocker and then boom in a jet, right. To do that the 7pm or for hockey. That would be lethal. I do. I. I mean if a player is good enough, I would allow him to not spend much of the start of the year like worrying about hockey. I don't give a shit if he was like a player that was making 4 million bucks and, and he was like a, you know, he was a piece, but not the main piece. Who gives a. Don't you think it's inevitable that like down the road, like.

[Jason Greger]

No, no, no. I, I could. I think, I think you're insane to even think there's a chance it happens.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, maybe in the 80s, like. But no, not anymore.

[Jason Greger]

Imagine planning on your guy for like when they like maybe don't make the playoffs or losing the divisional round. And like, I mean he's coming in injured.

[Michael Misa]

Thinking clicks. Like he. All he's thinking right now is clicks on Instagram.

[Ryan Whitney]

He doesn't think it would be like the hockey's version Kate of Caitlin Clark. Like, imagine the draw of people being like, this guy chucking darts in the NFL is now hopping over to hockey. It would bring so many eyes to her. I don't think it's that dumb.

[Michael Misa]

I don't think she's a one sport lady.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I'm saying as, as, as. As far as like the amount of like, oh God, what's going on over here? Like that, that type of, of shockwave. I wasn't comparing the scenarios.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, I guess if you talk to.

[Ryan Whitney]

NHL owners and hey, maybe it's an NFL QB and an E bug because that is something that's going to be traveling with the team.

[Jason Greger]

Yes.

[Ryan Whitney]

Moving forward in the new cba. Weird time to drop the cba. Same time as the draft. But if we're going to finish up on the draft game notes did an incredible extravaganza. As they always do with like these. The trade deadline. They did Final four, we're going to get G to hop on and they did an excellent job a few days ago. So if you want to know a little bit more about each of these prospects that were drafted, hop over because Merle's arm G and a few other guys break it down perfectly. G. What were you most excited about? About the draft. And what were your overall thoughts?

[Greg Wyshynski]

Well, first and foremost, I think James Hagan's getting drafted. The Bruins.

[Ryan Whitney]

I have to say that was cool.

[Jason Greger]

Awesome.

[Greg Wyshynski]

Yeah, it was awesome. And even just I was in Boston this weekend. Just like being around the city like people, there's a buzz around the team now. People that like, we're don't really talk about. The Bruins were coming up to me being like, what's the deal with this Hagens kid? Like, I'm at a wedding. People are coming up to me during the maid of honor speech. They're like, we got Hagens, we got Hagen. So I think it's cool. I think it's something Boston needed. I think the Islanders were far and away the winner of the draft. I think Matthew Darsh came in so hot, like, first, first and foremost, like doing what he did with Matthew Schaefer, surprising him with the cancer ribbon on the jersey, putting his mom's initials on the shoulder. I thought that was just world class. And then, and then like trading Noah Dobson and having those other two picks, Victor Eklund, that's a kid everyone was saying was going in the top 10. And then you have this K' Sean Akichin, and he's supposedly like an unreal shutdown defenseman. So they have two legit D men and a scoring prospect coming out of this draft. I think it's a home run win for the New York Islanders. Philadelphia. Porter Martone is there like Martone, the Italian last name, big bruiser forward. Like that guy is.

[Jason Greger]

Is he tough?

[Greg Wyshynski]

It sounds like he's a pretty tough kid. I mean, he played.

[Michael Misa]

They said he's really hard to play against.

[Greg Wyshynski]

And know what would be interesting is there are some rumors that Porter Marton could be headed to Penn State next season. I mean, if he heads to Penn State as a Philadelphia Flyer, you might as well.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's one of the best run programs, isn't it?

[Jason Greger]

Oh, yeah, no question.

[Ryan Whitney]

Are you saying that because, like. What do you mean, Whit. Like you might as well not in.

[Jason Greger]

Well, no, they're just saying even closer between, like to your, to your team that you could possibly be on after next season, right? If this kid's that good and then. And then to just play up another level. We've talked about this. You've seen a ton of kids move from CHL to college. It's. It's a little more high level. I know people get kind of poopy pants when I say that. It's just a fact. They're older. Speaking of the Islanders, they also enormous deal. Made a huge deal with Montreal sign and trade Noah Dobson for the 16th and 17th pick. He goes over there and signs an eight year deal. Is it 952-95ish a year. I mean, first thing I thought, Oilers homer. I'm like, well, Bouchard's definitely getting 10, but kind of a. I mean, ballsy move by Montreal. This guy's put up huge numbers. Yeah, you've brought up his defensive side of his game before but immediately everyone thought those picks were going to be tried to move up to get Hagan's, use those two to get up higher in the draft, get Schaefer and Hagens didn't work out but they end up getting those great players G mentioned and Montreal gets a stud on D like offensively at least. I guess I wondered like wow, you have Hudson already. Kaden Gooley on the left side. The right side I think was thin but they have that Reinbach Reinbacher so I can't think of his name right now coming in. That was a very high pick a few years ago. What did you think Biz for for.

[Ryan Whitney]

Him to go to Montreal? I thought it was a little odd because of like the, you know, the power play. One defenseman. You have Lane Hudson there. So maybe was surprised to see it be them, but I was more surprised by the number. Like I just don't think that, that he is. People want to go back to two years ago when he put up 70 points. Like I don't give a. Like I don't give a. I know it's hard to put up points in the NHL, but also Frank Borelli told me I, I think he's only gotten two power play goals in the last few years. Maybe it was just last season he's on the Islanders. I just don't see a. In what world this guy has earned a nine and a half million dollar tag. If you think that he's going to play into it. Well, they know something that I don't. But I thought that that was an astronomical number. If you would have told me eight, eight and a half, I would have said okay, I could see that. I just. They are obviously seeing something that, that no one else is. And if you think that one 70 point season is that where I think that most of them would say he's not like an inspiring player in his own end. Can he develop those skills? Yeah, he can, but I just thought it was a bit of an overpay.

[Jason Greger]

It's not no. 1 though because Columbus was right there. It came down to the wire of Columbus wanting him. Same with Montreal. I think that he's 25. I mean that's, that's young dude for a defenseman coming in with the numbers he's put up. Like last year, the big off year was 40 points, 10 goal. He. He's had double digit goals four years in a row. Like that offense, I mean, that's what Seth Jones makes. And you know, obviously he, he's a different player, but he's 6 4, he can skate. I, I think there's a lot more on a different team that you're not thinking about. Similar to how you're judging now the Island.

[Ryan Whitney]

I just find it, I find it hard to sign that kid to what Bouchard's gonna sign for. Look at their body of work.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, well, that's why I'm like, well, he's get. Yeah, agreed, agreed. Which could make Bouchard at an even higher number. But like I, I was more kind of wondering about Montreal already having like an offensive dynamo. But, but they needed righties. They needed a right defensive, right shot defenseman. They got what they think will be their, their number one pairing guy for the next eight years.

[Michael Misa]

Him and Matheson, you know, good at like Madison, good skating. D man can shut guys down. Then you got him. Who's going to contribute some offense to maybe take a little bit of the offensive stuff away from Hudson. Not that he needs it. The guy put up monster numbers as a rookie, but I think anytime you can add a defenseman that's going to help you win games, it's a no brainer. And he's, he's proven he can do it. Nine and a half. Yeah, it might be a little high, but it's, it's, it's also you, you're paying, you know, you got to pay to, you know, go to Canada and play in these big time markets and you gotta, you might have to overplay a little bit. But I love that Gort sees the window with that team. They made the right step getting in the playoffs last year and they're looking to get better and better every year.

[Ryan Whitney]

What like, do you think from like a Lane Hudson perspective, it may create a little confusion from my. Who's in a lug the mail and maybe if, you know, things don't start off well next season for Lane Hudson, all of a sudden he gets bounced from, from the, from the PP or, or at least that first spot on the pp. Do you think that, that maybe like psychologically would fuck with a guy?

[Jason Greger]

I think pressure at that age is a great thing to put on a kid.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

Like, and I don't think Lane Hudson's somebody who's like, this is my job. I'm number one ppqb no matter what.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right.

[Jason Greger]

But to have competition from within and to have a guy who can all. I mean, you can also go 2D, right? Like it's very rare now, but thinking of Hudson or Dobson with Demidov there and like Suzuki, like, I just think it adds. It's. It's a weapon that they've added Right now defensively, we'll see. He. To live up to the deal, he's going to actually have to be way better defensively. But when you bring up Bouchard making mistakes and sometimes being laxed at the. He's go with the puck. I mean, that's what Dobson has kind of been chirped for before as well. And the Islanders are not as good of a team as the Oilers. So let's see him and let's see how he does in Montreal with how skilled that team is.

[Michael Misa]

I think if you put Dobson on Edmonton the last five years, they're going to. I think they're very similar players. They're going to give you kind of the same results. They're both, both their offensive numbers are going to be a little bit higher. Like if you're a Montreal fan, you have to expect his numbers aren't going to be monsters because he's sharing. He's sharing the pill with Hudson. So it's like you can't expect him to get 70 points a year. If he's, you know, above average defensively and putting up 40 to 50 points a year, I think that's a home run. Your team's going to be doing well.

[Ryan Whitney]

Love that. Another big one for Judd. Holy shit. He does.

[Jason Greger]

He does run the league gets guys paid.

[Michael Misa]

You and Judd are the backbone of this league. Busy.

[Ryan Whitney]

As Mike Futa would say, you can't judge a defenseman on a bad team. And simple as that.

[Jason Greger]

I think we change business mind right there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Thank you guys. Thank you for your intelligence.

[Jason Greger]

G quickly, about Hagan's, I was wondering like so Eichel's. Eichel played his draft here at BU. He had 71 points. Right. He goes second after McDavid Fantilli played his draft year. He has 65 points. Celebrini has 64 points. Hagen ended up with with 37. Now I think if he ends up like. I think it was more just they saw that these superstars what they did their draft eligible season and he was a little less. But I still think he's nasty. It's almost like you're comparing them. Yes. Like maybe he's not quite there right yet. What Eel and Cel Briny able to do, but he's still unreal. He. They still had Leonard scoring most of the goals and so he went A year early too.

[Greg Wyshynski]

Like people forget that he, he declared for, for BC early went when he was 17.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, but all those other kids, that's. I brought up, that's why I brought up those other kids.

[Greg Wyshynski]

Yeah. So I think it like when you would watch the games as well, like he would defer a lot of offense to Perot and Leonard on that line. So he was still a point per game guy, 17 years old last year. I would, I would send him back also. He was, he was 170 last year at BC. He's saying right now that he's weighing in at 190. So that's a pretty big difference.

[Ryan Whitney]

What's he on?

[Jason Greger]

He's on the, he's on the fishing boat, the Fluke. He's dragging in tuna bare handed with his dad.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Michael Misa]

Cause I mean, when you're playing with two guys like Leonard and Perot, like, even though they're probably only one or two years older than him, it's like playing with superstar guys in the NHL. Like, you defer to them. You're like, okay, I gotta get them the puck. Like, let me wait my time, then I'm gonna be the show. I'll be Showtime next year. Like, I think he's gonna be a monster. I don't know too much about college hockey and stuff, but you know, once you lose guys like that and it's your show and you're the guy that's gonna be handling the puck and you know, dependent to score. Like he, he's gonna show up and, and, and ball out this year and.

[Greg Wyshynski]

He'Ll have Teddy Stiga, he'll play on a line with Teddy Stiga, who's a draft pick as well. So Bruins have six NHL draft picks on D.C. next season. How wild is that? Like, I don't think I've ever seen that before.

[Jason Greger]

That's crazy. First year and quite a while. No Fins drafted in the first round. Kind of odd.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wow. Interesting. The defenseman tweet you sent out was also interesting.

[Jason Greger]

Buddy. Buddy. And, and for anyone who didn't see this tweet, it was going a little viral, I think. Not one defenseman was drafted under six feet tall.

[Ryan Whitney]

How many of them are actually five? Eleven? Five. Ten and a half. And wore a couple pairs of socks though.

[Jason Greger]

What also caught my eyes, two goalies picked in the first round. And this is something we're to get into with Jason Gregor, good buddy of the shows who's coming on. And we'll talk a lot about free agency, CBA and all that. His Thoughts on the league. But goaltending is a weird position. And to waste not, not waste, but to spend a first round pick on one when it seems like you can kind of get them from anywhere, it surprised me a little bit. Like, I, I don't know if I think you could get a very solid goaltending prospect in the second or third round. Now maybe these goalies are, are that much better than everyone else. I think Columbus picked Petor Andrianov from Russia and San Jose picked Joshua Ravensbergen.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'd be curious to know how many, how many first round goalies actually pan out and ones that are drafted in the top 15, like what their, what their hit rate is. Because I agree with you. Like, but when, but when you say that, that they're easy to get from everywhere, like, yeah, it's easy to get goalies, it's not easy to get quality ones. But you're saying in a sense of how many actually pan out, it just seems like a little risky going that high.

[Jason Greger]

Yes, yes. And like, and more. More so just how difficult the goaltending position is and how you see guys have these monster years and then there's a lot of like, inexplainable, inexplainable things with goalies where you think this guy's flying ready to go after a big year, and then they just stink the next season. Like, they're very fickle. I'll say, right. So to have a first round pick, I'm more looking at. And yeah, if you're picking like 25th, 30th, like sometimes you're looking at what could be a bottom six, five, six defenseman, bottom six forward, elite level ones. But I'd kind of go towards that than, than a goalie that high. Now I think the last high goalie taken was it, Was it that Dasta from that Detroit took?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. Now they just got John Gibson. We'll get into that.

[Michael Misa]

What about Fowler? Wasn't Fowler a first rounder?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, no, he's the defenseman. Oh, you're talking the goalie.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Where did he play again?

[Michael Misa]

Bc.

[Jason Greger]

Bc.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's right. You said he was the next guy. What. How would you describe him, Patty? Wa.

[Michael Misa]

Me.

[Jason Greger]

I don't know if I, I think he's just won everything until he didn't win the national championship in college. Prior to that, he'd been a big winner. I think he's got a crazy bright future, but we'll see. I mean, I'm just more talking about taking a goaltender in the first round here. I'M looking g. Anything else? The last name I was wondering about was this Caleb Denoise from Moncton. Utah took him like, is he, Is he.

[Greg Wyshynski]

People compare him to Patrice Bergeron like that, like two way center. QMJHL played at Moncton this past season, was hurt for the MEM cup. But yeah, people are really high on this kid. He's a kid. I'd say as of, you know, the last month or two of the season really started to skyrocket in the rankings. But I'm really high on this kid. I, I wanted him to fall to the Bruins, but I think, yeah, I think Utah had to start. That's exactly what they needed. They need a dog up the middle. They have Clayton Keller, but they need that guy who can be their Alexander Barkov, their Patrice Bergeron. And a lot of people think they might have that here in Caleb.

[Jason Greger]

What's a Kinla play wing.

[Greg Wyshynski]

He is, he's a winger as well. So they have a bright future, man.

[Jason Greger]

So yeah, when we got to the second round, first pick of the second round, Simon Wang, the highest picked Chinese player of all time. Apparently, like I'm reading here, that I think his mother Willa had been an integral part of like growing hockey in China, building rink in Beijing, and the kid was talking about trying to continue to grow. I guarantee Yipper knows this kid. Yipper's been the king over there for a while now, so playing for Kunlun Red Star, even though I believe they've been playing in Russia for like three or four years now. So I'd like to ask Yipper about this kid. But that's incredible right there to see that.

[Greg Wyshynski]

Can I ask you guys something about the Sharks? I kind of wanted to go back to them because I don't know if you guys remember when we talked to Warofski, he said that he envisions Will Smith as a center. So you have Celebrini as a center. You have Will Smith as a center. You've now drafted Michael Misa as a center. Does that mentality shift?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, it's a backup plan. It's a backup plan. Like it's like if, if Smith, it's kind of like Nylander, they tried him out at center and it's just like if it's not a comfortable situation, I think you also just always take the best available player. And I mean, buddy, if you have three unreal centers, you all of a sudden you're what, the Florida Panthers? So like if, if Smith turns out to be Lundell, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world. Right. So I just. Yeah, I think you. I think it's such a. It's such a hard position to be deep at, too, that you just. You got it. You got to take swings at it. That's my opinion.

