Podcast Summary: The Athletic Hockey Show

Episode: Bedard, Celebrini, Carlsson – the NHL’s New Superstars Have Arrived
Date: November 10, 2025
Hosts/Guests: Max Boltman, Mark Lazarus, Jesse Granger, Jeremy Rutherford, Peter Baugh

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights the explosive arrival of the NHL’s youth movement, focusing on the meteoric rise of young stars Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Leo Carlsson. The panel examines not only their individual brilliance, but how these players are transforming their respective franchises and reshaping the competitive landscape of the league. The latter half pivots to the struggles of the St. Louis Blues, broader trends in the Metro Division, and the performance of top East teams.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The NHL’s Youth Movement: Bedard, Celebrini, Carlsson (02:16 – 10:54)

Main Talking Points:

• Remarkable Point Streaks:
  • Celebrini: 10-game point streak (9G, 10A)
  • Carlsson: 9-game point streak (6G, 11A)
  • Bedard: 8-game point streak (7G, 11A)
• All three now lead the NHL in scoring, evidencing a true arrival into superstardom.

Speaker Highlights:

• Jesse Granger (02:42):
  “Celebrity is on a 10-game point streak… Leo Carlsson is on a nine-game point streak... Bedard is on an eight-game point streak. They are just utterly dominant right now.”

• Importance of Two-Way Play:
  These stars are excelling in all zones and making significant impacts on both ends of the ice.

• Max Boltman (05:44):
  “Bedard now is a guy that you’re noticing almost every time he’s on the ice. And that is the difference. And that’s the step that he’s made.”

• Bedard’s Defensive Growth:
  Now known as a plus-50 player, a far cry from his -100 seasons, signaling well-rounded growth.

• Jesse Granger (06:28):
  “All he [Jeff Blashill] keeps talking about is how Connor Bedard is playing winning hockey. And all three of these guys are doing it.”

• Analytics & Overperformance:
  Despite modest expected goal (XG) stats, these players far exceed their metrics—a trait reminiscent of past greats like Patrick Kane.

• Changing Team Fortunes:
  The emergence of these stars coincides with the improved success of their teams:

  • Anaheim Ducks look legit
  • San Jose and Chicago see marked improvement

  Jesse Granger (03:48):
  “What's most exciting...is their teams are winning. In the NHL, it is the hardest to improve. I am more so pumped that the Ducks look legit... The youth movement and maybe a shift in the landscape of the NHL has made the beginning of this season so exciting.”

2. The St. Louis Blues’ Frustrations and Structural Woes (13:48 – 28:20)

Key Segments:

• Blues’ Unexpected Struggles:
  The Blues’ hoped-for step forward hasn’t materialized. After last year’s momentum post-Four Nations, the team is backsliding.

• Jeremy Rutherford (14:17):
  “Everything that I just mentioned as a possible strength for this team coming in, it’s been the exact opposite.”

• Underlying Numbers vs. On-Ice Results:

  • Strong shot suppression/top-10 in league, but worst goals against (3.88 GA/game)
  • Example: “Torpchenko, in nine games has a 52% expected goal share. The Blues have been outscored 8 to 1 with him on the ice.” (Jesse Granger, 15:41)

• Goaltending Collapse:
  Despite high pre-season hope (Bennington and Hofer highly rated), both have stumbled badly. Team SV% is a dismal .862 (31st in NHL).

• Debate Over Solution:

  • Should they pick a No. 1 starter or keep rotating?
  • Both need a ‘reset’; team defense and lack of connectedness blamed.

• Trade & Youth Fallout:

  • The Logan Mailloux trade cost the Blues key young wing depth (Zach Bolduc) and Mailloux was just demoted.

• Healthy Scratch Shock:

  • Jordan Kyrou, second on the team in goals, was a surprising healthy scratch to send a message about fulfilling roles and consistency.

  Jeremy Rutherford (26:26): “If they're not performing those traits then that's what we're missing. And that guy needs to realize...what [Montgomery] said was that [Kyrou] creates anxiety with his skating for the opposition...and he wasn’t doing that.”

3. State of the Central and Organizational Panic (21:24 – 24:11)

• The Blues were expected to safely be Playoff contenders behind division juggernauts; instead, Utah, Chicago, and others are closing ground.
• GM Doug Armstrong expected to address the core and tough decisions are looming.

