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- [00:00]
Commercial Narrator
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- [00:09]
Sean Gentili
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Sean McIndoo
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Sean McIndoo
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- [01:22]
Sean McIndoo
foreign.
- [01:33]
Frank Corrado
This is the Athletic Hockey Show. What up?
- [01:48]
Sean Gentili
What up? This is the Athletic Hockey show. It is May 20, 2026. I am Sean Gentili. I am here as I tend to be with Sean McIndoo and Frank Corrado. Today on the show, we're going to talk final four. We're going to talk Adam Foote, I would imagine just talk about the various, the various dealings of the Vegas Golden Knights because it's been an interesting couple days for them, as it always tends to be. But first, boys. Hello. How are we?
- [02:17]
Sean McIndoo
We're good, man. What. How we feeling about the grind of the playoffs? Gentil, you're back on the road.
- [02:22]
Sean Gentili
Yeah.
- [02:23]
Sean McIndoo
Collecting those free breakfasts.
- [02:25]
Sean Gentili
Yeah, I'm, you know, it, it really is. I've, I've said this before, but in terms of physical exertion and, you know, pushing through exhaustion, it's, it really is. The plight of a, the plight of a media guy is pretty similar. I, I would imagine this is how, you know, Alex Newhook feels right now or something. Probably, Probably. Probably pretty close.
- [02:45]
Sean McIndoo
You need a sports science department.
- [02:47]
Frank Corrado
Are we going to get to the end of the playoff and like, only then will we find out what you were dealing with. Like, will you just release it all? Be like, I had a blister.
- [02:56]
Sean Gentili
It's some, some minor, minor gastro issues caused by eating, you know, free scrambled eggs for not having Consistent days.
- [03:04]
Frank Corrado
Six weeks. Yeah.
- [03:06]
Sean Gentili
Powered through the lounge at the Raleigh Sheridan being closed earlier than they said it would be. It's fine. We all have things that we're dealing with.
- [03:15]
Sean McIndoo
As soon as you talk about those powdered eggs that you get, like, I could taste it in my mouth, and it's not. It's not something you want to taste.
- [03:22]
Sean Gentili
It's so rough. I could. Whenever all this is over, I could have a comprehensive review of all. Of all the free breakfasts I've eaten over the course. Over the course of the three or four rounds or whatever it turns out to be.
- [03:33]
Sean McIndoo
Hey, you're getting free breakfast. And I bet you, you know who's not paying for a meal in Montreal anytime soon.
- [03:40]
Sean Gentili
Look at him go. That is it to me.
- [03:42]
Sean McIndoo
Who is it?
- [03:43]
Sean Gentili
Grade A Corrado Segway, baby. He's in. He's in. He's in. Con Smythe form Alex New Hook, man. Let's. Let's start with that, because I know, I know it happened on Monday night, but we haven't talked, so who cares? I. There were signs that someone like Alex New Hook, maybe Alex New Hook specifically, was gonna. Was gonna be the guy. Like, like, you know what I mean? Like, I, I, It's. It was. It's a weird. It's been a weird run for him. He's. He's not any kind of, you know, hasn't been a reliable offensive producer over the course of his career, let's say. But they were gonna need someone like that to step up, and it was him. So how surprised are we, you know, that. That he was the guy, on a scale of 1 to 10, because it was always going to be somebody.
- [04:28]
Sean McIndoo
I'm probably like a six and a half or a seven.
- [04:32]
Sean Gentili
That sounds right.
- [04:33]
Sean McIndoo
Okay, but. But keep in mind, like, Alex Newhook is an important player for them because after the Big four up front with Suzuki, Slavkovsky, Caulfield and Demidoff, who's the next best forward? I mean, it is Alex.
- [04:46]
Sean Gentili
Is it him?
- [04:47]
Sean McIndoo
Yeah, I think it is. It could be Kirby. Dock it at times has been Kirby, Doc, but, like, on paper, today, it's Alex Newhook. And, like, he got off to the best offensive start of his career this season before he had a really nasty fractured ankle in a game back in November where he goes hard into the boards. He misses five months, and when he came back, you watched him skate, and you're like, he's lost his superpower a little bit. Because if Alex Newhook can do anything, it's fly around the ice and in the playoffs he's found that and he's found some goal scoring touch and he's just like, he's overcome a lot this season with the, with the injury and for me he's an important player on that team. He's at the top of the next tier of forwards within that group.
- [05:35]
Frank Corrado
He is. But let's keep in mind this is a guy who's never had 20 goals. He's never had 40 points. Yeah, he was on pace, you know, this year. If he hadn't been hurt, maybe this would have been the year. But there really is no track record of dominance here. He's been a good, he's a valid NHL player that any good team can find a spot in the lineup for. But in the last, in the last month of the playoff run, but certainly in that Sabre series, he just elevated and became something else. And, and maybe that's may. Sometimes you see this and it's somebody announcing that they've arrived at the next level and they, and they stay there. And sometimes it's just this guy had a two week hot streak at the absolute best time. And ultimately right now, if you're a hats fan, you don't care either way because like Frankie said, you're lining up to buy him a meal, buy him a pop and you know, you, you don't care if this is, you know, there's no, there's no real or not real or you know, any of that stuff in the playoffs. Somebody's gonna get it done.