[Jason Greger]

I would think they're saying that we're going to find out who's a better center, Misa or Smith, and the other guy's playing wing, and then it's easy. Like Biz said, we took a stallion, so we're now, I think, over.

[Ryan Whitney]

Also, there was two black guys drafted in the first round as well. Right.

[Jason Greger]

And I believe Pittsburgh selected Bill Zonen. Yes.

[Ryan Whitney]

Bill Zonen was asked about, you know, what got him into hockey and what made him so passionate about it. And he mentioned PK Suban and, you know, Montreal Biz. Yeah, we talk about representation matters. I think that was kind of the conversation afterward. And these guys having got like trailblazers, like the Anson Carters. I mean, the, the Georgia Rocks, the list goes on Ward, who won a championship with the Washington Capitals, like, the list goes on Wayne Simmons. So it's just, it's cool to see that our game is growing all over the world. And you just mentioned, was it the highest drafted Asian player of all time in the second round?

[Jason Greger]

Yes.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So just. I think that's cool, man. That says a lot about our game and, and where it's going. And now we got the Olympic year, so hockey's on a heater, boys. In, in. In a lot of different ways.

[Jason Greger]

Top name in the first round. I. I gotta go. Detroit at 13th overall. Carter Bear. Just like Bear flying down the wing like that. That. That could really pop, especially if he's running people over, scoring big goals. It's like memes backyard putting same thing, the Bears loose. So with that, I say we throw it over to Misa G. You want to do that? Yeah. All right. So right now, without further ado, the second overall pick, Michael Misa. Guys, I want to Talk quickly about BetterHelp spitting. Check out the sponsored by BetterHelp. Workplace stress is now one of the top causes of declining mental health. Try working with biz. With 61% of the global workforce experiencing higher than normal levels of stress, to battle stress, most of us can't wave goodbye to work, but we could start small with a focus on wellness. A holiday is great, but it isn't a long term solution to stretch. So don't forget that therapy can help you navigate whatever challenges the workday or any day might bring. Therapy can help anyone I'm telling you right now, I have experience with it, getting things off your chest. Talking to somebody besides a family member can do the world of good for yourself and anyone else you know who might need to talk to someone who's going through a lot in life. Even if you're not going through a lot, it's good. It helps. With over 35,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Unwind from work with BetterHelp, our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com Chiclets that's BetterHelp. H E L P.com Chiclets we are now pleased to be joined by the most recent second overall pick in the NHL draft, Michael Misa, the newest member of the San Jose Sharks. What's going on, buddy?

[Ryan Whitney]

Sagina spirit, too, also. Don't forget that.

[Elliot Friedman]

Oh, yeah, I'm doing good. I appreciate you guys having me on.

[Jason Greger]

Of course. Amazing backdrop for you right now, maybe in Santana Row in San Jose. So you flew over there Sunday, spent some time with your family after the draft, you were telling us earlier.

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, yeah, that was the game of the day Saturday, just with the family and then. Yeah, I came in today, went to the rink and stuff, got some equipment fitted, fitted through stuff, and now I'm at the hotel.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, that. That's like a dream come true, right? Getting the NHL gear must be amazing. I think, like, we have a bunch of questions for you, right? Like, all the stories we've heard since you were so young. But my question is, when you saw, you know, Islanders had first overall, you want to go first overall, but second San Jose Celebrini. That had to be something where you're like, it's great if I go second.

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, obviously I think everyone wants to go first overall, but then, you know, I did end up dropping a 2, and I couldn't be, like, more and more happy with the situation here. You know, the young core they have, it's pretty special what they're building, so I'm excited.

[Ryan Whitney]

Were you expecting to go that high?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, I mean, from my conversations I had, it was like 1, 2, or 3, so I was happy, you know, with Sue Sand. It's awesome here, so.

[Michael Misa]

And obviously, your brother being drafted, was it last year or the year before? But obviously your family kind of knew what to expect. A Little bit for you was it. You know, nerves were a little bit less because you had already been through it with your brother and you knew what to expect a little bit. And then obviously you don't have to wait too long to hear your name and you get to get your name called by Bailey the wrestler. I'm a big WWE guy so I.

[Jason Greger]

Thought that was Seattle.

[Elliot Friedman]

That was pretty cool. That was pretty cool. But like yeah, like you said, I think even just being that mull in my heart was pounded a lot excitement then hear my name call. It was just all enjoyment. It was so cool.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I mentioned earlier you played in Saginaw. You were exceptional status going into the ohl, which mean you played a year before you should have like I don't know how many exactly players before you did it. I know McDavid did, maybe John Tavares. Like how were you so good at such a young age and, and like what separate separated you from the other kids that were your age?

[Elliot Friedman]

You know honestly I, Since I was seven years old, I played a year up with 2006 sports. I played all minor hockey in Mississauga for the Senators. And going into my minor mid year applying for exceptional styles was something I wanted to do just get drafted with that group I've been playing with since I was young and I was threw my name in the hat. It ultimately it ended up working out nicely. So.

[Jason Greger]

So when you're, when you're 15, even younger like you were just a hockey nut. Like, like if you're playing up at age 7, you know, obviously you have an older brother but I was seeing that. I think your dad built an outdoor rink. Like was this always your goal and dream from the time you can remember?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah. You know I watched my cousins play growing up. They all played in the GTHL and you know some of them played against Marner Dolmie. Like some of these good players going to their games and watching them and yeah, like you said, my dad used to build a rink in the backyard when we were younger. We both there all winter kind of, you know, shooting pox, just playing 1v1 versus each other. And yeah, since, since I was a little kid it's been my dream to come to NHL.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's from about 45 minutes down the road Yance kind of like a lot of cake eaters in Oakville. That's where a lot of the money's at. So we're were kind of like the, you know the, the, the. The little area down south.

[Jason Greger]

You skated on the sewer and he had a backyard rink business.

[Ryan Whitney]

Exactly. Exactly. What was it. What was it like growing up in Oakville and like, who. Who were the teams that you were playing against? Was it still The Welland Tigers, St. Catherine's Falcons?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, I actually, I grew up Oakville. I never played there. My brother played there. Growing up, I played in Mississauga, which is like 20 minutes away, and I was the GTHL, so I was more like against the Marlies, guaranteed Titans, teams like that. But my brother had a good team as well in Oakville. The. That, oh, five age group with him and Kyle Ritchie, Nick Lardis, like, some of those guys, they had a really good team growing up, too.

[Jason Greger]

So your brother, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, he's going to Penn State next year, right?

[Elliot Friedman]

Correct.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

Okay. And I'm looking at his numbers, some great last two years in the OHL and Mississauga and Brampton.

[Ryan Whitney]

But.

[Jason Greger]

But being like a later pick, it has to be like, a little odd. Like, when did you know, like, all right, I'm battling against my brother. He's older, but, like, I. I have maybe a little bit of a different path ahead of me. Do you know what I'm saying? Because it being your older brother, all of a sudden, one day you're like, oh, I could totally play with him. Do you know what I mean by that?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, no, I. I think we've just fell in two different kind of paths. I mean, he got drafted later than me, and I think, you know, Calgary kind of told him that next year Penn State's going to be good for him, get a little bit stronger, just get that experience. He's going to love it, too. He's never. He lived at home his three years in Mississauga, so just to get that experience, going away from home, living by yourself, it. It's good for him and he's excited. And then, you know, for me, it was, yeah, a little bit different with my years in Saginaw.

[Ryan Whitney]

We had a.

[Elliot Friedman]

We had a pretty good team my first years, then won the Memorial cup, which was awesome. And then, yeah, coming back to this year is the draft here. And yeah, I tried to run with it.

[Michael Misa]

Being drafted by San Jose and Whit Touch on it with Celebrini and Will Smith and, you know, we're. We're friends with Ryan Warsovski and Mike Greer and. Have you ran into Jumbo Joe Thornton yet? Because that's the guy you want to surround yourself with, hopefully get the nod to live in his house the next year or two. But he is when I shower today. Yeah. Hall of Fame. Hall of Famer too. Yeah. So have you, have you met him yet?

[Elliot Friedman]

I haven't met him, but he, he sent me a text after the draft. Just congratulated me, which I thought was pretty cool. And I was, I didn't check my phone too much because it was, it was pretty crazy. At one point I just, I looked at my notifications quickly and I saw a text in the bottom of it said Jumbo. I'm like, hey, that's. That's Jumbo Joe. I'm like, that's awesome.

[Ryan Whitney]

So that goes top priority to the top of the list. Yeah, I had a great experience playing in Saginaw first class organization. Like I was there the first year it was bought and Dick Garber and Craig Gosling brought it over. What was your experience like? I mean you went in there a year young and, and, and you turn into the player you have. Like, you know, how much do you attribute to them?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean my, my first year inside, coming in a 15 year old, I, I didn't know what to expect really, but they were, they're the only team I talked to before the OHL draft because I, I really didn't know if I was getting drafted or not. And then I got exceptional status. So I talked to just Saginaw. They, they blew me away. They brought me down there for a tour. Everything, you know, I was able to play with a bunch of good players too. And then like our owners, Dick and Greg, they, they do such a good job at just, you know, being there for the players on the road. You get good meals.

[Jason Greger]

Just.

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, top class organization. I, I give a lot of credit to them over my three years there.

[Jason Greger]

If you're, if you're given exceptional status, does that mean you have to be taken first overall? Is that, has anyone ever been given that? Not been taken first?

[Elliot Friedman]

I don't know. I mean that's, that's a good question.

[Jason Greger]

I'm a journalist. Some people say yeah, yeah, we asked.

[Ryan Whitney]

The hard hitting questions here.

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, I, I think it probably means you're, you're going to go first or. Well, I mean all of them have the exceptional status, people that, that have went to the ohl. But like ultimately there's a, there's a better player for a team that might take him, but in my experience, that's all I've seen his first overall. So.

[Ryan Whitney]

Meese, I've been dying asked this question. I talked about it on the podcast beforehand. Do you guys in the locker Room. Listen to the pod. And were you familiar with, like, the gate and how it was all going down on the pod? I was fascinated with this story. I don't think Gossen and Garber were too happy with me because I, I have to be loyal to the spirit. But that whole thing was ridiculous.

[Elliot Friedman]

That was. Yeah, that was so. That was during the Memorial cup when we were going for it, and that whole situation happened. I remember it was the playoffs when we were playing London, and like, after that whole thing happened, it was just like, it was more on the ice. Like, it was just, it was crazy games. Like, our team, we, we saw like the whole episode and stuff and, like, really laughing about it. It was so funny.

[Ryan Whitney]

So, so, so what did I get wrong about it? Like, the, the, the player on your team, on Saginaw, no longer his father no longer worked for the league. But then I got sent a video where you could see him mouth to the ref, the official, and he's like, did you hear what he said? Essentially. Essentially saying, you gotta, like, you obviously picked it up. So he had to report it because.

[Elliot Friedman]

He got out there. Sorry, what did you say at the end?

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Misa]

This kid's trained.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's why he's exceptional status overall.

[Ryan Whitney]

He did beyond his years.

[Jason Greger]

My career right now is just applauding this.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, I love this guy.

[Ryan Whitney]

I love him. Oh, you're first in my books.

[Elliot Friedman]

Well, I think the whole situation when I was between, yeah, it was Hashay and Landon Sim, and then I think I forgot, like, I think Landon said something to Hash and he was like.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, you think, you know, he was a seven then?

[Elliot Friedman]

No, I, I, I just, I actually, I don't remember the story too, too up to beat, but it was something along those lines. But I know Hatch never said anything bad to him. It was just a miscommunication. Like, Sims agent wrote a whole article about it or something and it just like took off the whole situation.

[Ryan Whitney]

I tell you what, you, you, you've been trained with the good pr. I mean, that was a test. And he passed the flying colors dream.

[Jason Greger]

That story was business dream.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like, I thought I was getting the Pulitzer for that one.

[Michael Misa]

I just want to know, for all the people that, you know, don't know much about your game, like, who do you emulate your game after? Who did you watch growing up? Like, who are you most excited to, you know, hopefully one day play against on the ice?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, growing up, I was a huge Mitch Marner fan. You know, being from Toronto, I watched them in London a lot. Business Laugh. I. I watch him a lot in Toronto. I just, you know, like. Like the way he plays and. But in terms of modeling my game after, it's more Kucharov and Capra. Those two guys, I know they are. They're both wingers, but I just. I see myself playing like them. They. They slow the play down a lot. You know, the way they, they control the play offensively, I can see myself relating to them. And that last part of the question, just, probably Crosby would be the, like, the most excited for me to play against someone in the NHL. Just, you know, watching him, he's like. He's like my. One of my idols. So it's pretty cool to see.

[Michael Misa]

Obviously you're young and could go back to junior, but have you guys. And only two days after you've been drafted. But have you had the conversations with San Jose whether you're, you know, going to get, you know, at least those first seven games, start the season there and hope for the best?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, I, I think I definitely still gotta, you know, prove myself on this conversation I gotta have with them.

[Biz Nasty]

And.

[Elliot Friedman]

Well, like, yeah, my. My goal is to play for the Sharks next year, so, you know, I gotta. I gotta prove myself and I have a good camp here. So.

[Ryan Whitney]

Just the way you even describe the guys that you want to emulate your game off of. Are you a bit of a hockey nerd? Do you find yourself watching games constantly where that's all you really want to watch and consume on television in order to just kind of just be more knowledgeable about the game?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, no, I. It was actually. So this year I switched billets in Saginaw and I had a. They put. They got a TV in my room this year, so there was so many times I'd just come home from practice and just sit in my room and watch hockey games all night. It was like, I've never had a TV in my room and I loved it. I just sat there and watched games all night. But yeah, I mean, I love watching any type of playoffs. This year was incredible. But yeah, in general, love watching it.

[Ryan Whitney]

As a young player. Like, watching the way the style that you have to play in order to win the cup, or at least now do you guys. Do younger guys be like, oh, fuck, like it's gonna be a grind as far as the punishment you have to take to win at that level, like, does that. Is that something that you kind of see what these guys have to go through and maybe even from your standard, like, maybe you're more of a skilled player, but like, worry about getting bigger, stronger, and maybe being able to take that type of punishment.

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's the goal this summer. Just to get bigger, stronger for myself. Because you know that I chose all drone men, so I got to prepare myself for that. And, yeah, you look at the playoffs, and it's. There's no space. There's no room to do anything. You got to make plays so quick. It's.

[Jason Greger]

It's just.

[Elliot Friedman]

It's a crazy. It's like a war zone out there. So I'm not. Yeah, hopefully, you know, down the line, I'm gonna get stronger, get bigger, be ready for that. But, you know, I'm excited.

[Jason Greger]

Any odd draft questions? Biz, usually.

[Ryan Whitney]

I love that question.

[Jason Greger]

Any in. Who. Who'd we do? I think Hagens. We just talked to him. He had one for us. I can't think of.

[Ryan Whitney]

They said, would you. Would you rather Bob for a hundred. What was it, a hundred dollars?

[Michael Misa]

It was a hundred dollars. If there was a hundred dollars in the toilet, would you grab it? Or if there was 20 on the side, take that instead?

[Elliot Friedman]

I was gonna say the exact same question. So Montreal asked me that, and I remember, I. I told them, I'm like, I'll take it. I said I'd take the 20 out because I don't know if you guys want to shake my hand if I put it in a toilet.

[Ryan Whitney]

Nice reply.

[Jason Greger]

You're smooth with it, bro.

[Michael Misa]

Exceptional status.

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, that's who I, I. That was really the only oddball I got. But, like, everything else is pretty. Pretty good watching itself.

[Ryan Whitney]

I would have said. I would have said I don't need either because I'm gonna bend you over in negotiations.

[Elliot Friedman]

That's awesome.

[Jason Greger]

That could be like, a GM wants that, though, Biz. That could get you picked right then.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, yeah, a hundred percent. That was the only crazy one. There was nothing else.

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, that was really it. I. I know some other guys got pretty random collections, but, yeah, it was pretty good.