4. Metro Division Drama: Rangers, Islanders, Capitals, Penguins, Flyers (29:28 – 48:50)

The New York Rangers

• Inconsistent home/away play

• Underperformance of key scorers (Panarin, Miller)

• Improved defensive structure under new coach Mike Sullivan

• “This is a team that is really struggling to finish…” – Mark Lazarus (30:37)

• Need for offensive spark—Gabe Perot called up

Other Metro Storylines

• Islanders:
  Bo Horvat is taking true #1 C steps; Ilya Sorokin rebounding. Darsch must choose between building or selling at the deadline.

• Washington Capitals:
  Strong underlying numbers, but regression might loom if last year’s career-best performances cool off.

• Penguins:
  Still enigmatic; top players producing, but goaltending is a huge question mark for sustainability.

  Jesse Granger (41:35):
  “I have no idea what to make of these guys…their goaltending has been good so far, but I’ve learned better than to bet against Sidney Crosby at this point.”

• Philadelphia Flyers:
  Surprising competitiveness with Zegras, Mitchkov; but overall talent/goalie issues may catch up.

Big Metro Questions

• Will the Devils or Carolina Hurricanes be the true alpha?

• Panel splits on who has better Cup chances; doubts persist about Carolina’s style adapting to playoff series.

  Jesse Granger (44:42):
  “To win New Jersey then. Until Carolina proves it…I'm going to put my chips behind Jack Hughes…”

• Hurricanes’ improved roster depth and system are lauded, but playoff adaptability is still in question.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jesse Granger on NHL's young stars (02:42):
  “They are just utterly dominant right now…All of these guys are taking the leap into superstardom at the exact same time.”

• Max Boltman on Bedard’s transforming game (05:44):
  “Bedard now is a guy that you’re noticing almost every time he’s on the ice. And that is the difference.”

• Jesse Granger’s analytics caution (06:28):
  “Their analytics are still a little ghastly…But these are guys that are overperforming their numbers and are capable of that.”

• Jeremy Rutherford on the Blues (14:17):
  “Everything…has been the exact opposite…[St. Louis] has been just one difficult loss and one tough situation after the other for the blues.”

• On the Flyers exceeding expectations (43:47):
  “They’re not going to be good enough to beat any good teams, but they’re a pain in the ass to play.”

• Metro Division parity summed up by Mark Lazarus (36:55):
  “There are just a lot of spots up for grabs in the East. How many teams do you guys think are, are true?…five or six. And that leaves a lot of spots up for grabs.”

Important Timestamps

• 02:16 – Main show starts: Youth movement/Bédard, Celebrini, Carlsson
• 03:42 – Carlsson’s Vegas performance and Ducks' legitimacy
• 06:19 – Discussion of “winning hockey”
• 08:45 – Early Hart trophy odds on emerging stars
• 09:09 – New blood revitalizing old franchises
• 10:21 – Anticipating years of Bedard/Celebrini/Carlsson dominance
• 13:48–28:20 – Deep dive: St. Louis Blues’ troubled season with Jeremy Rutherford
• 24:35 – Fallout from Zach Bolduc – Logan Mailloux trade
• 26:26 – Surprising healthy scratch for Jordan Kyrou
• 29:28 – Switching to Metro Division: Rangers’ scoring drought, defensive structure
• 36:26 – Islanders’ possible trade deadline fork in the road
• 38:45 – Capitals: Regression candidates
• 41:35 – Penguins: Enigma, scoring, goaltending
• 43:47 – Flyers as overachievers under Rick Tocchet
• 44:37–46:57 – Devils vs. Hurricanes: Who’s real?
• 48:50–End – Wrap-up and final playoff picks

Tone and Style

The hosts maintain an energetic, data-driven, and conversational tone. Playful banter is mixed with deep statistical analysis and sharp panelist quips. Nuanced opinions, skepticism, and fan-centric excitement weave through the show, making it both informative and entertaining.

Summary

This episode delivers a wide-ranging discussion on how young phenoms are reshaping the NHL hierarchy, the difficult (and sometimes inexplicable) Blues collapse, and how the broad parity in the Metro Division is offering opportunities for new contenders. The talk is loaded with stats, stories, and skepticism, ideal for fans trying to get a pulse on the league leaders, underdog stories, and which teams might break through as the season unfolds.