- [06:45]
Sean Gentili
It happened like it happened. He got his bank told us. Yeah, I, because they, because they needed it too. Like the suzuki line at 5 on 5, you know, getting caved in a little bit. Right. And they're 9, 3. They're, they're, you know, they're winning. New hooks minutes 9 to 3, 57 expected goal share like these, this is necessary stuff given the Suzuki, Caulfield and Slafkovsky have had, have had it five on five. Which, and that's, and it's funny, it's, it's a reverse of what made Montreal and this is the biggest reason to believe in them I think against Carolina is that they're winning games, you know, with guys stepping up in a way that they didn't during the regular season. And I know New Hook had been, had been good at points but like this was a team that was fueled by the Suzuki line and that they've been bad, they've lost, they've lost their minutes and, and like dramatically any way you want to Slice it. So if they were going to make it to this point with those guys playing the way that they've played, it was going to take the. The new hooks in, in the Demi Doves in the, you know, Jake Evans, like that, that layer, that next layer production was gonna have Bullduke, obviously, that those guys are gonna have to step
- [07:56]
Sean McIndoo
up at some point and. Okay, so you know what's funny, like calling all their games or a lot of their games this season, there was two kind of roster flaws that you saw. It was the goaltending was a huge issue. And you know, they had a point in the season where both Dobish and Monte Bow get pulled in the same game and they call up Jacob Fowler in a bit of a panic mood move after because they don't think those two guys can get it done. Well, now Dovish is playing lights out and then, you know, as far as the way the roster was constructed, like, they had a print of a gaping, like pretty much a gaping hole in the middle six where they. They lacked a true, like number two center. And Doc was either like injured or not playing great. Bull Duke went really quiet for a long period of time. New hook was hurt. And so that takes a lot away from your middle six. Well, now Dovish is playing great. Middle six has the right guys there and. And it looks and feels different. And they've overcome their top line. Let's call it for what it is. Their top line's been getting caved in at 5 on 5, 8 to 1,
- [09:05]
Sean Gentili
8 to 1, outscored 43% expected goal share. Like, this is not. Like we're at the point now where, you know, you feel good if you're Montreal, that you've made it this far with those guys playing the way that they have. But it's gonna. It's gonna have to change. Like congrats to the second line for, for floating them right like that. That's a necessary bit of business. But if that keeps going against Carolina, they're going to have a bad time. Like these shift.
- [09:31]
Frank Corrado
This is. This is the, the glass half full, half empty thing that we can do for a lot of teams at this time of year. Once you've. You've made it through the first line for Montreal has not been good. So how do you want to look at that? You can look at it and say, if these guys aren't fully on their game against Carolina, forget it. You're not going to be able to get by a team as good as the Hurricanes without those guys going that's the pessimist view. The optimist view is, hey, man, first line hasn't really even shown up at even strength, at least in the playoffs yet. And we're already two rounds in. We've already beat a couple of real good teams. What's going to happen? Like, guys like that, lines that are that good with players that good don't typically go cold for two straight months. They're going to get, they're going to warm up eventually. And, and the interesting thing is you can kind of, to a lesser extent, but you can kind of tell the same story in Carolina where the first, you know, a hole and that like, they're, they've been okay. They're not putting up great numbers. You know, Sebastian Iowa's got. Got four points and two of those are empty net goals. He hasn't been great.
- [10:39]
Sean Gentili
They're not getting the second getting scored. They're not getting scored on right. Like, like they're losing. They're losing their minutes 1 0. Like territorially, it's been bad. They've got 25 on five goals between them. We're talking about Jarvis Ajo and Svetchnikov like it is. The Stankhoven line is, has been. It's the reason. It's the reason they are where they are. Right. So it is funny. They're. They're mirror images, I think in a weird way.
- [11:04]
Frank Corrado
Is this what this series comes down to, is which first line wakes up first?
- [11:09]
Sean Gentili
Absolutely.
- [11:09]
Sean McIndoo
Yeah.
- [11:10]
Frank Corrado
And maybe it's that simple, you know.