[Jason Greger]

Do you have a personal skills coach? Maybe somebody you've worked with as you grew up and. Or do you have somebody, you know, maybe off ice you're leaning on? I know, like, Adam Oates does that with a bunch of NHLs now. He's watching their clips. Like, do you have any individual eyes coaching for yourself personally?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah. So who I work with on ice is Barb Underhill. He's my skating coach for Tampa. And then Randy Maloney. They're both Tampa. One skill, like, Randy's a skill point portion of it. And then Barbs is skating. And I see them like three, four times a week, and it's like mix a session. But they've been. I've been working them. This is my third summer now, and especially with my skating, like, bar. Barbs really, you know, helped me. Help me improve over the last couple years. So, you know, I give a lot of credit to them and I think this summer. So my agent's Dave Garnier and his son Sam, he. He's in Muskofield all summer doing skates with pro guys and stuff. So I think I'm going to try to get up there for a week, if maybe a week and a half, and get skates out with them just to, you know, get that experience. I think it'll be good for me.

[Ryan Whitney]

The boating's a bit overrated, but nice place. Do you ever want to check out some nice boating? That Victoriaville area out in B.C. is incredible.

[Jason Greger]

We might need a sandbag. I've seen this kid swinging the clubs on this NHL video. You ever seen a sandbagger? You want?

[Ryan Whitney]

I heard you're a nasty golfer.

[Jason Greger]

Are you?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yes, I'm.

[Elliot Friedman]

Good rounds and bad rounds. I mean, so right before the draft, I went to Riviera and. And I shot an 89. Not bad.

[Jason Greger]

Beautiful. Hardcore stuff.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, that thing's got the. Don't they have the. The. The. The bunker in the middle of the green, that course?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

What?

[Elliot Friedman]

Who was that? I think it was Shafe Schaefer. Schaefer shot it in the bunker on that hole. He's still part of dude, which is impressive.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I went there. I golfed one time. It was with Mike Camilleri, and, God, I'm drawing a blank on the other guy's name. He's gonna kill me.

[Jason Greger]

He's like Tiger Woods. I remember.

[Ryan Whitney]

These guys bust my balls all the time. These, they don't stop. They're relentless. But it me. But it means they like you. I guess that's what they say.

[Jason Greger]

All right, go ahead.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, I wasn't on my story. Okay, so it wasn't Tiger Woods. It was the guy who owned Bio Steel at the time. And I'm about to tee off, and Sugar Ray Leonard walks out. And I'm like, okay. Like, keep going. And he's like, no, I'm gonna watch you swing. I'm like, I was the most nervous. I was probably more nervous than you before you heard your name. At the draft the other day, I was beaten a million miles per hour. But luckily, I kind of got one in play. So that's my Riviera story.

[Michael Misa]

Wow. Thanks for telling us.

[Elliot Friedman]

Did I hit the greener?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I just got the fairway.

[Jason Greger]

Oh, it hit a tree and bounced off some lady's head and then got in the fairway.

[Ryan Whitney]

I hit an 86 year old member right in the noggin just off the fairway. I probably should. I should have waited for them to hit their second shot, but I was feeling a little frisky. Did you see any celebrities there, like any cool people at Riviera?

[Elliot Friedman]

Yeah, Right in front of us was actually Terry Price. That was pretty cool. We talked to him after the round two, had some lunch with him. That was awesome.

[Ryan Whitney]

What a question by me.

[Jason Greger]

Great question, Biz.

[Ryan Whitney]

What a question, buddy. Made up for Pussygate.

[Jason Greger]

All right, I got the rollback. Last question. Use code chiclets on roback.com for generous 20% off your first purchase through the end of the week. That's C H I C L E T S on R H O b a c k dot com. 20% off all polos, shorts, swim trunks, and more with code Chiclets. We got to ask you, buddy. It was shocking. No call from world juniors. I mean, like, not just you either. I believe there was four or five other guys kind of shocking. But as a kid who probably grew up, you know, dreaming of playing in world juniors and, and you lighting it up. The ohl. The chl. Were you shocked? Were you pissed? Take us through that.

[Elliot Friedman]

I remember our coach Lodge in Saginaw called me and Zane up to the front of the bus after a game and basically kind of said like, you both didn't get invited. It was definitely a little, little tough. Pretty frustrated at the time, but it was almost just like a little bit of a chip on my shoulder going back to the rest of the season. Like we, I remember it was like a Thursday game we played on, played on Saturday. So I had to like, just get my mind off and move on right away. But yeah, I mean, overall, I got invited to the, the summer showcase in Minnesota, so hopefully gonna, you know, help them out this year and, yeah, try and win a gold medal.

[Michael Misa]

Don't go, yeah, yeah. Be like, yeah, you guys didn't want me last year. Now you do.

[Jason Greger]

You might be playing on Celebrini's wing.

[Ryan Whitney]

No.

[Michael Misa]

We'Ll take you as a US Guy. You can change your citizens.

[Ryan Whitney]

You were raised well and it put the chip on your shoulder, buddy. And you're a funny. I'm gonna be rooting for you, man. You're, you're, you're an amazing kid. Exactly. Like Goose said.

[Elliot Friedman]

I. No, I appreciate it, guys. Thank you.

[Jason Greger]

Hey, good. Good luck with everything, man. It's incredible to see what's in front of you. Very excited for you and we appreciate it.

[Elliot Friedman]

Thanks, Matt. Appreciate it.

[Michael Misa]

Sorry about business story at Riviera.

[Elliot Friedman]

That's awesome.

[Jason Greger]

That's.

[Elliot Friedman]

That's what. I'll never forget that. That's too good.

[Jason Greger]

I need to talk about body armor. This episode of Spit and Chicklet is brought to you by the body armor sports drink. I'm right here holding the strawberry banana body armor. Right here. The light body armor. Light peach, mango. But we also want to talk about the new refreshing, cooling sensation in three impossibly cold flavors. Body armor Chill, a bold new way to hydrate with no artificial dyes, flavors, or sweeteners. And the flavors they have frozen berry, frozen cherry, and frozen orange. Ice cold. Tastes phenomenal. None of the crap in it. No artificial dyes, no artificial sweeteners. None of that junk. And available for a limited time. So grab yours at a 711 or a store near you. Once again, frozen berry, frozen cherry and frozen orange. My favorite, frozen berry, no doubt. But that's body armor. Go right now to a 711 or a store near you. Available for a limited time. Huge thanks to Michael Misa. Once again, congratulations. Incredible career in front of him, I'm sure. And now we're joined by a special guest of the Jason Greger Show, Jason Greger himself. Thank you. Long time coming. Appreciate you coming on and chatting it up with us.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Hey, fellas. Excited?

[Ryan Whitney]

I got the.

[Biz Nasty]

The call.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Especially. I. I don't know, is this the launch day of. Of biz running for governor or what's going on?

[Ryan Whitney]

You know it, buddy. You know it. Could have signed. We said we could have signed Bennett for eight times. Eight, two.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, exactly. Like. You've got the perfect political landscape. You make up a fake story that's not true, you repeat it time and time again, and then people believe it. It's unreal.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. I get them every time. Which. Which aspect don't you like? The state tax argument?

[Paul Bissonnette]

No, that the. That Bennett was going to get 10 mil and now that he got.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, there's a couple reasons I did that. There's a couple reasons I did that. I'm trying to get his number up. So if they do resign him, they have to give him more to chip away at the advantage that they have. Like, that's just. Even if he doesn't come to Toronto. And also, I do believe if he hits the open market that somebody would have probably given him $10 million. You don't think that.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Hey, I love Bennett, man, but I, I compared him exactly to Nazem Kadri a few years ago. Right. Kadri was a free agent. He's kind of a shit disturber. Oh, plays hard, spins it around. He had 87 points that year, won a cup. He's basically a point a game guy in the playoffs. And he got 7 mil on the free agent market, which if you prorated to today with the cap going up, would be 8.1. So Bennett at 8 million, which is what he got, is basically the same. And I got. I love Sam Ben, he play on my team any day. The guys he looks like a serial killer. And I mean that in a positive way.

[Jason Greger]

Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

You're telling me with the amount of.

[Paul Bissonnette]

His hat is down here, like you can't even see his eyes.

[Jason Greger]

You kind of look like him right now.

[Ryan Whitney]

I get. I guess I. Well first of all, if you would have signed somewhere else, it would have only been seven years. I just feel that there's so many teams with over $20 million in cap space to spend this offseason where there's, there's not many guys to sign that there would have been I guess more of a desperation where I could have seen an overpay there. And also I, I also feel that the trend in the direction of like you need these dogs and players that play with a certain like dirtiness but yet flirt the line are so valuable in, in the way that it's kind of treading. Like if you go back to when like, like even when the Leafs got rid of Cadre, like I feel at that time there was more of like a vocal pressure on how like there was maybe a pussification of the league.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I would agree with you on that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So that was.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, that was just another bad decision by your lease. Unfortunately.

[Ryan Whitney]

Unfortunately. Right. They kind of got I guess like the, the public perception of like all back to back years. He's unhinged. Da da da. Like where like we all know like I, I guarantee like even if they had to overpay another million, that Colorado regrets not bringing him back for what he ended up signing for based on how they haven't found their second line center since he left.

[Jason Greger]

Dude, teams miss him.

[Ryan Whitney]

So the, the, the. Not only the regret of that that they're probably experiencing on Kadri, based on what we saw from Bennett at the perfect time and really in back to back playoffs, I don't know. I. I guess. Okay, so nine and a half.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, no, you're probably right. Would somebody overpay him? Yeah, I don't disagree with the overpay.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Is he worth it? No, he's not. Like, I love Sam Bennett, but there's certain. There's certain levels of. Like you. We could have a whole conversation right now about free agency and who's going to be the contract that ages the worst, because we know it's coming. And there's like three or four really good candidates that are going to get paid. Like, he. One guy just got bought out as a defensive defenseman in Vlasic, and Vlasic at his peak was a hell of a defender. But that contract, like, it aged worse than my hair, right?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, but people would have also said that the JT1 wouldn't have aged well. And look, he scored 38 goals last year. And I mean, people might still say he's overpaid. So I think that. I just think that we. We tend to, like, overvalue these guys who can perform at a high rate for 82 games. And then when the going gets tough, they're a shell of what they. They are. And there's evidence of that yet. We've seen proof. And people say, well, yeah, he's been playing behind Barkov. It's like he still has to play against the best in the league as you go deep in the playoffs. And they have. And in some cases, he's responsible shut for shutting down the top guy. Some case he's going against the second line matchup. So like you said, we can have an argument till we're blue in the face. Like, I would just feel more comfortable giving him 10 rather than maybe having to give a guy like Marner12. It's like, I want to pay guys based on what they've proven to me, not based on, like, oh, I get a guaranteed point per game player in the regular season. Like that. To me, I've seen enough. That's me.

[Jason Greger]

I don't know where you.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know where you guys lie on that. Yan's and Wit, like, I. I agree.

[Jason Greger]

With you on that. It's just not realistic because I. I don't see a day when you won't be paid for your regular season performance. It's like how you get into the playoffs.

[Biz Nasty]

It's.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's. But my argument is, is I think it's crazy that people think I'm crazy for saying that he's worth 10. Where it's like, you're you're. You would pay Marner 12 rather than get better 10. And he showed you what he is in those situations. Like I guess I'm crazy, right? I guess I'm crazy. Like if you want to go pay for regular season, go pay for regular season. And. And he's a name and I get that that's kind of the one prime example. But hey, this is kind of the argument that's been going on online as well as the state tax component. I see that this, I see five, ten years from now the state tax thing then becoming an issue and we're going to look back and say ah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Or was the biggest advantage having guys win the cup three of the last five years when your salary caps 91 million or whatever it is over the cap. Like that's a big advantage. Like think about pre salary cap era who won all the teams who spent big money, right? It's just, just how like you know, hey, think if, if you can get a guy for 7 million bucks or you get guys for, for 10 million and in the $10 million player is just as good as his money, you'll take the $10 million guy all day long. So when you have more money on your bank account and there's nothing wrong with it, the teams haven't cheated. They've done everything by the book. But there's a reason why that rule is changing in the new cba because that's a clear advantage.

[Ryan Whitney]

You're talking about the ltir there basically.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Is going to be a playoff salary cap.

[Michael Misa]

I saw a clip of Dale Talon talking about it when Florida wasn't as good as they are now. And he's like, I used to use that for, you know, to entice players to come down here. He was like, it never worked. But the teams have to be good no matter what, the teams have to be good for guys to want to go there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. And I think that that's kind of what gets lost in the shuffle of my comments about all this. I said that the question originally asked was what does. What does Carolina have to do in order to compete with Florida? And that was what started the conversation. I said, well, they have to draft and develop well obviously, which I think that they've done. The second was is it's harder for them, I believe because of where they are and maybe the perception of it where maybe sometimes like wives will be like and no thanks, I'd rather live somewhere else that is. Is harder to entice free agency. And then I listed the third component Is is also like in other places that you want to play in better weather, have a estate tax component to it. Like it was one variable that I mentioned that got spun into that. Like all the credit, like all the credit should be taken away from what Zito and that organization has built. Like this is kind of where it's spun to. But to ignore that it is a component to an advantage as well as running a good organization that, that, that I just is. I'm gonna stick with that.

[Michael Misa]

So everyone wanted to be in Detroit when they were good. And we've all been to Detroit.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like hey, what was its nickname? Geez, come on the toilet. No, the wasn't a murder city for a while.

[Jason Greger]

I think there were some tough times in Detroit. I don't even know how the downtown's looking now.

[Ryan Whitney]

I do love I look at that like the McDavid thing helping attract free agents as well.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like yeah, I said it all the time. People like, oh, no one wants to go to Edmonton. Yeah, some people don't want to go to Edmonton. But when the team's good, most players you guys all played, I got two choices. Oh, this and this team will pay me the exact same or might take a little bit less, but this team gives me a better chance to win all day. I'm take especially now the players are all like, well, the players don't have to worry about, you know, their future for a lot of them, right? Even if you're in the league and only making 3mil a year for a few seasons, like if you're smart with your money, you're set up for life, right? Like you're good, you can have a part time job, you know, do whatever. So nowadays players, they get to a certain level, they're like, hey, where do I have the best chance to win? Because it's getting harder to win, guys. Not getting easier. They're going to be 36 teams in the next decade probably, right? Or 34, right. Like it's going to be way harder to win.

[Jason Greger]

It's so difficult based on your odds.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Because you like, look, the orders were a good team. They've lost a cup two years in a row and they weren't a bad. Like they're a really good team but they didn't win. So you know, now they spend all summer just as pissed off as the other guys who didn't go to the cup final.

[Jason Greger]

You've long talked personally about your desire to get rid of the long term contracts and it was all about term for you. It wasn't Necessarily the dollars they made, they made a little change in the new cba I. No more eight year deals. Is it. Is it six and five or seven?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, seven and six.

[Jason Greger]

So and, and with this we're hearing rumors that Jesus Marner could sign a four year deal with Vegas. That's a possibility. Why have you always been on to let making the term less and why players should take less years.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So, so I think it works if. And I've crunched all the numbers so it works for the entire players association because first of all there's only a select few who get eight years. So the rest are like well I ain't never getting eight years so why would I care about it? Number one. Number two, when you look at the way the. Especially when the salary caps going up all the time if I'm the best player and I don't want. Because what did Nathan McKinnon say? You don't want to be the best value contract in the NHL for four years.

[Biz Nasty]

Right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like had he signed a five or six year deal at the time, think about how much more money he would have made in the last few years of his deal. So there's the guys who are capable of getting the big money. They're all. They're actually going to get a little bit more every time. But it's more so about how much dead cap space goes into the system because who gets bought out?

[Ryan Whitney]

Guys.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Vasic guys like that who are good players who then sign an eight year deal when they're 29, 30, 31 and the last two, three, four years of their deal. In some cases five get bought out and now that guy's not in the league or if he is, he's playing a million bucks because he's getting paid this. But there's lots of dead cab space for the current players that no one can use because this guy's now out of the league. So it actually it make and it forces the teams who are competitive to remain at the top. Like look at Sid. I got. I love Sidney Crosby, but he might be just playing out the string if he stays in Pittsburgh with no no hope of seeing the playoffs, which sucks for the league. I'd love to see one of your best.

[Ryan Whitney]

Where would you. Where would you like to see it? Like I didn't.

[Paul Bissonnette]

After the age of anybody who signs after the age of 27 free agents is maximum five years.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't mind that maybe you get one exemption like as a guy. Maybe like a, like a six or seven, six or seven year deal.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But they're slowly. The fact that they took it away already means they realize it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right?

