Podcast Summary: The Athletic Hockey Show

Episode: Did the Jets overpay for Kyle Connor?
Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Sean Gentile, Sean McIndoo, Frankie Corrado

Overview

This episode dives into two big NHL contract stories: the Winnipeg Jets’ record-setting extension for Kyle Connor and the broader implications of star players like Connor McDavid taking ‘hometown discounts’ in a rising salary cap era. The panel also recaps opening night NHL action, weighs in on prospects like Ben Kindel and Connor Bedard, and debates emerging storylines such as the Florida Panthers’ new role as NHL villains and evolving salary structure league-wide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Podcast’s New Era: Video Launch & Banter

• The show moves into a new video format, prompting light-hearted tech banter and jokes about personal grooming, tech support, and gambling with AI (02:06–05:04).

  “If people aren’t hitting the thumbs up on this, I am gonna—I will come to your house and hit it for you.”
  — Sean McIndoo (03:11)

2. Opening Night NHL Recap

• Focused on the Rangers’ sluggish home opener against Pittsburgh (07:39–10:55).

• Genuine concern for the Rangers’ energy and motivation, despite a nominally easy matchup.

• Discussion of Penguins' youth movement and notable debuts (Ben Kindel, Harrison Bruinick) with high praise for new coach Dan Muse's classy lineup choices.

  “You never forget your first NHL game, your first NHL shift, but for those kids to be able to do it and look next to them and see Hall of Famers and legends of the game at MSG—that is one of the coolest starting lineup moments...”
  — Frankie Corrado (11:02)

3. Prospect Focus: Ben Kindel & Penguins’ Youth

• Ben Kindel’s immediate impact and why expectations may need recalibrating after strong preseason and NHL debut.

• Mention of world junior team panic over so many eligible prospects being NHL regulars already.

• Comparisons to other top picks and praise for Kindel’s intelligence and seamless adaptation.

  “He’s smart enough, fast enough, crafty enough to be able to play … he’s surpassed expectations at this point for sure.”
  — Frankie Corrado (13:44)

4. Main Event: Kyle Connor’s $12M Extension – Did the Jets Overpay?

(15:01–20:06)

• Connor signs an 8-year, $96M deal ($12M AAV), the richest in Jets history—but far above current teammates’ deals (Scheifele, Hellebuyck, Morrissey).

• Corrado: No-brainer move—the Jets are in a win-now window and need Connor as their best player and line driver.

• McIndoo: It’s “a little rich” but justified by ‘Winnipeg Tax’ and the club’s necessity to secure foundational talent.

• All acknowledge that rising salary cap means old benchmarks for star contracts no longer apply.

  "He deserves every penny of it."
  — Frankie Corrado (17:11)

  "You gotta... When you know you're not a super desirable destination... you got to get it done."
  — Sean McIndoo (17:11)

  "We need to recalibrate... what a $12 million player looks like and recalibrate it moving forward."
  — Sean Gentile (18:41)

• Discussion of salary inflation, percentage-of-cap as the new mental model, and greater willingness for teams to offer signing bonuses and no-movement clauses.

  "Now that there's more money at play and everyone's flush, go get that bag. And everyone else is going to go do it too..."
  — Frankie Corrado (20:06)

5. The Broader Salary Cap Context & Star Player ‘Discount’ Contracts

(26:56–39:47)

• Examined Connor McDavid’s recent deal: taking less than market maximum to give the Oilers flexibility.

• Corrado labels McDavid “the King Clancy winner on night one… professional hockey player slash philanthropist for what you’ve done for Edmonton”.

• Intense pressure now on Oilers management—if they cannot build a Cup winner with McDavid (and Draisaitl) at these numbers, the front office will bear the blame.

• Discussion of comparable contracts in the NHL and other sports, and the unique loyalty/bargain McDavid is offering.

• Debate over whether it’s fair or necessary for stars to leave money on the table to help teams win:

  “I don’t love the narrative that star players have to leave so much money on the table... they deserve to get their market value.”
  — Frankie Corrado (23:09)

• Notes that, unlike Crosby, Brady, Durant, etc., McDavid is giving this discount to a franchise with no proven track record of maximizing such advantages.