- [11:11]
Sean McIndoo
You know, what I find fascinating about this is, you know, the Carolina Hurricanes, we know them for being a team that, you know, flies pucks into the neutral zone, chips them out, four checks hard. And right now, you know, if you look at what they're, what's kind of making them successful, they're incredibly dangerous off the rush. Like, they're the best rush team so far in the playoffs. They're generating like over eight chances per game, which is ranked number one. And Montreal's had a really hard time defending the rush. Like, we saw that against the Sabres. It was, it was an issue for them, especially with defensemen that are getting up in the play. So the thing that you traditionally know Carolina for doesn't worry me for Montreal as much because it's a mobile group of defensemen for Montreal that will go back and be able to kind of handle pressure and move pucks. But I worry about this newfound offense off the rush for the Hurricanes more than I do. What kind of, you know, usually is the trademark of Carolina Hurricanes hockey. It feels, it feels weird because they
- [12:13]
Sean Gentili
have elements on all three lines that can, that can contribute on the rush. Like you have Ehlers playing on the third line with Stahl and Martin. Hook adds an, adds a dimension there that they've never had. And he's, and he's playing with those guys. You got, you got Stankovin and Hall who are, who are both, who are both good in that area on the second and then the first line. Is the first line like, like they, they're, they were obviously more rush based than most Carolina lines, you know, have been over the last bunch of years. So it is like that is 100% something we need to keep in mind or that the public at large needs to keep in mind going into this series because we haven't seen the Carolina Hurricanes a lot in these playoffs. It's been, it's been eight games, right? Everyone wants to think that this is grit and grind and for check and whatever else we, we had an idea of the way this team plays. It's kind of changed and it's, it's because they've added, they've added enough talent in that top nine where they really can. Like Frankie said it the most, the most rush chances, the most rush chances per game in the, in the playoffs is the, is the Carolina Hurricanes like a ma. Imagine if you would have said that three years ago when it was Jack Jury. Is, is there, is there two seat or whatever? Like things have changed and we need to, we need to kind of roll with that. I'm not sure people have realized it necessarily.
- [13:26]
Sean McIndoo
And they also, they're in a position, Sean, where they don't have to force feed Kot Kanyemi into the lineup because they just have to, they don't anymore. They're a deeper team. And so there's just a, there's a different look and if anything with Montreal, right, like sometimes their process doesn't look great, but they found ways to win and that says a lot about their group that they can win games against good teams in big moments with their, with their off speed stuff. But now with Carolina, you know, they're going to, they're, they're going to have to wrestle with the fact that Montreal can find that one extra goal when they need it. And Carolina, that's, that's been a bit of a struggle for them. When they've played against teams that are pretty potent offensively and can find that extra goal, they haven't been able to. And so now, you know, it feels like it's there for them, it feels like it's different, but they're going to have to execute on it. And the energy shift within this series is going to be very real. Right. Like Montreal is playing the higher pace tempo hockey right now, but Carolina's had the day off or the days off. At what point will we see Carolina just spike up and really take off in this series?
- [14:41]
Sean Gentili
Has there, has there ever been. Sean, like, can you imagine, Like, I don't mean to put you on the spot but like game one maybe, period, one of this series is going to, it's going to determine I look, Montreal is going to have to jump on these guys. There's going to, there's going to be some amount of rust. I don't know how long it's going to last. It might be a period, it might be two periods. Maybe it's, maybe it's a full game. Like they're going to have to strike while the iron's hot and they, and they have, they have to win game one, period. Like I think it's hard to imagine a world where, where the layoff doesn't. It's going to mean something in Montreal. Needs the, needs the key on it. If they, if they walk out of the arena tomorrow up one. Oh, I think it completely changes the, the, the complexion of the series. But I also think that if, if Carolina, you know, finds a way to kick off the rust in a few shifts and maybe plays him to a draw after the first two minutes like, or the first 20 minutes, then you know, stuff could, stuff we see where it goes. Stuff could devolve kind of quickly.
- [15:46]
Frank Corrado
We have this conversation every year in some series where the scheduling plays out that you get the rest versus rust and you know, which is the advantage and when does it shift. And the conventional wisdom is like you say the, the team that has the rest has an advantage in the series as the series goes on. But in the first game, very often the rest hurts more than, than the rest helps. We've never seen it this extreme before. And I will say there were times against Buffalo where to me Montreal looked like a team that was maybe running out of gas a little bit. And that was against a Sabres team that had a, was coming off a six game series in the first round. So they'd had a bit more rest, but nothing this pronounced. I mean, ultimately we always hear about how the playoffs are this battle of attrition and everybody's hurt and everybody's feeling it. This is the best case scenario for Carolina as far as being healthy, being Rested, but you're right. Like, can they. Can they get away with it early on? And especially the guy that I want to see is Freddie Anderson, because he was fantastic. He was having. I mean, he was. He's a good goalie who was having a great stretch in the first two rounds.
- [17:06]
Sean McIndoo
I.
- [17:07]
Frank Corrado
What does two weeks off do to a goaltender? I mean, do you. Do you come in still hot or is. Do you just crumple that up and throw it away? I mean, he's had enough time. He could have gone cold for a week and a half and warm back up and we'd never know because, you
- [17:22]
Sean Gentili
know, they played eight games in 36 days.