[Paul Bissonnette]

And I think the players are like, the players didn't fight for this because there's, there's very little negative other than the few guys who get the eight years and then they're not playing up to it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like, they're like, hey, great.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. I feel like it was owners that were clawing back on the term originally. And you're saying, like, as times progress, like the agents and players have realized that it's actually more beneficial for them if it's like maybe a sweet spot in the middle. I wouldn't. Yeah, I wouldn't mind if they bumped it one more time after this. Maybe on the next one where it was five and then six.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Six.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. I feel like that's a healthy length of a deal. And like you said, like, all of a sudden these long, like these brutal contracts with aav, you're not looking like, oh, fuck, here we go. I got this for another five fucking years.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And honestly, like, I had a player agent, a few of them tell me, I don't want my players. And this might sound strange, but you guys would probably agree, I don't want my guy to be grossly overpaid because now he's hating life everywhere he goes, like, you know, your contracts out there for everybody to see. And so let's say you're worth 8 and you get 8.5. Well, no one's really giving a crap. But if you're a 6 million dollar player and you're getting 10 or 9, or you're 4 and you're getting 6 everywhere you go, like, you probably put way too much pressure on it. I can't live up to this contract.

[Jason Greger]

Darnell.

[Ryan Whitney]

Darnell. That's what I was going to throw in here.

[Jason Greger]

If Darnell was making six, five and a half. Nobody's saying a word.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He honestly went. If I said at the time he got overpaid by a million bucks, right? If he was an $8 million player, even people. Jacob Truman makes eight. And no one really talks about him as a bad contract, right? If, if a million, it. It's psychological for some people, right? That's why I argued. If I was Evan Bouchard's agent, I would tell him, if I. Because there's talk he might sign for four years and if he does, it's a little bit lower. So you sign for four years. I would sign for 9.95 million. You know why? Because no one, oh, he's a 10. He's not a $10 million player. Yeah, you're right. Not a 10 million dollar player. But Bouchard's an elite player. But that's what I would do psychologically because the extra 50 grand ain't changing in my life. It's only 25, maybe 21 after tax.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think people are still going to round up on that number. I would say maybe like take nine to avoid a little bit of heat. I think if he came, I think if nine's a lot.

[Jason Greger]

Right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's a million bucks.

[Ryan Whitney]

You think, you think he's a ten million dollar defenseman?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Actually, I do. Right. Like, because he does stuff that very few defensemen can do. Right. He's, he's, he's an elite offensive player. Right. He's got. No one shoots harder than Bouchard on a consistent basis. All the numbers are at NHL edge. His passing's elite. And I know that in November on a, on a, him going back for a puck. Right. He's looking at times like a rec league defenseman and people freak out over it. But the problem is, and a scout told me once, when you focus on what a guy doesn't do, you miss all the things he does. And that's what Bouchard is. Bouchard, I told people, I said, get an Excel spreadsheet, column A, all the good plays he makes in a game, check mark, check mark, all the bad plays in a game. I will guarantee you, I'll bet you everything you got infinitely more at the end of the game in column A than you do column B. But because maybe the odd time, column B, it's a big error, people freak out. Like. And the thing is now he's taking shrapnel. Like you look at game six against Florida. EchoLM throws an absolute Jason Strudwick special pass across the ice, hits the guy in the chest and then Bouchard doesn't. And then Echo gets walked. And people still wanted to blame Bouchard because.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I think what the gripe was with Bouchard is that he kind of just swatted at it on his backhand and didn't real like he got either way. He got put in trouble. But you could also kind of just, you could also position yourself where you're now the defensive player than taking the risk, just trying to bat it on your back, kind of soft play down the ice. But nonetheless, the problem was created by at comb and it finished with that comb. Yeah. Like, I just think, what other things about the CBA that do you like or dislike.

[Paul Bissonnette]

What do I dislike? Well, I'm kind of surprised. I, I thought like the draft rule would come in place Right. This year, like that they would grandfather it in. They didn't. So. And it doesn't sound like they're going to like, everything's not starting. So it's technically. Is it two more drafts now? Because technically it doesn't start till September of 2026. That's how the CBA is written.

[Jason Greger]

Which draft rule is this? Which draft rule?

[Paul Bissonnette]

So now everybody's four years that you own their rights, right? Yes, because it used so CHL players like. And I, I get it. It was kind of a joke, right? Like you, you draft a guy, NCAA draft a guy chl. Well, he's got a sign in two years or he's a free or he goes back in the draft. Right. So they change it. Now it's four years if you're 18, three years if you're 19, two years if you're 20, etc. Right. So I like that rule. I think it's, I think it makes it easy. Especially because you might see some guys now that, that play, you know, they're 18 and 19 year old year in major junior and then they're going to go to NCAA, right?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. They have a level to, to at least jump. That's kind of what was my gripe where European kids at 18 could go and play in the, in the AHL where there's clearly some kids drafted high first round in junior that you're forcing them to go back and like not really develop any further to a team. They are a league. They just put 150 points in now they could jump to college, which. It's more grown up. You know, you're lifting probably more weights. You're going against bigger guys. So it's better competition. But are they going to open it up for guys to also go to the a who are 18, who, who sign after two years?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, I was, I was told that 19 year olds in North America, I haven't dug into it. I haven't seen the actual thing, but I was told by a few guys that they think that's coming, right?

[Jason Greger]

Sure.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Even in the chl and we could get a whole debate about that. I'm not a big believer that like I see a lot of 20 year olds who, who come out of the dub or Ontario League, 100 point players, they're stars. They get into the AHL at 20 and they get murdered. Right. Like, watch every year there's guys, they don't produce anything now Their confidence is shot. And if you're an offensive player now, you're spending how many years trying to get it back? You do that to 19 year old kids. Like there might be the odd guy.

[Biz Nasty]

I get it.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like a Shane wright probably at 19 could have done it, right? Maybe. But I still, I don't know. I'm. I'm hesitant. I see more guys get ruined by rushed than I do guys who are. Oh. So I went back to junior. I end up going to world juniors. Obviously if I'm that good and I have a great year. I probably spent nine games over a span of a month and a half in the NHL to start the season. Made a little bit of cake. So that's good. And then I go back and I dominate. And I'm coming into the summer, I'm strutting down, you know, the, the street thinking I'm the best player. And I believe you guys played. If you don't have confidence, you got nothing. And I just think too many guys go to the A20 and lose their confidence and are never the same. I think we would see if teams did more of it. I would like one per team rule for that rule. One 19 year old per team. And he probably would have to be.

[Jason Greger]

A first round pick and he'd have to. And he'd have to be physically ready because that's the thing like, like we talk about the always hungry league. You think it's a grind in the NHL, buddy, you were going. It's men and it's a hard schedule. But biz bringing up that now you can go play college, which you're going to see. I think there's like 120 kids this year going from major junior to NCAA. That will be the route as opposed to having to grind out the ahl. And then it makes more sense. It's steps, it's dominate every step before you go to the next one. I'm kind of wondering and Keith biz speak in here as well. What did the players get out of this new CBA besides the no dress code? So there's no dress code. Awesome. They added two games. Yes, they took away preseason games, but regular season games are a lot harder. I know the cap is going up, but what do you see the players coming out of this being happy about escrow. But wasn't that already kind of figured like it was already 50, 50 with the owners and the PA correct.

[Ryan Whitney]

So you're saying that they would no longer be responsible for it. Keith isn't.

[Michael Misa]

I thought in the. I haven't read the new cba, but I had heard before you can't read. Yeah, that's true. Well, someone hasn't read me the new cba, but I, I thought the escrow is done. I. I could be completely.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's a big win because in case there's something like catastrophic that happens.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I haven't seen. I haven't seen that pro or con to say that's happened. I'd heard that they. That's something that they push for, that they didn't want it anymore.

[Ryan Whitney]

And with.

[Paul Bissonnette]

With the cap going up to the levels it is, it would kind of seem like how could it still be part of it? I don't understand.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Because we've never seen the cap ever three years in advance. Know what it is?

[Ryan Whitney]

Ever.

[Jason Greger]

I know. And, and it could technically even be higher. I think somebody mentioned to us in the finals.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think it's. I, I would assume it was something like that. The. The league wanted to get out there to just be ahead of it from like a fan standpoint where if the player. And also players saying, well, if it's accelerating at this rate, it kind of keeps the stars happy knowing that, oh, in four more years, like let's say Marner gets four times 11 in Vegas. He knows year five, he's probably getting, you know, 15, 16, so there's a significant enough jump and he can stay confident in that. That's why I think now it's public and. And it. And it almost like from a media perspective backs off the players from trying to claw for maybe more.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. Like, I don't know if they legitimately got rid of escrow, but I think it's not really you. I know they got it back to even. They don't own any money anymore, so that's probably. It probably won't be used now. They get more. They got double the money in the playoffs. If you're asking Whit what they got. So that will help. But you know, when you're in the playoffs, they don't play.

[Biz Nasty]

They.

[Paul Bissonnette]

They play to win. So.

[Jason Greger]

And apparently in a long mentioned or often mentioned discussion with us, the players getting maybe a tiny piece of the expansion pie was completely axed. They said, go kick rocks. Sign your contract. Show up the camp. Oh, also no testing. Testing in the. In the.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Pretty bad. I'm curious as players, I think it's great.

[Michael Misa]

Amazing.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think it's great. I think, yeah, they get worked up about it and in some cases the tests don't. It doesn't say what you can do on the ice and your ability on the ice. Guys have different conditions, conditioning where they can skate for forever but like the wingate, they're going to puke and have shit results. So I don't see a reason to get these guys worked up and have to be there and be nervous about testing. And then it be something that maybe the coaches or management is using against them being like oh, you showed up out of shape again. Like listen, we got 84 games here. Like if I can play into game shape for the first ten, lay off me. That, that to me is, is, is a, is a, is a big win.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well and they got all the money for X players. That's probably the biggest win for the players. Right.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I think that with the franchise values with their. They're at like. I know that the number is not as large as we think it would be to get everybody past players that played maybe over 50 games. I don't know what they're arguing about as far as games played, but they put a four million dollar pool together for insurance and how to help past players. I feel with these franchise values and knowing there's going to be expansion that seems a little bit light. They should just say with everything else that they quote unquote 1 on that that is something that they can all get together and be. Be good guys about. And the, not to mention the fucking franchise values. Like a lot of these guys have doubled, tripled their money and I don't see. I think that altogether it's like under 10 million to cover all past players insurance and medical and dental. I don't think that's too crazy. Right boys?

[Paul Bissonnette]

It was step one. But I think you're bang on that. It's. It looks, it makes the owners look pretty damn cheap considering how much money.

[Ryan Whitney]

I agree. That's the one caveat. And I think that in my opinion the players who have the most leverage should have maybe used their voice a little louder. And I think that that's something that, that the owners would have bent the knee on. Especially with the fact that they weren't allowed to touch the franchise value or the 2 billion dollar tag for these new franchise coming in. And because they moved because of the situation with Utah, they were able to avoid giving back to the players. Right. Because of that, the way that it was technically done. So these guys know what they're doing and they're billionaires for a reason.

[Jason Greger]

That's perfectly said. It is great news though that. I mean think of the days of knowing the lockout was coming And I was in college when you knew the. The 051 was coming. And then there was word that another one was coming in 12 or 13, whatever year that was. And it's like now we're. They are on great terms, which shows how amazing the game is right now. We. We bitch and moan about little things with the league, but the league's in a phenomenal spot. And to know that the players union and the NHL are kind of lockstep right now, it's just. It's pretty sick from where we came from.

[Paul Bissonnette]

They do try hosting a three hour daily radio show in Canada in a fucking lockout. Like good times, fellas.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. You're talking about the drills the guys were doing in Leduc that morning.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I had to talk. I had to talk about Whitney's living arrangements. That was the fun part of it.

[Ryan Whitney]

What about free agency for the Oilers? Like they have to get back to the drawing board. I was not happy with the way that they handled like not bringing back guys who had been to the finals a year prior. I feel like they should at least have kept two of the four of, of the Fogle, McLeod, Holloway and Broberg situation. What do you see him doing differently this off season in order to even potentially help keep Connor McDavid? I feel like they need to show him a few big moves for him to want to continue to stay there and they owe him that.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I, I thought that, you know, I think they made some emotional decisions last, you know, a week after losing and you know, the players I like there was sad, like it felt like a death in the family when they lost the first year and you know, this year they were just mad and I think there's a. It's very different range of emotion. So I think that some of those decisions were emotional. I even would have matched Holloway's at 2.3. I said at the day I would have matched his offer sheet. I wouldn't have matched Broberg because they had an abundance of left defenseman and he never was really happy in Edmonton. He'd asked for a trade multiple times, which is fine. Says. Right. But I just don't think he was there. So I look at Edmonton and, and what they're going to do. I. People are probably going to be really pissed. I don't see a huge splash in goal. I could see them adding a Lion or a Forsberg and go with three goalies and you know, and then Pickards, maybe your number three in the minors if he gets through waivers, which he might because lots of teams have two goalies at that point. But the. The big splash would be a be. Be a winger. But if you look at the salary cap, you're probably better off to save your big moves at the trade deadline. Then you're going to get a guy at one sixth of his salary on your cap. And if you accrue some cap space, you're okay. The orders are good enough to get to the playoffs. And we saw it just with Florida. Does Florida win the cup if they don't get Marshawn and Jones? Probably not. Two pretty big moves.

[Jason Greger]

So.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And there's not like, are they gonna overpay for Brock Besser? Cause you probably have to and I don't think they want to.

[Jason Greger]

Like, I think Nikolai Mangiapani.

[Biz Nasty]

You know what?

[Jason Greger]

Hey, Wits.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Geez, are you hearing things? Cause that's the name I keep hearing as possible.

[Jason Greger]

I saw a tweet that's like going through like under the hood, Pasha style. He would. He's way more of a driver than Besser is. He plays with more like quickness and, and goal scoring wise, they're not as far off as you'd think based on.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like, yeah, big year in Calgary. So you. Maybe he's comfortable in Alberta. That was his best year, was a 29 goals.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, 35.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, 35. Okay.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. So he, he's. He's. Now he's a little bit smaller player, but he plays hard on guys. And so. And the thing is like he's coming in at a time where you're going to get him at. You would pay him and he has a really good chance to exceed his contract. Right. Like he's not going to get 5 million again. Right. He's just not. So maybe you get him at 3 million. They're obviously going to try to move Arvidson. He wants to get moved. So I think that's eventually if they can find a taker, they'll move him. But Mangiapani makes sense, I think. Well, they definitely need a right shot center.

[Biz Nasty]

It's.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's obvious to me, you know, Thomas Sex, this guy they brought in from Sweden led the Swedish Elite league in scoring last year. He's 29, so he'll get every opportunity to play in the team. Matt Savoy is probably going to start the season on Dry Saddle's right wing, I would think. And you know, a skill, fast player. I think he can come in, but you know, there's a difference. Like the orders are in the win the cup now mode. That's just a fact.

[Biz Nasty]

Right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like they're going to be there for the next five years. Right. I don't see McDavid signing a long term deal. I think he'll sign a five year deal which is fine, four years.

[Jason Greger]

But you think he's coming back?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yes. Yeah, I've thought, I've thought, I've thought for a while like the minute dry saddle sign and some other things with, with his wife Lauren and stuff that I think people overlook. Like people look at the bar and that that's not her main business. Her main business is interior design in Edmonton and, and she is, she's Lauren Kyle. She's not Connor McDavid's wife. And I, and I think people when, when you're a superstar, you're a big name person. If your wife has her own identity in the relationship, it's going to be a lot healthier of a relationship.

[Biz Nasty]

That's just a fact.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And so she's built a really good business there. Not that she couldn't. But you have to start all over and it doesn't mean your business is going to be naturally as successful. If you go to a new market no one's going to pay him more money than Edmonton like Case would pay him. So I see a, you know, four or five year deal, something like that. And it probably happens in late August to be honest. People will order, fans will lose their mind all summer. They'll wake up with an alarm clock. Did McDavid sign and if.