  “The Oilers have failed that... Over the course of Connor McDavid’s career, nobody affiliated with that organization has given him any reason to do what he just did.”
  — Sean Gentile (34:59)

6. Oilers’ Next Steps & Stanley Cup Window

• Three keys for Edmonton’s Cup chances:
  1. Decisive goaltending upgrade, if needed. (32:04)
  2. Adding another defense anchor alongside/after Matthias Ekholm.
  3. Improving the middle-six forward group for secondary scoring.
• If they fail in the next three years, “no middle ground—they’ll be the great failures or triumphs of the NHL” (34:44).

7. Player Value, Cap Percentages, and League Economic Health

• Corrado: It’s all about percentage-of-cap, not just dollar values, now that the cap is rising and league health is strong.
• Escrow payments down to zero—"league's in a really good financial place" (20:06).
• Greater willingness and ability for both stars and lower-tier players to “get the bag.”

8. Rising Stars: Connor Bedard’s Trajectory

• Bedard’s Year 3: Still projecting to be a superstar, but ‘generational’ status may be premature.
• Using Nathan MacKinnon as a comparison—took a few years and a key running mate (Rantanen) to break through.
• Chicago’s ultra-patient rebuild may be limiting Bedard’s ability to shine and develop; need to decide if he needs puck-transport partners (Brayden Point vs. Nikita Kucherov analogy) (45:30).
• Consensus: If Bedard hovers around point-per-game, that's decent enough for now, but time is ticking for Chicago to find him help.

9. Around the League: Panthers as Villains, LTI Clarifications

(50:20–58:13)

• Panthers are fully embracing the league’s villain role after cup win (“We apologize to no one”)—hosts hope they remain lovable/believable “heels” and not step into self-parody.
• Alex Pietrangelo’s confirmed season-long injury and the clarification of the new LTI rule: clubs must declare players out all year for full cap relief.
• Reminder that successful teams will still find new loopholes, but now fans need to “update their lists of complaints” as rules evolve.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "If people aren't hitting the thumbs up on this, I am gonna—I will come to your house and hit it for you."
  Sean McIndoo, 03:11

• “You never forget your first NHL game, your first NHL shift... that was incredibly classy by Dan Muse.”
  Frankie Corrado, 11:02

• “He deserves every penny of it.”
  Frankie Corrado on Kyle Connor, 17:11

• “You gotta... get it done. This was reasonable. This was in the range.”
  Sean McIndoo, 17:11

• "We need to recalibrate how we think about these players... what a $12 million player looks like and recalibrate it moving forward."
  Sean Gentile, 18:41

• “Now that there's more money at play and everyone's flush, go get that bag.”
  Frankie Corrado, 20:06

• “If it doesn’t work... Connor McDavid at this point has not just every right ... to say, 'I want out.'”
  Sean McIndoo, 30:34

• “With first overall picks like Connor McDavid has lived up to the hype. He's held up his end of the bargain.”
  Frankie Corrado, 39:47

• “Do you owe him [Bedard] at some point to say: we're gonna put some guys around you... to show what you can do?”
  Sean McIndoo, 41:08

Important Segment Timestamps

• Video era, tech/gambling banter: 02:06–05:04
• Rangers–Penguins opening night recap / Pittsburgh’s youth: 07:39–13:44
• Kyle Connor contract deep dive: 15:01–20:06
• Oilers, McDavid, Draisaitl, salary context: 26:56–39:47
• Bedard, prospect expectations: 39:47–47:03
• Panthers as villains, LTI explainer: 50:20–58:13

Tone and Originality

The tone is conversational yet sharp, with a blend of humor, insider insight, and mid-level snark typical of The Athletic’s hockey coverage. The hosts balance analytics, league economics, and locker-room perspectives. Frankie Corrado adds the player’s view; Gentile steers the discussion; McIndoo peppers in dry humor and historical context.

Useful for Listeners Who Missed the Show

• This episode is a must-hear for insight on mega-contracts, evolving player value in a new salary cap era, and what teams like the Jets and Oilers must do to avoid wasting superstar primes.
• The panel is bullish on Connor’s value in context, critical of franchises that bank on player goodwill, and realistic about the slow build required for prospects in struggling teams.
• Fun, timely breakdowns of opening night storylines and an early look at how bigger contracts could reshape the league’s economics—helpful for both hardcore and casual NHL fans.