- [17:25]
Sean McIndoo
It's crazy. Those guys, those guys for Carolina could have gone and played a couple games at the Men's Worlds and flown back and still had practice time. Think about that. And, you know, it's an interesting point because I think a lot of this series ultimately is going to hinge on Freddy, like, how good he is. But also, you know, in the past, there's been times where Freddy has been hurt in opportune moments. And if anything, this time off should really help Freddy, Right? Like, this is a goaltender whose workload has had to have been managed the last few years. Like when he was, you know, when he was in Anaheim late in his tenure there, but especially in Toronto early in his tenure there, he was a workhorse man. He was 60 plus starts, and he was not playing Carolina Hurricanes type goaltending. He was playing you're. You're feeling it kind of hockey because there was a lot of warts with those Toronto teams early on, and he had to play behind that. So if anything, the time off really helps Freddie. But I could tell you guys from, like, personal experience, there's a couple different things. Anytime in the regular season where you've had, like an All Star break or for some reason you had more than one day off in a row. Your first couple times back on the ice, you feel. You feel it a little bit like you. You feel lethargic and you don't quite feel like you're in that rhythm. But then the days after that, you find that, like, everything really spikes up pretty dramatically. And even, like, this is the second part is, you know, summer training. There's a lot of programs that give you, like, a deload week where you basically take the week off. You can still do some minor activity, but you're not lifting and you're not doing anything really, really meaningful. And when you come back from that week, you'll notice, like, the first few days back, you don't quite feel as good as when you left, but after that, your numbers crush everything you were doing prior to leaving. And so that's where I think we got to see with Carolina. Is that game two, is that game three? And in the meantime, like, can Montreal take advantage of it and get a jump in game one and put some goodwill in the bank and bank a win? Because if they don't do that early, it's going to be even more difficult as the series goes on. And especially, I don't know what you guys think, but going back to the Bell center, great atmosphere. Fans are nuts. They just can't win there. It's crazy that they can't win there right now.
- [19:52]
Frank Corrado
That is, by the way, my workout
- [19:54]
Sean Gentili
strategy, what you just described, very familiar.
- [19:57]
Frank Corrado
I'm taking a, I'm taking a 35 year break and then when I get back at it, look out, look out.
- [20:03]
Sean Gentili
You're just like, knock off the rest. In a few days you'll be exactly.
- [20:07]
Frank Corrado
What, what do we think is happening with, with, in Montreal with the, with their home record? Because you're right. I mean, it, it looks amazing. Like, I, I mean, game, Game six, I guess when Larry Robinson came out and he likes the rink and everything, I was like, oh, this, this series is over Montreal.
- [20:25]
Sean Gentili
It was one of those, that was one of those things where I would,
- [20:29]
Frank Corrado
I would love, love, love to be
- [20:31]
Sean Gentili
able to say that, like, the environment in Montreal is a little bit overrated and blah, blah, blah. It's, it's not, it ain't. And it's good stuff. Like the Larry Robinson sequence at the start of that game happens. Right? It's crazy.
- [20:44]
Frank Corrado
And they come out flying. So I mean, it's not like. And, and yet the record is what it is now. Small sample size, they're playing good teams. It might just be that simple. But sometimes, even if a thing isn't a thing, it can become a thing. You know what I mean?
- [21:04]
Sean Gentili
The Sean McIntyre Story. Yes.
- [21:06]
Frank Corrado
Yeah. So. And, and if they come especially, you know, they come back down to nothing or, you know, something like that, which is obviously pretty plausible given how good this Carolina team's playing. Does that start to weigh in? Do they start getting the questions about it? Do they start thinking, you know, oh, geez, we got to go in this building, we. Or, you know, is it, is it one of those, like so many of the narratives that we love to spin in the playoffs? Are we just one shift away from forgetting about it altogether and then feeling
- [21:36]
Sean McIndoo
a completely different Direction we honestly very well could be. But you know what, like, if you've ever think to your, your personal lives or your careers, right, if you've ever had something happening where you say, I'd love to just fly under the radar here a little bit, like we've all said it before and when the habs go on the road, you know, relatively speaking to what's going on at home, they can fly under the radar. I'm not talking about like being bugged at restaurants or anything like that.