[Ryan Whitney]

No. Well, no, no, no time. I think that there's a stronger than not possibility he plays out the whole season before he signs a deal. My, my thinking was is that if I were him, like I feel like he's also like cares a lot about Edmonton and wouldn't want to leave the city on bad terms. If I'm looking at the way that I think that they're heading if they do pay Bouchard 10 dry saddles making 14, Darnell nurse making nine and a half and they don't make any type of big splashes. I could like I said I could see maybe on the way out signing a two year extension and if they can't figure out that time saying bye bye and I feel like at that point Edmonton fans couldn't be.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But you think he would wait until like next June to sign it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, because you have to see what's going to happen in free agency here. And then you mentioned that they, they might not do anything until till the the deadline because of whatever you brought up about getting discounts on players that you're bringing in last minute. So if they don't make any. Any improvements, like, why would he stick around to, like, if. If he has the opportunity to not only make the same money, play in a. A bigger market, maybe even getting out of Canada and going somewhere where he maybe sees more upside. To me, it's all going to depend on what they do. Like, you're telling me if, like, they still don't get a goaltender after next year that he's going to stick around? Like, I don't think. I think that if he played out this year and then left it that there's. There should be no animosity between the fan base and Connor McDavid. He's left it all.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, there would be for sure. Because they'd feel like they. They'd all feel like they got dumped. Right. Like, that's. And that's true. Like, fans get emotionally invested like that.

[Ryan Whitney]

That I understand now, logically. Whit, I'm gonna ask you, if he delivered the full season and continue to do what Connor McDavid does and they didn't improve the team around him, do you hold it against him for leaving at that point?

[Jason Greger]

The only thing I'll hold against him, this is fan wit speaking, is if he knows he's not gonna sign, give him a chance to get a haul for you. I think that was the main issue with Islanders fans and stuff in Tavares.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

But I also think for what he's done for the organization, he owes them the right where he. If he wants to. Like, if he. If. If they have an opportunity with him and dry sail and whoever they have to, like, maybe get to the finals again. Like, you're telling me that you would give up that chance at getting the hall for him, like, in short term, whatever the haul may be.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, I think you could pro. Even if he. If. Let's play out your scenario and say that he waits the whole year and the season ends and it doesn't go the way they want and maybe he's not going to sign. You could do a sign and trade, because any team that's going to take McDavid, who's a legit winner, doesn't have the cap space to have a built team around him.

[Jason Greger]

Right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like, they just don't. Like, Florida's top six guys when they won the cup this year, took up 59.8% of their cap. Barkoff, Ekblad, Kachuk, go down the list. They're top six guys in cap space. Emon's top six guys when McDavid's new deal kicks in. Let's just say it's 16 mil. That's kind of more, right? So let's say it's 16. So his number with nurse Bouchard dry settle him and Nugent Hopkins, the order's top six would be 57.5. You can still win if you build everything else out. So you can. I think sometimes it gets lost. Like, if the thing is he could leave to go somewhere else, but anywhere he goes, unless he's going to Colorado, he's downgrading in skill to his best teammate.

[Ryan Whitney]

He just is that. That was my argument to him trying it for like a two more years to see where things go. And then at that point, there might be like a. There might be another team that it makes more sense where they're on the rise with his money coming in.

[Jason Greger]

But I truly think that he's got that. That thought in them with Leon, like, we're winning one here. Like, we're gonna bring a cup here. And I think it's. It's not just the markets and, and the money isn't an issue, obviously, but it's not just like playing a different market getting out of Canada. I think it's more like this is where we both were drafted to really cement our legacy. We're bringing one here. So Greg's. We appreciate this chat, buddy.

[Ryan Whitney]

Awesome.

[Jason Greger]

Very dialed in into the game. We'll. We'll catch up with you soon. No doubt. And check them out. Jason Greger show. Where is that? In Edmonton. Where can you find that?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Sports 1440. And obviously we got the rundown on.

[Jason Greger]

DFO Daily Face Off.

[Ryan Whitney]

Do you. Are you guys, like, doing this type of conversation every day where you guys are spitballing, like, what's your guy's vibe over there?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, you know what? Well, what I. When you're a talk show host in Edmonton every day, like, the part of my job is a little bit psychologist, I think, like, there's like, you gotta. People are off the ledge, man. But it's great. Like, some days I like to fire them up, too. It's fun. Like, I'm lucky. I work in a market where, like, people, they love sports, right? And we talk any sport on my show. But obviously when it comes to hockey, there's lots of passion, right? Some people, like, I would say, you know, for years, Darnell Nurse, although Darnell Nurse last year calmed down, he had a pretty okay season overall, he's never going to live up to his contract, and I've told people that. But, you know, now there's a little concern about McDavid for sure leaving. But you know, I don't, I don't think he is. And then it's more so like the goalie conversation and, and the goalies, man, I, if anybody out there could accurately tell me which goalies are going to be good in the playoffs next year, like right now, let's go put down whatever money we have because it's like Connor Hellebuck looks like a rec league goalie at times in the playoffs. I don't get it. Like the guy in the regular season's a wall and he gets to the playoffs and he can't be.

[Jason Greger]

So who mark down Bob. Bob. Bob.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, Bob's me. But think about it, guys. Three years ago, Florida was like, we might have to get rid of this guy. We're going to sign our backup as a four and a half million dollar goalie when he's played like 80 games because they didn't have faith in him. So it, it changes, man. It's, it's the hardest position.

[Elliot Friedman]

I would.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'm, I'm thankful my son doesn't play goal and I love goalies, but God, I'm happy my son isn't a goalie because that'd be the worst, man. Like, I'm in the most stressful position as a player, as a parent, and now to be an evaluator because holy.

[Biz Nasty]

From we.

[Jason Greger]

You don't know.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like Stuart Skinner. Third times when Stuart Skinner has an unreal game, right? Like in Dallas and Vegas, Stuart Skinner looked like, you know, he was a Vezine trophy winner. He's getting shutouts every game and they're like, holy, Stuart Skinner's pretty good. And he actually wasn't even that bad in Florida, but he just wasn't as good as Bob. So that's what they're. It's going to be all 12 months of. Is the Oilers goalie good enough? Is going to be the, the, the key topic of conversation.

[Jason Greger]

We go on another ride next year. Next playoff. We get back on the roller coaster. Oilers playoff hockey. Jason Greger. Thank you so much, buddy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Thanks, fellas.

[Jason Greger]

Appreciate it.

[Ryan Whitney]

That was awesome.

[Jason Greger]

This summer, guys, the sun's out and so were the fresh cuts at sport clips. Haircuts. And it's the perfect place to cool off and watch some sports on tv while also getting a precision haircut by a professional from stylists who just get it. They've been specially trained to cut men's hair. Take your haircut to the next level. When you ask for the MVP haircut experience. It comes with a hot steam towel and a 7 pressure point massaging shampoo that is sure to make you melt into the chair while you're watching sports. It's amazing. And for this summer only, you could swap out the classic hot steam towel for a refreshing chilled towel. It's an icy alternative. That's the perfect way to defeat the heat while you're getting a nice trim from the pros at Sport Clips. So Sport clips, it's a game changer. That guy's the man. Yeah. It's very interesting to hear kind of the discussion about his idea of term length. I never thought of it the way players aren't in the NHL because so much dead cap is taking up room in the NHL. Right? Like that would be a big time thing for the PA that I hadn't thought about. I was more thinking the guys who, you know, you don't sign the eight year deal, you could. You're missing out on a bunch of dough. But now we're gonna bring in the legend himself. This guy's got to be so gassed, so exhausted, so mentally fried. He needs his vacation.

[Ryan Whitney]

The legend.

[Jason Greger]

The legend himself, Elliot Friedman.

[Ryan Whitney]

Look at this guy.

[Michael Misa]

He looks like he's at the lake house.

[Ryan Whitney]

What a tan.

[Michael Misa]

He's in Florida.

[Jason Greger]

How, how many radio hits, podcast hits, overall TV hits have you done?

[Biz Nasty]

I've been, I' been unfortunately saying no. Like, like it's, it's. A lot of stuff has been going on and like, I, I've had a lot. And I don't like to say no wit, but I've had to say no to a few things because it's bonkers out there right now. It's. It's crazy. When are you guys actually dropping this? Like, when?

[Ryan Whitney]

Tomorrow, buddy.

[Biz Nasty]

Stinks. I hope it stinks.

[Ryan Whitney]

And on behalf of the entire hockey.

[Biz Nasty]

Community, I hope it doesn't stink. I hope it sticks.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I was gonna say on, on top. On. On behalf of the whole hockey community, what you do and, and how much information you provide. Sometimes I just want to text you and be like, you just gotta make stuff up. Like us. It's a lot easier. It's a lot less stressful. Like you're on the hammer all day long figuring out all this craziness going on behind the scenes. But we appreciate you dropping it, dude. And we know how hard you grind.

[Biz Nasty]

Well, you know what? Like, geez. Like, you know, like, to be honest, like, there's, as you guys know, there's an audience for, like, we are lucky. Like the Fans who watch our shows and they consume hockey, they love hockey and they crave it. So there's something to be said for like if we were doing this for three people and nobody was paying attention, we wouldn't love it as much. But because there's so many people who love it, we're happy to do it.

[Jason Greger]

Elliot, today you pretty much dropped a hammer. I mean this is a major story where you did not use these words. I'm going to paraphrase Toronto's holding Vegas hostage because there's, there's possible issues with tampering. I need your opinion on tampering too, with discussing agents. Is that tampering? But now there's news that Marner might go to Vegas in a sign and trade. This is who could go back from Vegas. Break this down with us where we sit right now. 7:53 Sunday night.

[Biz Nasty]

Okay. I still think it's very possible that Mitch Marner is going to be traded to Vegas. I have not changed my opinion on that. I, I still, I still think there's a good possibility that that's going to happen. That's, that's number one. I believe that if he is traded to Vegas, Nick Walk will be going back to the Toronto Maple Leafs. I'm not, I'm not trying to disagree with anybody but as we sit here tonight and tape this, I don't think Nick Hague would be going in. That package could always change, but I think it's going to be Nick Wa. I think it's going to be Nick wa for sure. I'm just not so sure about Nikki. Yeah, they've been talking about this for the last few days and as I explained they talked Marner for Theodore deal. Last year around this time, Vegas didn't want to do it. They, not that they didn't like Marner, but they didn't want to trade Theodore. They wanted to keep him and of course they signed him. And then at the deadline this year after Marner said no to Carolina or I should say this, I don't know if it was after Marner said no to Carolina, but around that time they brought Vegas in and Toronto, Carolina and Vegas talked about a three way where Marner would go to Vegas, Ratnan would go to Dallas and but they, the problem was they couldn't find a package between those two teams that would satisfy Carolina. Like Toronto didn't want to trade. Nice. So it didn't happen. Now Marner, of course, and this is the one thing I, I, I would, I strongly back Mitch Marner on at the Time his wife was seriously pregnant.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right.

[Biz Nasty]

So I can't, like, if I, if, If I agreed to be traded, like with my wife two months away, I. I would expect to be divorced very quickly. So, like, I understand why he didn't do it. So at the combine, I save one.

[Ryan Whitney]

Ring to take chase another. Elliot.

[Biz Nasty]

That's right. That's right. Which is more expensive? That's the good question. So at the combine, I understand that Vegas said to Toronto, if you are going to trade his rights, we would like to trade for him. They've been on Marner for a long time and I think this week they started talking about it. Now here's the tampering thing. Around the beginning of December last year, the. At the GM meetings in November, the league warned the teams about tampering. And then at the beginning of December, they sent out a memo saying that we are going to be hard on tampering this year and we've got big penalties for it. Like, they talked about fines up to a million dollars, suspensions, loss of draft picks, all that stuff. And last week they sent out another memoir and they didn't like some things that were being said or reported. Biz. I think your secret Brad Marchand offer might have been one of those things.

[Ryan Whitney]

No. You think they're gonna ask for the Ambassador jacket back?

[Jason Greger]

No. They're gonna ask for your cell phone Brady style. You're gonna have to smash that thing.

[Biz Nasty]

I. I have to tell you.

[Ryan Whitney]

When.

[Biz Nasty]

You said like Marshan 4.95 million, but he might not know about it yet. I heard that was one of the things that raised the line.

[Ryan Whitney]

Holy sh. Come on, dude. These guys, these GMs gotta know I'm a clown.

[Biz Nasty]

No, I mean, I, I mean I. I know you probably got like 5 million singing your couch, so, you know, just, just have it ready.

[Ryan Whitney]

But not me.

[Biz Nasty]

You know, some of the recording, some of the reporting about Marner, they were upset about it. So they sent out a note. And you'll go back every year, 1201 Eastern on July 1st, we start reporting like this guy's going here. Like the league hates it. So they. And I'll say this after I mentioned it when I was talking to people about it yesterday and the report came out about Mary being traded. There some GM said to me that they are convinced the league wants to make an example.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh yeah. Kind of like the ltir thing with Edmonton now. Right.

[Jason Greger]

And like they.

[Biz Nasty]

Well, yeah, right, then that's still. They're gonna, they're gonna look at that into August and see or in July and see if they want to do anything with that.

[Ryan Whitney]

But do you think, do you think that because it's Vegas, does anything have to factor where I feel when you look at an example of somebody who used that ltir thing, maybe the, the worst quote unquote would be them when they did it with Stone. So do you feel like that maybe is a reason why they're more. I don't, I don't usually gonna go.

[Biz Nasty]

I don't know if this is directed any reason at Vegas aside from this. Like, I don't think it's got anything that anyone might have an issue with in the past. I don't think it's got anything to do with that. I think it's just this. I think it's. I think it's some of the Marshand reporting and I think it's some of the Marner reporting. And like I wanted to say, very strong. Like I said this morning, I don't have any proof that any of this is true. But there are, there's that there's been any tampering or anything like that. But I do think the league has looked at some of the stuff this week and, and GM say they want to make an example out of someone.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wow.

[Biz Nasty]

So now, and here's the other thing I forgot and I, I didn't mention.

[Ryan Whitney]

What do you think they're going to do?

[Biz Nasty]

To me, it's a 5 million. No problem.

[Jason Greger]

Take away Uriah.

[Biz Nasty]

But you know, I'll tell you one thing. I was reminded of this morning that I didn't say and someone called me to remind me. When the Maple Leafs signed Tavares, they were investigated and the Islanders didn't complain. The league just did it. So it's not even an issue. And they were cleared. They did. They. I don't think it was a hugely in depth investigation, but they wanted to make sure that whole Tavares thing was on the up and up all those years ago. So it doesn't even matter if Toronto feels upset about it. The league could initiate investigations on their own. So we'll see. I think we're gonna find out if they're serious or not.

[Ryan Whitney]

We, we talked about it last podcast. I feel like there's so much actual tampering going on. Oh yeah, these. You even see former agents who are now general managers where like I would imagine that's going to be beneficial to them at their job because they're able to communicate with these other agents, know what the clients want.

[Jason Greger]

Like my question about the Marner thing Though, is why not just wait and sign with them? Like, he could actually become a full blown heel and just be like, no, I'm not gonna go there. I'm not. I'm. I'm not waiving my no trade and I'm just gonna sign there. Like, why would you help out Toronto?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. And, and because usually you do that so the player can get the extra year. The reason there's a.

[Biz Nasty]

There's a couple reasons here with number one is, as Biz says, I initially thought Marner might go for four years. Now I think he might be going longer. So, like, look like Vegas is a great place to play. They're a great organization, a great place to play. I can't fault anybody for wanting to go there. But also, don't forget that Vegas does need to clear more cap space like Petrangelo. We were expecting him to go on ltir, but they've made it very clear that they do not want to trade Carlson, they do not want to trade Hurdle, and they do not want to trade Barbershev. So that leaves probably WA and Hague. And you know, like, if you get the eighth year and the Maple. And Hank's a good player, the Maple Leafs can use them. If you get the eighth year and Toronto gets. Or it was a good player. If you get the eighth year and you can trade water to Toronto, it kind of solves two birds, right?

[Jason Greger]

I thought it was four years, basically, so that makes sense.

[Biz Nasty]

No, I. I'm not. I'm not sure what it's going to be as. As we sit here on Sunday night, Monday morning when the pod drops, I'm not sure it's going to be four years anymore. I think that may have changed.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wow. Like. Like, wow.

[Jason Greger]

Eight years. Biz, if it's not eight years, why aren't you saying, well, I. I want Hag and WA on the team. I'm going to. So.

[Biz Nasty]

Because they can't fit them. They can't fit them.

[Jason Greger]

Oh, okay.

[Biz Nasty]

They can't fit them.

[Ryan Whitney]

When you say that things have changed.

[Biz Nasty]

Those other guys, you can't fit them. And I'll tell you something else. Like, I did say on the pod that Vegas tried to take a shot at Rasmus Anderson and didn't get him. I had people tell me they have not finished trying to do that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wow, they're savages over there. Did you learn of the potential eight years while you've been on the phone with us?

[Biz Nasty]

No, no, no. I. I heard rumors about it. Like, again, it's fun and you know how it goes. Right. Like you say something on a podcast and everybody calls you. It tells you everything you got wrong.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

That was one of the things that people told me. They say it might not be four years.

[Ryan Whitney]

Be easier if they told me what I got right. And save themselves a lot of time.

[Michael Misa]

Now that our leaf. Can we end our leaf talk and get to the real team and talk a little Florida Panthers. And yep, obviously Bennett just signed a nice, nice deal. He deserves every pennant penny of that. But the big thing that everyone is is wondering are they going to be able to get Marshawn and Eckblood back there?

[Ryan Whitney]

I.

[Biz Nasty]

It's like they are. I, like Bennett was the big one, no question. That was the guy they had to get done. And Bennett to his credit got an extra million. And I think they initially wanted to give a million a year.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right?

[Biz Nasty]

Like they, they initially, they offered him Verhe's deal, which is a great deal. But Bennett, Bennett outplayed that. So that's an extra million that Florida gave up that they got to squeeze out from elsewhere. Right. I heard the likelihood was 1 Bennett, 2. Marchand, 3. Ekblad. Like I heard they really had to work because I think what Eckblad, even for seven years, if he goes free, Keith, the number he could get compared to the number that the Panthers could give him, even in a no tax state, there was a difference. So I always heard that was going to be the toughest one. You know, the Marshan one. I think he wants to stay, Keith. I really do. I think he wants to stay there. But again, when you've got secret nine and a half million dollar offers out there, like that's, that's, that's enticing.

[Jason Greger]

This is all planned to get him somehow to Toronto.

[Biz Nasty]

Like if he's got like, let's just say for argument's sake, he's got four times nine and a half out there, five times eight, like that's 38 to 40 million dollars. You know, Florida's gonna have to be creative to get anywhere close to that. I think he wants to stay Boston.

[Jason Greger]

What about Boston? Elliott? I don't know.

[Biz Nasty]

Like, do you see it?

[Jason Greger]

No, I see, I don't. I don't. What I see is I see him getting screwed over in his mind and all the fans mind by the Bruins. He goes down, he wins a cup. I see him being like, now I'm gonna stay here. I was on two teams, I got at least two cups, one with both. Probably more realistically, if he stays in Florida, that makes the most Sense to me now. He's always been underpaid. Is it his time to be like, I don't really want to take another deal? Like that's the question.

[Ryan Whitney]

On top of the fact he's the most he could be if he's in Toronto, the most marketable player in the NHL. He's got his two cups. You're. You're rolling your eyes, buddy. But like he could probably with how funny he is in commercials and stuff like that, like change the culture there.

[Jason Greger]

That's not true.

[Ryan Whitney]

He could probably make an extra 3 million on top of the 9 million that they would offer. I'm like bringing in 12 million Canadian or well, in Canada a year. Excuse me.

[Jason Greger]

He's made this about the Leafs.

[Ryan Whitney]

No longer the three teams in on the mix.

[Michael Misa]

Elliot, you made up the lie.

[Ryan Whitney]

Elliot. Elliot, if you had a pie chart and it said Toronto, Boston, Florida and then other. Where would the percentages be as far as resigning? Yes, let's play this game.

[Jason Greger]

Great question.

[Biz Nasty]

You know what I think first of all, do you guys remember Kevin Miller, the Bruins defenseman who off Marshall Miller partnership with. Does he live in Utah now?

[Jason Greger]

Does he really? They did a hunting show together, didn't they? On Nessa.

[Biz Nasty]

So someone. So I heard that Utah was really in on Marchand like they wanted Marshan badly and some that we're doing this. I. I don't. Someone sold me that Kevin Miller lives in Utah.

[Jason Greger]

He does. I'm getting word he does, Elliot, and he's.

[Ryan Whitney]

Marshaw doesn't post on Instagram, but when he does, it's all hiking.

[Jason Greger]

Try telling Kevin Miller that he tampered and he'll throw. He'll throat slash you so quick he's.

[Biz Nasty]

Getting fined with biz.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hiking and hunting is. Is a thing that he's very interested in. So that makes sense.

[Jason Greger]

Utah, they own a company together. Elliot March and Mill company. It's a hunting merchandise company and they make content together and he lives in Utah.

[Biz Nasty]

So it was funny because something I said, like I heard I. I said I heard that Utah was really interested in him and they have the flexibility to do it. And someone said to me, well, I think Kevin Miller lives there. So maybe Kevin Miller's Utah sleeper agent getting him to go out there.

[Michael Misa]

Does he get a jacket and Ryan Smith's. Ryan Smith's looking to make a splash. Oh yeah, he's itchy.

[Biz Nasty]

I don't. I'm bad. I was bad at math biz. I'll just say this. I think someone's gonna have to give him a reason to leave Florida. I really do. You're gonna have to give them a reason to leave Florida. I just always heard like with Ed Blad, I heard they made him one offer last year at this time and it was really low and they hadn't talked really all year. And then he comes and he has an unbelievable playoff. Like the best hockey of his career. He's great player and I like right hand shot D out there. You're either the top guys, you're either trading for Rasmus Anderson and that's going to be really expensive or Aaron Ecklead just cost you money. So I think teams out there know that they can make an offer that's at least going to make Ek lad think. And that's why I think it was always going to be harder for Florida to get him done.

[Ryan Whitney]

Even though I've had a better playoff for the three guys that are in the mix for Florida and I think.

[Michael Misa]

For Ekba too in Florida, if it's on them not wanting to sign them, like Forsling would be a different player without him. It's like you get a guy that you're comfortable with, you know their tendencies, like they're so good together. They've shut down the best player in the world the last two years in the playoff, in the final. Sorry. And it's like those to me are the signings you have to get done. Like whether it's going to cost you a little bit more. But I think Ecky, if he goes to the free agent market, he's getting like Dobson just got nine. He could, he could easily get nine.

[Biz Nasty]

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know if he'll get nine because he's, he doesn't score as much as Dobson. Like scoring pays.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right.

[Biz Nasty]

You know, and, but I'll say this, like, like a seven year deal, he's going to get, he's going to get a huge number.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, he's going to get 50.

[Biz Nasty]

He's going to get at least like.

[Jason Greger]

I think I thought it'd be seven and a half. Yeah. 52. Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

Seven and a half to eight at least. So if you're like that's the. And you might even have to go higher. Like let's just say they're offering him Forslings money, right? Which is 8 times 5. 7, 5. That's so that's ridiculous. Let's just say they're doing that. Okay, so that's what, 46 million. So think about what you're gonna have to do on seven years to make him go out of there. And I think, I think they're going to be teams that do it because they'll say if we win with that. Glad in the first three or four years because his body's been through so much, we'll deal with the rest.

[Jason Greger]

Give me some. Give Buffalo Sabers fans reasons to, I don't know, look forward to the season. Want to remain fans when. No offense at all. I think Josh Doane could be a very solid player in the NHL. Same with Kesselring. But. But Turka was a little bit of a game changer at times and a guy also that you could see fitting in with Ryan O'Reilly and Brandon Montour and. And Sam Reinhardt and all these people who played there and then went on to win.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, well, like, like their hand got forced there. He didn't, you know, he didn't want to play there anymore. He wanted to be traded. And so they just, they, they. Kevin Adams, I think he just felt he had to. To make the move. Right. And I. And that was a really tough one because Paterka was a real favorite, especially of the owner like Pungula really loved Peterka. So that was a really hard one. But there's been so much negativity around Buffalo. I think they just said we can't have this. We have to move away from it. The thing is too, they have a lot of really talented players and they have a lot of good young players coming. So I think they kind of looked at it as you might be able to get by this. I'll say this too. And I mentioned this also on our pod. I had someone tell me six weeks before the trade happened that one of his guarantees of the summer was that Buffalo was going to trade for Kessel Rank. They said that they had identified that guy as a guy they thought could play with Owen Power and really help Owen Power. And they were determined to find the right partner for Power this year. So it's not. I think they had that guy like we. This is our short list of guys we have to get. And I think that's one of the reasons they made that deal.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then does that kind of make the. The Sam. Is it Samuelson buyout make more sense?

[Biz Nasty]

Well, I don't know if that one's going to happen. You know, like the same rumors were there last year and Kevin Adams was as annoyed about those rumors last year as he is this year.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay.

[Biz Nasty]

And the reason that it's. It's big is this is the last year you can do it for one third, Paul. Because after this here he turns six. I don't know. Like I, I look at their D and I'm not sure as we do this that they're going to deal Byram. They don't have a bad D. No.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, on paper.

[Michael Misa]

They just drafted on paper.

[Biz Nasty]

Well, that guy's another monster. That guy's a while away. But yeah, yeah.

[Jason Greger]

Which I think fans are like, all right, we have a bunch of big D. Like I don't know. That's just kind of what I was reading.

[Biz Nasty]

Another I would take Adams's word. Like he always fights about the idea. For two years now he's fought against the idea. They're going to buy out Sandals.

[Jason Greger]

Why would the Blues want to trade Jordan Cairo.

[Biz Nasty]

As no trade kicks in Tuesday? So you lose the leverage. You lose the leverage.

[Jason Greger]

Surprising name for me to hear. Like, that's a young, fast build score.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's made advancements that, that is like.

[Jason Greger]

There'S a story behind that.

[Ryan Whitney]

I, he's made his advancements as a, as an all around like well rounded player. Like compared to where he was like two, three years ago. I would have understood it a little bit more. But just with the success and, and the chemistry brewing there, I was surprised to hear it too.

[Biz Nasty]

Wit, I heard they were a little bit disappointed in his playoffs this year. You know Doug Armstrong, he likes hard hockey.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, he does.

[Biz Nasty]

But you know, I think the other thing now, and I do think there was some legit talk, you know, Armstrong said the other day, basically, if you've got a good center, I'll look at it. That's why I think Seattle was in on it because they got a lot of young centers and also they could have drafted one. St. Louis could have with the eighth overall pick. Like I do think if, if Cairo had been dealt to Seattle, that 8th overall pick was going to be in the deal. That was one of the things I heard but also too now guys, it's, it's 8, 8 million is what Kyru is as the cap goes up for a guy who can score 35, 40 maybe. Yeah, I don't know if I'd be so quick to move that player. You could, you can build toughness around him and he can always improve as a guy. I don't know if I'd be so quick to move him.

[Ryan Whitney]

I agree with you.

[Michael Misa]

Agree.

[Ryan Whitney]

I agree.

[Michael Misa]

Unless he wants out. But like it doesn't seem like that's the case.

[Biz Nasty]

I don't think so. I, I, I don't. Like we always hear Like Paterka, Even though the Sabers didn't want to talk about it. We heard that he wanted out. Spence from the Kings, they didn't admit it till the other day when he was traded. We heard that he wanted out. I mean if Cairo wants out, I haven't heard that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Who would you say the undercover top three teams are for free agency or like making a splash here?

[Biz Nasty]

Carolina. Carolina. Ehlers. Like with Marner off the board, depending on the Florida guys, like Ehlers is the biggest name out there. Right. Carolina, I think, I think they really want that.

[Ryan Whitney]

But then they just, they don't really address what they need. They just keep getting like small, fast guys. Yeah.

[Biz Nasty]

I, I think though the one thing is they had trouble scoring too. Right Biz. And, and he can score. He hasn't scored always in the playoffs.

[Ryan Whitney]

Playoffs. He hasn't. Yeah. I think he's got 13 playoff goals.

[Biz Nasty]

I. I'll say this like he's always said, put me on the first line and I will do something. And Carolina is a team that can give him a chance. Carolina, I think teams like Columbus and Anaheim would also be in on him. So like teams that want like Carolina's got a lot of money to spend and they want to spend it. They want to spend it. Anaheim's got money to spend. They want to spend it. The thing is like I'm wondering. So we've got Gavrikov we think is probably going to the Rangers.

[Jason Greger]

So who are you?

[Biz Nasty]

Like modern. Looks like he's going to be off the board here. Like we said, we're waiting for the Florida guys. There's Ehlers, there's Besser. Besser. Besser's an interesting one because I like it sounds like the Kings might be keeping Kuzmenko on a short term deal and I thought that might be where Besser ends up. But Besser like Besser. I know Mike's listening. I can see Besser being on Boston's radar among a couple other teams there. The Besser I heard like a lot of guys chase warm weather. I heard Besser is not necessarily going to be one of them. Like Boston, Minnesota, teams like that. He's not phased by that kind of thing.

[Jason Greger]

Are we going to see and we've talked about the option of offer sheets and. And now NY's is off the board. Great deal. We didn't even pump business tires yet. Amazing to get that under eight Tavares at four. Four. Whatever it was.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

Who else? Not necessarily names who could be offer she but is that going to Become a thing.

[Biz Nasty]

I. I'll say this. The. So with Nice. One of the concerns was with. I've. I've had teams tell me they do not want to use the 2026 first and offer sheet because of McKenna. McKenna. Like you do not want to be the guy that loses G missing out on that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, they, they think he's generational, like the McDavid's, like the Crosbys.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, I, I don't like to compare anyone to those guys, but the guy's a hell of a player. Like he's, he's, he's a great player. I've had teams outright tell me I am not risking that first round pick next year. You know, it's interesting to see Will Cooley is a guy who might not like. You basically have to be under just under 4.7 to avoid a first rounder. And you know Chris Drury with the Rangers. I've heard that everything he's talked about has been math. I have to make sure I have the right math. So jury clearly is aware that someone could target a guy like Cooley. The thing for me is Evan Bouchard, I'm not convinced he's going to get an offer sheet because again, it's that you're going to have to give up that next year's number one. Exactly. So that's the thing I know that's terrifying people is that they don't want to give up that number one next year. You read Larry Brooks and Larry's really plugged in on the Rangers. Like Cooley is the kind of guy obviously the Blues bought. Hofer was the kind of guy that could be a problem. They locked him up. I'll tell you another name I heard that could be a good offer sheet guy, but I heard he's probably getting signed. Is Jack McBain from Utah, like a big center?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, he's tough. He's a piece of shit to play against too. Yeah, like he's heavy.

[Biz Nasty]

Those guys win in the playoffs. And I heard, like, I heard it, he was likely going to get signed. But that was another name. Like a few weeks ago people said to me, like, I've heard Mason McTavish, like a lot of people love Mason McTavish, but again, it's that first round pick next year. It. It really scares teams.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the. The new cba. Where do you think the owners won? Where do you think the players won? And what do you think? Maybe got lost in the middle where it should have just been better for Both.

[Biz Nasty]

You know, I'll tell you this, I don't like, just as a fan or media member, I don't like some of the restrictions on trades. Like that. That thing with the double retention.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, Why'd they do that?

[Biz Nasty]

Because the league didn't like. Okay, so just for people who aren't familiar with what we're talking about, you'd see a lot of trades where a guy with a big salary, he'd get traded twice. So the first team would retain 50% and the second team would retain 25%. You can't do that anymore unless you wait 75 days. So. So, so, Keith, for example, if your big salary was getting traded from Phoenix to the Rangers and they wanted to put it through two teams, you would have to be traded from Phoenix somewhere, play there 75 days, and then go to the Rangers. That's like just as a fan of trades, I didn't like that one.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. Why don't they want the entertainment aspect?

[Biz Nasty]

The league thought that was capped. Circumvention.

[Ryan Whitney]

Circumcision.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, I don't remember.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's what we call it on this podcast.

[Biz Nasty]

The. The. The other one that was big is the. Is the playoff ltir. Like, they really hammered that one and they did two things. First of all, your 20 players have to be under the cap. Like, your overall roster can be whatever, but the 20 players you dress have to be under the cap. But there's a second twist that I didn't see coming. And basically what it is. So this year, Chuck, let's use him. Nine and a half million dollar cap hit. He's on ltir for the rest of the regular season. From here on in, any team that wants to use a player's full cap, hit over approximately 4 million. And I'll get to that in a second, you have to declare that guy out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.

[Jason Greger]

So if you want, you can't. So Florida wouldn't have had Marshawn and Jones if Kachuk was playing any games.