- [22:04]
Frank Corrado
I'm just talking about like in the
- [22:06]
Sean McIndoo
game, the environment at the arena. You're going in, it's a business trip. You get in, you get out, you try and get a win and you move on. Whereas at home it's a grand spectacle and there's no flying under the radar. You're the show, there's all eyes on you. Like you, you have this, you know, you carry it around that you don't want to let these people down because they've been there for you and they are showing up for you. And that adds something a little bit extra that when, you know, you've talked about the starts, it just at some point it gets to you and it's easier to make mistakes because it's one more thing that you're thinking of. It's, it's. Maybe it's a bad excuse, maybe I'm completely wrong, but I feel like, I
- [22:45]
Sean Gentili
think that's how I make sense. It accounts for the fact that these are human beings who are, who are, you know, thrown and thrown in crazy situations. Right. And the other, the flip side of that narrative, you know, as it relates to the Canadians, is that, you know, we, they've, they've turned into road dogs. Like they go, they go into Buffalo, they, they handle business there. Right. I wanted to talk about the team that they beat in the, in the second round. Just, just for a second. It's a devastating loss for Buffalo. Clearly, if you have a Sabres fan in your life, you know, reach out, which you do give them, give, give them a hug, they're brother. Probably not. Probably not. Probably still not doing too well. What do we think of that, of the season that they put together? On a, on a macro scale, yes, devastating end, but it's, it seems also very difficult to, you know, not view this as a tremendous leap forward.
- [23:41]
Sean McIndoo
It is a tremendous leap forward. But now the biggest challenge is how do they not let that become a one hit wonder? Like, are we just guaranteeing that the Buffalo Sabres show up next year and they're the exact same team because I don't know if it's a formality. I think it's great what they did this year. It wasn't just a three week stretch. There was and they, they changed the way they did a lot of things. They defended better, you know, they, they kind of managed games way better. Their goaltending was really good in the regular season, which made a big difference for them. But you're counting on, you're counting on a lot of things to happen again that have happened for six months. And so now, like that, I think there's still a little bit of like a mindset there where they need to say this is our new standard and we don't sink below this anymore. And that's going to be, you know, that's going to be something that they have to really believe in coming back next year.
- [24:40]
Frank Corrado
Yeah, I feel like we spent so much of this year since, since December, since they, they, they made the GM change and heated up. You're talking about, man, this, what a great season. You're talking about magic, you're talking about destiny, all of these great things. And it's fantastic. It's, it's an amazing experience to be a fan of a team having one of those seasons where just everything feels like it clicks. Not to say it was perfect. Not to say they didn't have any adversity, but that just one of those seasons where just the wind is at your back, but then you gotta, you get to the end of it and you go, okay, is this gonna, is this gonna carry over to next year? Or how much of this is a case of this is just, this is just one of those years where everything clicked and it still took us to the second round and it was great and we made memories and the fan base needed it. And it's a, it's a jolt of life for the organization. There's, there's no way to spin it as a negative. It was all positive. But was it so positive that it's going to be hard to sustain going into next year? And do you end up looking back at this as a missed opportunity? Because it really did feel like the hockey gods had your back for once.
- [25:53]
Sean Gentili
My greatest fear for the Buffalo Sabres is that this is a Pittsburgh Pirates kind of season in 2013, 2014 and 2015. And people who paid attention to baseball back then or who are stuck being Pirates fans, you know, we'll, we'll know what I. It was 25 years of complete incompetence and endless losing that culminated with this run that they made in 2013, they, they win the wild card game, end up losing, end up losing in the first round. But there was always that sinking kind of feeling that, that, that was, that that was going to be as, as, as good as it got. And it was for, for a variety of reasons, they, they ran bad luck. They ran into Jake, Jake Areatta the next year in the wild card game. I can, I can remember it. And then it was a three year run and then it was over. Like that needs to be the concern and that is there are people out there, by the way, that are, that are stuck as Sabres and Pirates fans. So, so they're, they're throwing up right
- [26:51]
Frank Corrado
now, but they just lost a game 7. Like talk about kicking them when they're down. Every Sabers fan thought that new hook goal was going to be their worst moment of the week. Now they get called the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- [27:02]
Sean McIndoo
Like, here, hold on, I'll add one more. I'll add one more. Yarmo's there, right? So Jarmo's got to put his footprint or his fingerprints on this team, right? Yarmo traded for Logan Stanley and Luke Shen and he gave up Isaac Rosine and Jacob Bryson and picks. And guess who didn't play in game seven or game six? Luke Shen and Logan Stanley. So he's going to put his fingerprints on the team. You have to hope that he makes better decisions than the ones he made, clearly, because those guys you gave up a lot for did not play in elimination games when your season was on the line.
- [27:34]
Frank Corrado
And by the way, Yarmo was the GM in Columbus when they had that great run to the second round when they beat Tampa and never leveled up. Weren't, Weren't really able to sustain it going forward.
- [27:45]
Sean McIndoo
So anyways, great season, Buffalo, tons of positivity.
- [27:51]
Frank Corrado
Wow.
- [27:51]
Sean McIndoo
It was all sunshine and rainbows. It's going to be good next year.
- [27:56]
Sean Gentili
We believe we need to get out into a break before we drive these people even closer to the edge. We're talking Western Conference when we're back. Stick around.
- [28:07]
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- [30:58]
Sean Gentili
All right, we're back boys. We have hockey tonight. After after one day without it. The Western Conference finals is starting. It's Vegas. It's Colorado tonight, 8 o' clock Eastern. That's on ESPN in the States. Matt can do. Let's. Let's start with you.