[Biz Nasty]

If Florida wanted to declare that they were going to use all that cap room, they would have had to say, Kachuk is not playing the rest of this year, including playoffs.

[Jason Greger]

Why? Four million.

[Biz Nasty]

So, because. So basically the exception now is going to be the previous year's average annual salary. This year's average salary in the league is around $4 million. So if you're under that, you're fine. But if you're a Kachak, like a nine and a half, your cap is going to be that number wow, that's, that's the, that's the bigger change they've made. That's.

[Ryan Whitney]

Do you, do you agree with it or do you not like it?

[Biz Nasty]

No, I, I, I like in my fantasy football, I'm, I'm like the biggest loophole finder in my league, so I love that stuff. But you know what, hey, like the league and the players signed off on it like they agreed. But I mean, you guys saw the contracts are a year shorter, there's less of a percentage on signing bonuses year to year. You know, I think the, the, and you guys were all around for this, so you guys can talk about it. I remember one of the things the players got here was, you know, the players had to pay their own workman's comp. The players had to pay the payroll costs. The, the, the, the players had to pay some things that came out of their own share that I remember some players years later grumbled and said, we shouldn't be paying for that. The owners should be paying for that. That stuff got moved into the owner's share, the player. So I, they have told the players and some players did really agree that that is a win for us. And it basically, it's, it's the same thing as taking escrow down a few percentage points. I think most people feel that, look, they're making more money than ever. The revenues are higher than ever. That's what the players care about the most. I think a lot of these other points, like on contracts, the league and the owners won pretty big. But I do think what they convinced the, the players who voted on it or that were kind of the executive committee was that we're no longer paying for some things we shouldn't have to pay for that we did pay for.

[Ryan Whitney]

Now does that like. Obviously Covid was a different situation, one like we've never seen before. So yeah, actually the players got dinged more because of lost revenue. Is there now like a protection with the players? It's 50. 50. Is something like that happen. It doesn't matter that the owners have to eat that if something like that happens.

[Biz Nasty]

Well, you know what the thing is Biz, is that that basically did happen in Covid. Like the players for a while were making like 70. That's why the cap didn't go up correct those years, because they owed the money back. I know. Honestly, I don't have a good answer for you on that one. I just hope it never happens again.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, I just think where the franchise values are at, it, it should be a risk that they Assume it's them. Like, why should the players assume that? And especially given that the fact that they're, they seem to be forking over little by little these other things like, okay, one less year guaranteed on those, the contracts like the seven, as opposed to eight years. And then if that's not your team, it's six years as opposed to seven. It just feels like they, the owners keep chipping away on that type of stuff, including like also the players not getting any money from the, the, the expansion fees.

[Biz Nasty]

Like that is, that's ever gonna happen. Base.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know what about like, but that's my argument.

[Jason Greger]

10 million to the league, to the players, like they're getting a 2 billion.

[Biz Nasty]

They'll argue the players get 46 jobs.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's where I see it. Okay, that's fine. We're not gonna about that. But if there's any emergency that happens where all of a sudden the revenues aren't where they are, it shouldn't be covering by the, be covered by the players for the next five years because Covid happened like, fuck you, your franchise is a billion dollars. Like, we shouldn't be on the hook for this. Pay me my fucking money, bitch.

[Jason Greger]

That's how we do it. That's how we do it. That's why he's getting suspended by the league.

[Biz Nasty]

Oh, I can't wait till they go through your phone.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, that would be, that would be. All right, all right, I know we've kept you, but I gotta ask.

[Biz Nasty]

I, I would love to see. I would love to see the visual of Gary Batman looking through business fall. That would be the best.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hey, good, good. You team me up for my final one?

[Jason Greger]

For you.

[Biz Nasty]

I've never seen this word before.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He dropped a couple big ones. Like four or five syllables.

[Jason Greger]

Or that body part.

[Ryan Whitney]

We gotta get this guy off the desk. Putting me in a mental pretzel. What do you make of the state tax thing? Do you think it's something that will change? Yan's is shaking his head like, I, you're. I don't know if I've talked to you about this in five years from now when the cap's at like 130, 140 million. Do you not think it'll be more of a problem based on the like the inflation number compared to what the actual cap is going up.

[Biz Nasty]

I, I asked a lot of people about this bizarre. And I think that what they agreed on. First of all, I'll say this. I am amazed at how sensitive Batman is about it to you and at that press conference the other day, why.

[Ryan Whitney]

You think I asked him?

[Biz Nasty]

I mean, I like, I look at it, I'm like, he is so smooth. That gets under his skin.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'm going to ask him that every year at the finals now, but same thing.

[Biz Nasty]

I asked around and I said, like, why do you guys seem so determined not to deal with this? And they said to me that if you look the last before the cba, Boston high tax team, Cal Kings high tax team, Pittsburgh a little better, Chicago a little bit better, but not no tax teams. Although all those teams dominated the 2010s and none of them were no tax states. And they said, okay, last few years, Tampa, Florida, Vegas. Yes. But they said, you've got to give us more than. And the other thing too is like, that's a really big issue to fix. Like, that's going to take a lot of planning and thinking. And I think right now things are in such a good space that they just said we don't need to complicate this. And it's only been five years now. If it's five more years and it's not soon enough for hockey night in Canada and the people and the fans I deal with, but I think if it stays like this for five more years, then we'll see if they. They might deal.

[Ryan Whitney]

Have to deal with it. If you had to guess five years from now, do you think it would be something that they would address if it continues to escalate the way that.

[Biz Nasty]

The cap has this, like, you guys know players. I think it's crazy that anybody would say that the players don't care about this stuff. Of course they do. Of course. I mean, I think over this time they're going to have to come up with some ideas at least. Like, I'll tell you one idea that someone gave me that thought it was a good idea was that because the only time it really matters is in ufa. That's the only place where you really have the freedom to pick, is that I think you should look only at UFA contracts. Only if someone goes as a UFA and picks to go somewhere. If you're going to a higher tax place, you should get a break.

[Ryan Whitney]

I love that idea. I fucking love that. Or I'm going to go to the province of Ontario and I'm going to put a big thing together to make it no provincial tax.

[Jason Greger]

Parliament. You're going to Parliament? I've been there though, Biz. Listen to wit. Listen to wit to Parliament.

[Biz Nasty]

No, you've only been to the Airport.

[Jason Greger]

After being at the airport, I was represented at Parliament.

[Ryan Whitney]

Maybe I'll get that guy to help me with my. My pitch deck to go to in front of Parliament. I'm not great with speeches that might come as a surprise to you guys or anything of, like, you know, I.

[Michael Misa]

Mean, Rob Ford got elected. You'd be fine in Toronto.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's true. That is true. He's a fan favorite.

[Jason Greger]

Anything else for this guy? I got one more.

[Ryan Whitney]

Did you see his documentary, Elliot?

[Michael Misa]

Unbelievable.

[Biz Nasty]

I don't have to watch it. I lived it.

[Jason Greger]

I didn't know that. Half the public was convinced that he wasn't actually smoking crack. That was an amazing part of the talk. They're interviewing guys like, that was a fake video. Go, Leafs, go. Go, Leafs, go.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Michael Misa]

Argonauts are up by seven.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'm just hitting a different pipe. That's it. Me and Stevie. Bong rips. Mr. Decentralized.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. What else?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, what else you guys got? Elliot, thank you so much for your time. You're a legend, dude.

[Jason Greger]

I know you're so busy, buddy. This is. Is unreal.

[Biz Nasty]

No, no. No worries, guys. Hopefully this all stands up for first thing in the morning.

[Jason Greger]

That's all right. Either way, we got to catch up.

[Michael Misa]

We don't get too many things right here.

[Jason Greger]

No, yeah, we. That's why you should just. That's what we're saying. Just as Biz said, make things up, and you're like, oh, I knew I was getting it wrong. I just created out of thin air. And one of those. That leads me into my question. Biz has tried to create Crosby to the abs, but then the abs trade wood. They. They trade coil. They're not resigning Druin. Like, why that. That's what created the. The recent.

[Ryan Whitney]

I did not spark up the new one. I'm not doing that anymore. I retired from doing that.

[Biz Nasty]

No, no, I did not. I did not. It was. This one was not on me. No, I'll like. That was a week see tweet. You know, it's so funny when we see tweets. Sometimes I have to figure out what city is like. Skyline always know Runaway. That was not me. And look, I just think it's going to be a fact of life because so many people want to see Crosby go somewhere else. I'll tell you what I was told this morning. Like, first of all, I don't think there was any truth to this one on the weekend. I was told this morning that every time that happens, it makes it harder to get Crosby to think about it, because he doesn't like the even.

[Michael Misa]

That's why Nate shut it down.

[Ryan Whitney]

So then Penguins fans should be kissing my ass instead of. Instead of writing yous online. I got, I got some of their beat reporters coming after me. But I will say I have retired from sparking those up. This was not me this time. I didn't do it. Even Nathan McKinnon commented on our Instagram saying fake news and he was on his bachelor party so he even took the time to put out the fire.

[Biz Nasty]

So I'm not doing that some bachelor parties on Instagram.

[Michael Misa]

But, but if he did leave, if he did leave, it's almost like a Ray Bork situation in my mind. Like where that like Pittsburgh would root for him no matter what.

[Biz Nasty]

One hundred and every. Nobody would have a problem with it. Nobody would have a problem.

[Michael Misa]

It's all depends on whether he wants to be on one team or not his whole career. What'd he say?

[Jason Greger]

Just, he's just his idiot.

[Ryan Whitney]

What do you, what do you, what do you actually, you know?

[Jason Greger]

David signing an extension. Ellie, break that news.

[Biz Nasty]

I just, I just gotta, I, I just gotta. I just got a note that McDavid has a 20 million dollar offer a year that he doesn't know about yet. That that's what's going on.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

From Sca Biz is tweeting that for sure right after this. Right after this.

[Ryan Whitney]

Is there anything that we didn't ask you that you thought we would bring up or, or any important news that you should talk about on here and.

[Biz Nasty]

No, I think you guys got everything.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think you did.

[Michael Misa]

AKA he's done with us.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, he's done actually. Final thing. Do you. So is your phone always on? Is there a panic while you're sleeping? And then finally like July 2nd or 3rd. Are you done for a month?

[Biz Nasty]

I'm, I'm basically, I don't have to do anything for like seven weeks. You know, obviously if something big happens, I'll be, I'll try to around on it. I do try to give my family a bit more time. So I, I, I took the red. So I took the red eye home on Saturday night from la. And so Sunday I got home at seven in the morning and I, I was took a nap for a couple hours and I woke up and my, my wife, she was looking at me and she was just rolling her eyes because I fell asleep with like my phone like on my chest like this with my hand on it. So I could feel it buzz or something, something like that. And she's like, this is so pathetic. It's pretty funny.

[Ryan Whitney]

You know what I think they should do? I mean, you were at the draft. A lot of people bitching about maybe the length of time and, and other than the Shaffer one, maybe the interaction between player and gm. I feel like next year, if they want to make it that long and still have the GMs involved, the fans get the grill the GMs for five minutes after they make the pick, it could be whatever too. It could be about maybe the prior season trades. Do you think that that would maybe spice things up if they want to keep that?

[Biz Nasty]

I, I would. I would definitely pay to see some of those interactions.

[Ryan Whitney]

Sweeney.

[Biz Nasty]

Like, actually, you know what? Like, like Iserman. It would just be the best. Some Red Wings man went up there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Do you think Yzerman's feeling the heat a little bit? I feel like he got a little snarky in his postseason presser.

[Biz Nasty]

You know, I, I think also too, though, but like, the guy wants to win, right? Like, he's like the ultimate cutthroat, right? Like, he's the ultimate competitive guy. Like, I'm sure he's feeling pressure because the organization wants to do well, but he cannot stand to lose. It's going to be driving him crazy too.

[Ryan Whitney]

All right, well, we won't ask you anything else, but you're a legend. You look great. The tan's unbelievable. The hair is.

[Michael Misa]

Enjoy some downtime.

[Ryan Whitney]

Crazy as it normally is, man, you look. You look 30 when they're not making you work 20 hour days.

[Michael Misa]

He finally got a nap and got yelled at by his wife. Shocker. Someone told me that they did a study where women's. When they have their most anxiety is when their husband or a significant other is laying down on the coach.

[Biz Nasty]

Yeah, I could. I could see that. We, we definitely contributed to that study.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's weird.

[Michael Misa]

I know.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's a weird stat. It's like you made it up.

[Michael Misa]

That's marchant to Florida and Eckblood.

[Biz Nasty]

Take care, boys.

[Michael Misa]

Elliot, you're the best. Thank you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Thank you for everything.

[Michael Misa]

Imagine how many times a day do you think he's thrown. Like, I'm. Like, I'm on what percentage right now on my phone? 11%. Didn't charge it last night. Like, he probably has to charge his phone all day every day.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's got the battery pack case with another. The one that you can carry around.

[Jason Greger]

And just in his holster, like in.

[Michael Misa]

His belt loop, he's got a generator. To someone like, just carrying behind him, like a big ass generator.

[Jason Greger]

Him and other insiders want to draw bang. How quickly they can recharge their phone as their weapon.

[Ryan Whitney]

He's got like a graduation cap, but it's got a solar panel top.

[Michael Misa]

Oh yeah, that's right. That's why he didn't have that hat on, buddy.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. That's got to be nuts just sitting around just and. And having to make that many phone calls. He's call. He has to call people a lot, dude. They're not just calling him and be.

[Ryan Whitney]

So precise about what he's saying all the time. Like on his pod. He has to verbalize it and not because he's going to get. These GMs aren't texting us. If anything like Toronto's suspending you. They're probably like, we have nothing to do with this loser. Yeah, the last regime accidentally sent him an ambisador jacket and we want nothing to do with him. We're. We're a few fucking few more tweets from putting up the restraining order. But I don't know if we really dove into it but a couple clicks for JT John Tavares for taking that hometown discount and take and setting the example. I feel like that's the type of guy who. Who can not only read a room, but when he got the C taken away, he acted like a class act. Did the press conference handed it over in such a classy gesture to Austin. Made it easy on him for that. Probably. I don't even think like he might have been slightly overpaid throughout the contract. But I think based on leadership wise and the fact that it didn't dip off as nearly as much as people thought, I was shocked to see him take that much of a discount. But I'm happy he did. I think he set the example. I think it nice looks stupid if he gets even more greedy than what he got. And I just really think it set the tone and I think it's round of applause for both guys for Toronto keeping those numbers down and giving them an opportunity to hey, maybe they're able if. If they go and they actually do get Brad Marshawn, let's say they give him four times nine. And I know some people think that's absolutely crazy, but they do lock them in. You like you couldn't have dreamed of a better off season for them.

[Jason Greger]

No, I agree and I hate to say it, that's with Marshawn so far. It's definitely a changing of the guard. Looking afar at the Leafs where there. There was zero nickel and diming. That's what every. The Players have bent the team over. Good for them. But they've bent them over for, for a while now. And now it was like, oh my God, like Tavares is taking way less. Nice is no Leafs fan. Thought that would be his number.

[Ryan Whitney]

Number.

[Jason Greger]

Everyone's like, we're looking at over eight, maybe, maybe over nine. At around nine, at least. So that came in. It's like, wow, something different here now. If they don't get Marshawn, they're, they still have to replace a hundred points. So I'm not going to be like jumping over the moon with you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like you're, but you're like, you don't. That's, I don't think that's the way you need to look at it. I think you need to look at it like we have 11 more million dollars that we can address our, our needs with.

[Michael Misa]

But you gotta address them. That's what he's saying. Like getting a Marshawn, you have to address them.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Tavares and Matthews can carry that and Nice can carry that team offensively. But to win, there'd need to be another piece.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, I, Yes. To be a home run this off season for sure. But you still would have that money left going into next year. That team could stay afloat the way it is. And then you have the room to make the moves at the deadline like that.

[Jason Greger]

Yes.

[Ryan Whitney]

So yes. Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

All right. True, true. I, I, I agree right now to see those two deals. I would be fired up if I was you.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

I really would be.

[Ryan Whitney]

Thank you.

[Jason Greger]

We're going to the Quick Hits now. We didn't bring up to Elliott, but after what seems like, I think three years of this or hearing this, John Gibson's been traded from the Ducks. Detroit.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, shit.

[Jason Greger]

Detroit.

[Ryan Whitney]

I still don't believe it.

[Jason Greger]

I know. I mean, how long were people saying this guy was going to get traded?

[Ryan Whitney]

Four years.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. It's like at some point it had to get done. You mentioned the pressure. Stevie Wise, maybe, maybe facing goaltending hasn't been good enough. I don't know. I don't know what type of goalie he still is going to be. Right. Like, I don't know if you're necessarily getting like a true number one. He was in the past, but they had to do something apparently. Like was Elliott saying or I, I heard him say earlier maybe on his part or on a clip that Marasic they basically couldn't, couldn't find. I think he had like no cell phone on him. So it was like taking a While. But you have to think Gibson is fired up to just after all those years of hearing it, move on.

[Ryan Whitney]

You're saying that Marazak was just like, maybe like on a fishing trip with the boys and he just like, wasn't.

[Jason Greger]

There, so we forgot to. I forgot to ask Elliot, I think, I think so. It was like, we're going no phones on this trip. I, I, I, I would love to do that. I think it's way harder than it sounds, but I would love Jesus, let.

[Ryan Whitney]

Jesus take the wheel.

[Jason Greger]

You come back and you're just like, oh, I've been traded to Anaheim. I'm, I'm never bringing my phone anywhere again. This is unbelievable.

[Ryan Whitney]

Isn't that Carrie Underwood?

[Jason Greger]

I'm living in Newport beach now.

[Michael Misa]

Wait, I think, I think if he was, if. Or if Anaheim still considered him like, a true number one, like a guy that can win you a Stanley cup, they probably wouldn't have trade him. So it's got to be one of those things where it's kind of. They've seen enough of it where they're willing to trade them. Obviously, Detroit needs a goalie. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And then, you know, Detroit needs a goalie and, you know, hopefully a change of scenery for him can kind of re. Spark where he is. Because when he came in the league, he was one of those, I think he was a first rounder. Right. We were talking earlier or a high pick anyways, and, and he, I mean, he was the guy for a while that it was like, okay, we got Gibson, you know, you can, you know.

[Jason Greger]

39Th overall. Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Misa]

So, I mean, he got good years, dude.

[Jason Greger]

He, I mean.

[Michael Misa]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Greger]

15, 16, 16, 17, 17, 18. He's 929, 24, 926 goals against. 207, 222, 243. Things have changed a little. So that's where the numbers have. But the team's that much worse.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

So, I mean, a lot to prove. He's only 31, so, I mean. Yeah, I like it. I'm happy for him. Biz, your guy, Cole Giroux resigned in Ottawa.

[Ryan Whitney]

No brainer.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, I know.

[Ryan Whitney]

There were kind of seeing these old, like, like Jamie, Ben, like, you know, jt, like, yeah, I, I like seeing that. I don't want to see those guys in different jerseys. I feel like, you know, Claudia is from there.

[Michael Misa]

And how happy are the sticky bandits in Ottawa who keep stealing his car that he stayed? They're just, like, licking their chops outside of his house from.

[Jason Greger]

We got nine more cars.

[Ryan Whitney]

We should open up Our own dealership. This guy's a money maker. If I was him, just to spite him, I'd be driving around like a 1985 station wagon with the wood.

[Jason Greger]

That's what you do anyways, though, not despite anyone.

[Ryan Whitney]

If I were him, I would do what I do.

[Jason Greger]

Oh, that's fair. That's fair. Yeah. I mean you mentioned the Jamie Ben one. It's, they can make a ton in bonuses similar to Taves, I think, I don't think they could make that much. But, but I mean I, I, I think if Jamie Ben wanted to stay in Dallas, it would be something like that. I'm sure Drew would have had a lot of options. But yeah, where they made the playoffs, they finally got, you know, over that hurdle. He's from there. That made total sense to me. The Oilers boys, Trent Frederick, monster deal, 3.85 a year, 8 year contract. Maybe one of the no because it can happen this year but will be one of the few last eight year contracts we see in quite some time. But yeah. Biz, you're shaking your head a little bit if he was hurt when he got over there, okay.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, I'm not, I, I, I was just kind of shaking it where getting ready to say this is one that could be a major, major hometown discount or like you know, just a guy where you, you're at a number where let's say he becomes a 10 goal, 10 assist, you know, third, fourth liner where you're not really catching much heat in the newspaper. So I feel like it's a good number. But I feel like this is also could turn into like a Wayne Simmons type deal where you're looking in years four through eight like, oh my God, I might have left like 20 total throughout the course of the deal on the table.

[Jason Greger]

Thinks oh, so you all right. So you think I don't know, man.

[Ryan Whitney]

If you're a 15 and 15 guy, four years from now, you're probably making six, six million bucks. Seven million bucks.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. And he had back to back 17, 18 goals years and he adds in like he'll run you over in a fight.

[Ryan Whitney]

That's what I mean.

[Jason Greger]

That's why I, I kind of thought you were going to take it almost as like what's this deal? But I, I like it, I like it.

[Ryan Whitney]

I would love it. As a fan, I think there's a no, it's a no risk situation. As a fan, I feel like you're buying extremely low on the fact that he had a tough playoff due to his injury. But my understanding is If Boston would have offered him eight years at 4 million, he would have taken it. So I was a little shocked that Boston didn't see him at. I think they would have done a shorter term deal is what I heard. Where he seems like a type of guy you would want to make part of your extended core especially at a team friendly deal at $4 million. He's put up those goal amounts that you said and, and like, like. Yeah, I don't know. I, I found it weird that they would get rid of that asset for that long a term. Do you guys agree?

[Jason Greger]

Yes.

[Michael Misa]

And he just seems like a Bruins type of player.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Michael Misa]

Like what they've kind of built on. But yeah, I don't know. I'm happy for him. Gets you know, some security long term deal especially for those type of players too. Usually don't see those eight, eight year deals. So definitely happy for him and like you guys said as a fan, so you got to be happy.

[Jason Greger]

Talk about being happy for a guy. He came on during a stream. I think it was a Colorado Dallas game. But Connor Garland, buddy gets a bag six times six. Ever since he's gone to Vancouver like that was just a different style, different player than, than we saw. And I think he told us about his minutes being decreased in. In. Was it he was in Phoenix. Correct. Right before that.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah.

[Jason Greger]

Goes to Vancouver and that's a guy who you want on your team. Like I love watching him play. Way better offensively than you think. Will also just be in like a dirt dog. He's always in the mix. Six times six. I thought that was fair for him and the team.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah. Unreal. Couldn't be happy for him. And you know like, like we were talking about earlier about man Japani like those, those small guys that get in the dirty areas and fight for goals like a Brandon Gallagher and, and they're tough to come by and you need them on your team. And he's found a place in Vancouver where he seems to be happy. He's a, you know like we, we know him. He's a rink rat like always at the rink. He's always going to be working on himself, getting better every single summer. So great deal for him. Couldn't be more happy.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, they need a little stability there. Apparently he's good buddies with Quinn Hughes. The lock. The guys in the locker room love him as the cap goes up. He's making 5% now of the cap. I believe as his new deal kicks in It'll be about 5% too. And he competes. That's it. I have no problem. When you pay a guy who competes night in, night out, he gets an opponent's faces, he draws penalties, he can score, he can make plays, he forechecks and. Yeah, and I think he's been a great Vancouver Canuck. And to see where it went a few years ago where it sounded like he was requesting a trade to now he's being extended for another amount of time. It's. It's pretty cool. Great turnaround. And man, when it's all said and done, he would have made some pretty good money. Probably 70 million by the time he's done.

[Jason Greger]

Like Keith. Like Keith sitting on that beautiful coach in Nantucket. Laugh. Laughing at all of us. Well, particularly you, because you might get suspended by the league for tampering your favorite team and lose your jacket.

[Michael Misa]

But the jacket's already.

[Ryan Whitney]

Should I just send the jacket back to prove that?

[Jason Greger]

Yeah, yeah, put it in a nice.

[Michael Misa]

I don't even think they want it. Just throw it out.

[Ryan Whitney]

You know who I might send it to? Is hockey Illuminati.

[Michael Misa]

No, no.

[Ryan Whitney]

What do you mean? I sent it to him as a gift.

[Michael Misa]

I mean, it's a ambassador's jacket to an original six franchise. You can't just be sending. You're lucky you got it. You can't be sending it to somebody else.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, where should I send it?

[Michael Misa]

Either back to them or to the trash can and never to be seen again.

[Jason Greger]

To Toronto. To the. To the offices of the Toronto Maple Leafs and say, I'm sorry I even took this in the first place. Hang it back up, give it to somebody who really deserves it. And then from there you're kind of. You're. You're scotch free. You're out of here.

[Ryan Whitney]

How about this? How about, how about we ask the.

[Michael Misa]

Fans, is it Scotch free or Scot free?

[Jason Greger]

I think I just said scotch. I. I couldn't. It's definitely Scott.

[Michael Misa]

Like the. Yeah, okay.

[Jason Greger]

Definitely Scott. Maybe scotch is on my mind thinking.

[Ryan Whitney]

About it with you. Let's ask the fans. Let's do a Twitter poll. Do I keep the jacket? Do I give it back to the Leafs? Do I give it to hockey Illuminati or option? Option. Like what it would be? D. What would be like other.

[Jason Greger]

Sell it. Sell it. You know what's funny is picturing him. They're like, you want to pay for overnight? He's like, how much is that? They're like 85 bucks. He's like, I'll go with like the two week delivery, please.

[Michael Misa]

Oh, he's. He's Billed to sender. He's billed to sender. Like they're going to get a bill when they receive that jacket. He ain't paying for the.

[Jason Greger]

For the federal bill to sender would be him, though. He's the sender.

[Michael Misa]

Bill, yeah. Bill to whatever it is, boys, I.

[Jason Greger]

Think we can wrap it up. We are. We have to mention cup final vlog. If you haven't seen it yet, it's unbelievable.

[Ryan Whitney]

I get that was my favorite vlog of all time.

[Jason Greger]

That vlog was so Whit.

[Michael Misa]

Being in fandom.

[Jason Greger]

What?

[Michael Misa]

Like, just seeing you in true fandom mode was fun as. But the guy that you were given the high fives to, and then he was. He had a Panthers jersey on or whatever it was.

[Jason Greger]

Oh, the guy that was rooting for the Oilers with the Panthers jersey on.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, yeah. And then when.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then he's like, no, no, no.

[Michael Misa]

I'm rooting for the Oilers. Whatever. He was. And he was high fiving you all game. And then when they scored to tie it up at after you guys mouth kissed, he's the one I gave the big high five to. So he didn't know who he was rooting for.

[Jason Greger]

That guy was beautiful. No, he was saying he wanted good hockey. He didn't want a blowout. He wanted good hockey. And I was like, all right, yeah, But I know if we do tie this thing up, then I'm your enemy again.

[Michael Misa]

Sure.

[Jason Greger]

As he went back to. I was like, this guy's nuts. He was just with me the whole second period. But seeing and seeing Jesse say the like, we're going back two, two, hopefully. And then you just leaned on.

[Ryan Whitney]

He said, hopefully.

[Jason Greger]

He did say hopefully. He didn't lead off. He said. He. He then was like yelling. I said, I hope we go back two, two. And I was like, what do you say? I'm walking around.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It was the high five.

[Jason Greger]

Such a rat. I didn't even hear him at the time say, how about that gold boy Reinhardt? Like, And. And I was. But he was following me around, like, asking me questions, and I'm like, what did he say? I thought I heard. Hopefully. He's like, I don't know, man. I don't think he said anything. But that was just.

[Ryan Whitney]

I mean, seeing that more embarrassing fan mode than anything I did all season.

[Jason Greger]

Long, seeing how I was acting was the most cringe thing I've ever watched in my life.

[Ryan Whitney]

That might have been worse than me lighting candles before Game 7 for the. No, no.

[Michael Misa]

You did that on national television.

[Jason Greger]

Yeah. People can choose to watch the vlog.

[Michael Misa]

People can choose to watch the vlog. You.

[Ryan Whitney]

You.

[Michael Misa]

We had to watch you do that. It was disgusting behavior.

[Jason Greger]

Exactly. That's a great way to put it if you want to watch the broadcast. You had to watch you looking like an altar boy bending over for the leaves to only get bent over by the leaves. And. And like.

[Michael Misa]

Look at the light shining in on him too.

[Jason Greger]

Move your head over to the right.

[Biz Nasty]

A little.

[Ryan Whitney]

Marshawn has risen.

[Jason Greger]

Hey, listen. I still was not cringy watching myself after they won game four, though, because you could see. I mean, it was 30 minutes of getting tortured by fans after game three. And so after game four, I was. I didn't care how I looked there, waving goodbye to everyone. One guy mooned me.

[Ryan Whitney]

Giving it to you. And about the pre. Sally into the bathroom, like, pot it was. Who edited that? Pasha.

[Jason Greger]

I don't know if it was fishy or pod.

[Ryan Whitney]

Between Pasha and fishy, we got the two best editors in the world.

[Jason Greger]

That was so funny. And. And honestly, like, that kid Nikki smokes. I remember when he got back onto the van after Game 3, and I was just said, get shotgun. Get shotgun. Like, I was like, I. I've never. I haven't wanted to punch somebody like that, maybe in my life.

[Michael Misa]

Like, then he was just standing, looking back the entire time and then.

[Jason Greger]

But I. Well, it was, you know, good for him. He. Yeah, he got on top again, but I was like, get this kid. I can't. And then G had an invite. I was like, why are we even inviting him on this bus? Like, I can't deal with this kid anymore. So. Real prick. Real prick. But he is team one. His team won. But a great vlog. Go check it out on our YouTube channel biz. 414,000, 000 subscribers.

[Ryan Whitney]

Wow. We just hit 4 14. It was 413 when we. When we showed up today. But by the time this podcast drops.

[Jason Greger]

Once or twice a day, just Jason Greger and he leaned over to me at the Ryder cup. He's like, YouTube's popping right now. YouTube's popping, popping. He's always checking. He knows what's up.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think more and more people are watching and listening to our podcast on YouTube. And that's a testament to. To Fishy G and all the boys behind the scenes getting it done. I said this in the group text too, and I. I also mentioned it last podcast or two podcasts ago. Like, the job that Game Notes has done, like, where they've brought in their game, their chemistry, like, the. The different elements of the game that they cover, whether it's draft, whether it's the ncaa. It's just been awesome to add to our team with beauties. So congrats to them. They had their final episode of the season last week and that was the draft extravaganza. So some much deserved off time for them. I mean it must be exhausting for Merle's inventing literally everything all the time.

[Jason Greger]

But there's rumors that he started the, the offer sheet stuff. There's, there's now rumors going around that Merle's invented offer sheets becoming a thing again.

[Ryan Whitney]

You know what I think he did start the ball on though? Was not Drafting defenseman under 6 foot.

[Jason Greger]

Small D because that he invented big D. And that's it.

[Michael Misa]

He's a Swedish guy. He might invented not taking any fins in the first round.

[Biz Nasty]

What?

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, what?

[Ryan Whitney]

Merles. God. I think might start a cold war.

[Jason Greger]

Merles is in the middle of that midsummer in, in. In northern Sweden. Right. Like he is. I mean, I think it's light out till three in the morning.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think you sent us a buffet that he was having I think at his place and he was trying to brag.

[Jason Greger]

I think he wasn't bragging.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know if I would have eaten one thing off this buffet that he had.

[Jason Greger]

That's such a slap in his face to his wife and all family members that made that.

[Michael Misa]

It was a slap in the face that he sent that picture. I wanted to. I haven't eaten since.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, me neither.

[Jason Greger]

But Merle's will eat anything. He invented food.

[Michael Misa]

Yeah, he really did.

[Jason Greger]

It's sick.

[Ryan Whitney]

What a guy.

[Jason Greger]

The game notes guys are the best. All right boys, we will see you next week. We'll be wrapping up free agency. Anything we missed, any big signings. Thank you so much for listening everyone. Have a great Canada Day and have a great fourth of July. Best time of the summer right here.

[Ryan Whitney]

Our home and native land. That's all I know. Oh. Even if not, golf season is in full swing and getting out there to work on your game is bound to make any day even better. And if you're looking to improve your drive, Chevy Equinox EV is the smartest choice you can make. Bold athletic styling, a commanding presence, award winning tech, and impressive range, all with an affordable msrp. Chevy Equinox EV will put a smile on your face no matter how your scorecard shakes out.