- [31:14]
Sean McIndoo
What.
- [31:14]
Sean Gentili
What's your initial thought going into this series? I. I'm. I. The way I framed all of this on my end is like what would have to happen for, for Vegas to win this. And what would have to go wrong for. For Colorado because it does to some extent feel like that's. That's what's gonna, that's what's gonna have to happen.
- [31:31]
Frank Corrado
Yeah. And, and it's gonna be interesting to see. How do I phrase this in a way that doesn't come across dismissive or. I want to see Vegas against an elite team, and we haven't seen that yet. Through two rounds, they've played Utah and Anaheim, two good teams, playoff worthy teams, but not teams that anybody had real high on their Stanley cup list, even going into the playoffs. And full credit to Vegas, hey, you win your division, even when it's a weak division, the way the format works, you're going to get matchups that in theory you should be able to win. And you still got to do it. You still got to take care of business. They did. So no issue with that. But this is a whole different animal they're going up against now. And I really want to see, I want to see if they can hang because this was a team that was good during the regular season. The Knights, they weren't great. Maybe you throw that out, maybe you say this is the John Tortorella version and we only judge them on that. But this is. They haven't faced anyone like the Avalanche yet. They haven't faced anyone remotely close. So I want to see. I feel like, you know, game one never tells you everything, but it's going to give us a pretty good indication of whether we got a real series on our hands or not.
- [32:52]
Sean McIndoo
It tells you something for sure. And you're right, the Torts thing is real. William Carlson. Being in the lineup is something that can be a difference maker. But I think if you're, if you're looking at this, you're looking at the Colorado Avalanche who score more than anybody, who have now found a little something on their power play, because the power plays 25% in the playoffs and it was dreadful in the regular season. So the team that was already firing is firing even more. And for Vegas, I wonder how they approach this, because, you know, we've talked about this before, but there's two ways you can try and play against Colorado. There's the way where you say we're going to clog things up and we're going to have to force McKinnon and nature to skate through multiple layers and hopefully within one of those layers, we'll slow them down. Or you try and play really up on them and say we're going to go at you the same way you're going to come at us and that's going to be our way of, of mitigating your top guys. I wonder if Vegas has the, the foot speed to do it. I don't think they have the blue line and the mobility to do it that way. So I think they're going to have to resort to trying to clog things up and that's going to result in Colorado having the puck a lot and ultimately Vegas having to really lean on Carter Hart.
- [34:11]
Sean Gentili
I think loss in the shuffle of the Duck series too, because it ended up being, ended up being relatively short. Mark Stone still hurt and he didn't practice yesterday. No update there. That certainly doesn't bode well for his game one chances. Let's say they get him back in game three or whatever. I don't know that that gives them enough Runway to get this done because like, look, we know, we know that Mark Stone is going to be hurt for some amount of time during, during the regular season. That's just the way it is. He's going to play 60 games. Like, like that's, that's life with, with that dude in the lineup still just a remarkably effective, important player for them. A huge, huge defensive value. But Also he scored 1.46 all situations goals per 60 this year, which that's 23rd in the league. Like that's like Paige Thompson, Connor McDavid, Leon. Like they, like they are getting, you know, but between the power play and five on five they're getting high level offensive production. Production from that dude still. And it gets lost in the shuffle because his counting numbers are always, are always low because he misses a certain amount of time. So he's scoring at that rate and producing at that rate while also being one of the most impactful defensive forwards in the league too still. And that's a guy who for what like again credit to the Ducks. Like that's it's cool, it's cool that they, that they won a series this year that's a 92 point team that's, you know that you can get away with not having Mark Stone in your lineup against. Ain't the case with the Colorado Avalanche. And if, and if he misses two games and then comes back and is. It's at whatever 6580 with some, some, some lesser version of the guy that we, we've come to, we've come to expect at least when he's in the lineup. It's, it's going to be a problem
- [35:57]
Frank Corrado
yeah, we always say, when is he going to be back? What is he going to be back? What is, what are we going to get from him? And, and because it's all hands on deck against a team as, as good as Colorado, and that, that's going to be a big piece of it. You know, the other injury that I want to watch is Cale McCarr, because he hasn't missed games, but he's hurt. He was very. I mean, it looked against, against Minnesota at the end there. I mean, it looked like his shoulder was falling out on every shift he took. So they've had almost a week off. We don't know what, what was wrong with him. Sometimes a week off is, is maybe all you need to get back to at least playoff healthy. And sometimes a week off doesn't help you at all. And you're just playing through it and you're just holding it together with duct tape and you're, you're trying to, trying to muscle through. We know, you know, Makar, barring some sort of real big surprise, is going to be in the lineup. How big a target is on him and Frankie. What is it, what is it like? I mean, you were, when you played, you were kind of the Kilmakar of most of the teams you were on.
- [37:07]
Sean McIndoo
Did you have that under 13 hockey for sure.
- [37:10]
Sean Gentili
There you go.
- [37:11]
Frank Corrado
Did you have that target on your back? Did you ever have a series or, you know, something where you knew, like, man, they're really coming after me. And, you know, does that change anything or do you just kind of throw up your hands and go, I'm going to get hit. Whatever happens, happens. I still got to play the way I'm supposed to play.
- [37:27]
Sean McIndoo
In all seriousness, like, I, you know, we're joking around, but, like, when I was in the minors, I was a, you know, I was like an up and coming prospect with your, your joke around.
- [37:37]
Sean Gentili
Like, I like, hold on. This is, this is not me and Sean slagging you. This is like you were, you were, you were downplaying your own, your own, your own achievements. Like, I would, I would do. No, I would do no such thing.
- [37:49]
Sean McIndoo
I think I was appreciated.
- [37:51]
Sean Gentili
Not me.
- [37:52]
Sean McIndoo
You know, when you're not going to
- [37:53]
Sean Gentili
let you talk about Frankie that way. Jesus Christ.
- [37:56]
Sean McIndoo
I was good at under 13, bad at under 15, good again at under 16 because I hit. I hit puberty finally. So that was my, my key to victory there, you know, in, in the minors, in the playoff run that we had in Utica, where we went to the finals, we lost to Manchester and you know, you're like a 21 year old kid who's like a, you know, more, let's call it highly touted prospect who has played NHL games. And I like to get up in the rush a lot at that time, right. And so I felt like I was getting hit all the time. And I played that, that playoff run with a separated shoulder that happened in round one in a broken bone in my hand that I had to take five games off of. And then I went back to freezing it when I came back in the lineup. So I was banged up and I just came to the realization that I was going to get hit every time. And so I had to kind of try and think a little bit ahead of what was happening because I couldn't rely on, you know, bouncing off guys or taking hits. So it kind of meant that I was doing less, like I was doing less with the puck and trying to simplify things a little bit more. And I didn't play overly well. Now how does that affect Cale Makar? You know, Cale Makar, when, when he's feeling his best, he's an absolute force and he does things with and without the puck that like only very few guys in the NHL or in the world can do. So if you bring him back down to like some kind of a regular level, he's more gettable and you know, we'll see what the week off does. It should help at least a little bit. But that's, you know, that's very much something to keep an eye on. The other thing that I think is fascinating about this series and it might not be overly evident, but it's one of those things that you'll chip away at as the series goes on. Is the matchup down the middle of the ice like Vegas, down the middle like Eichel, Hurdle, Carlson, Dowd. Can you find me a group of four that are more like responsible away from the puck than those four guys? Like, if you were ever going to find something to kind of cling on to, if you're Vegas, you're like, we can, we can win that matchup. What does that look like in the grand scheme of things? That remains to be seen. But that's an area where they could have an edge that they could grab onto.
- [40:09]
Sean Gentili
It's two way play down the middle and then to go back going, going back to stone, we, we got include Mitch Marner in that mix too. Is that, that, that those two guys add so much, so much defensive responsibility and so much two way value on, on the Wings that like, that's the route I think for Vegas, right, Is, is that you, is that you find some way to, you know, play the two way game in, in, in such a way that, you know, maybe let's just scratch out some wins, but man, it's going to be, it's going to be, it's going to be tough. We do, we do need to talk about the Vegas on Ice stuff because never, whatever, we can't, we can't avoid it because there's, it's always, it's always something. What are they, Kelly? Yeah, what, yeah. What's, what's, what's. What's going on over there? Kelly McCrimmon. Sorry, that was, that was, that was the takeaway from his pre series presser yesterday.
- [40:59]
Frank Corrado
Super sorry. He really.
- [41:00]
Sean Gentili
Yeah, definitely.
- [41:01]
Frank Corrado
Until it's weighing on him.
- [41:04]
Sean Gentili
Yeah, he, he voluntarily going to take a polygraph when he's, when, when he says, when he says we were wrong. I'm sure, I'm sure he agrees with, with it with that statement. The $100,000 fine in the second round pick that they were docked for Torturella blowing off media responsibilities after Anaheim. That still and maybe for now is worn out. I think there's, there's still, there's still a sense that, I think that if they fly right here over the course that that could get, that could get downgraded a bit. And also the, the, the flip side is the Bruce Cassidy stuff, which is still not resolved. Like they're. The, the, the NHL coaches associations, you know, getting involved a little bit now they're saying they're monitoring it. Like this is. I, I what the other, the other takeaway from, from McCramman yesterday is he's like, you know, basically saying, well, this is the playoffs. We've, we've communicated this to Bruce, like we want to stay solely focused on that and blah, blah, blah. So the implication there is like, let's, let's, let's table this until our season ends. Do we, do we buy that? Is there, is there any need for that or is this just level next level spikes?
- [42:11]
Frank Corrado
No, it's, it's, it's. Of course we don't buy that. Right? I mean, you know, oh, Kelly McCrimmon's. He's focused on the play. What are you doing? What's, what's going on? Your, your phone ringing? You, you working on some trades, Kelly? You keeping an eye on the waiver water?
- [42:26]
Sean Gentili
You would hate to do something that creates a distraction for your team during the postseason, right? So, so that's why you deny Bruce Ca.
- [42:33]
Frank Corrado
Exactly. Yeah, they're. Boy, they're. They're distraction free right now. I guess he's, you know, maybe. Maybe he's got a. Like a hot UFA deal he's trying to close before Game 1. Give me a break. And this is. This is part of what's so maddening about. It is. Look, the Vegas franchise has been it. It's been, and I say this somewhat complimentary, it's been the dirtbag franchise of this league for a lot, for a long time. Just as far as how they conduct themselves. And it's just winning is all that matters to those guys. And I gotta say, there's a lot of fan bases out there who probably would like a little more of that DNA in their own team of this. You know, we just do whatever it takes to win and screw it. We'll deal with the consequences later. So you can understand it up to a point. But it's like, man, if you're gonna. If you're gonna be jerks about everything, at least own it. At least get up there and be like, yeah, here's the deal. Bruce Cassidy's under contract. We're paying him, and we don't have to let anybody.
- [43:35]
Sean Gentili
We don't have to make a difference.
- [43:37]
Frank Corrado
We don't have to screw the Oilers, screw the Kings. We don't know if there's other teams out there. Who knows if it's because they're in your division or their rivals or screw everyone. We're just not going to do it. At least own it. Don't get up there and be like, oh, I'm just so busy, I can't take. I don't know what the process is, but I'm guessing it can't be that much longer than writing one email that says it's an email. This could all be like, dude, I mean, just take. Take a break from YouTube when you're, you know, sitting on the can for. For a couple minutes, send off the email and you're good. Or don't do it and own it. But don't. I mean, like, the only thing worse than a jerk and a bully.
- [44:19]
Sean Gentili
Please don't evoke Kelly McCrimmon sitting on the can on this podcast.
- [44:23]
Frank Corrado
The only thing worse than a jerk and a bully is a jerk and a bully who won't even own it and won't. And then tries to gaslight you that you're like, oh, no, this is just, you know, we're just being. Yeah, we're just handling things. I honestly think Screw the Golden Knights.
- [44:37]
Sean Gentili
Gaslighting is a term that gets, that gets misused and overused. I think we're pretty close to it applying to what, to what Vegas is doing here. And that's what aggravates people. That's what aggravates me. That's, that's probably the best way to put it. It's not just that, it's not just that they're cutthroat and didn't do it at like we, that's established, you know, fine. That's one way to run your organization. Own it. Don't. And then, and don't try to convince people that actually, actually this is, this is normal and we're nice and we're not. We don't operate in a way that separates us from the rest of the league like you do. You do and it's okay. And it's okay. Like the rule, the rules are the rules. Like we don't, we don't, we don't have to pretend that, that, that we, that we like you for it. It's. It's fine.
- [45:25]
Sean McIndoo
Well, you know what's crazy about all of it is that you have an opportunity to get like four and a half million dollars in real cash off your payroll with this crazy. And you're like, nah, I'd rather pay four and a half million dollars than let Bruce Cassidy talk to L A or Edmonton just because they're in our division. Like that's how we're willing to pay
- [45:46]
Sean Gentili
for four and a half million dollars for Craig Berube to coach the Oilers or whatever. Like that's, that's a price we're, we're willing to pay.
- [45:52]
Sean McIndoo
Grab Woodcraft again or grab Craig Berube or bring up Colin Chalk from the Miners. That's where you're at. Like we'll pay four and a half million dollars to force you to have to do that, which I don't know, man. Okay, here's, here's one thing though. This is. There's a. I'm not, I'm going to sound like a dummy saying this, but there's a reason why you have to ask permission. Just everyone gives you the common courtesy of saying, yeah, no problem, go ahead and talk. These guys are going like full stickler by the book. And I was kind of thinking about it like if you were a lawyer or whatever, you would have a non compete if you, if you were let out of your or fired and you would have to abide by the non compete. But in the NHL no one abides by it. Except these guys. These are the only guys that are willing to do it. Here's the question. I would love to know what's the most that Foley would pay to not have Bruce Cassidy go to the Edmonton Oilers? Like, would it be seven and a
- [46:50]
Frank Corrado
half,
- [46:52]
Sean McIndoo
where he's like, if. If. If he. If Cassidy was making seven and a half, you can talk to him. I won't go higher than that. I would love to know what that number is.
- [47:00]
Frank Corrado
But he's paying it for a few weeks, right? So it's a much, much, much smaller number. And they're just trying to wait. I mean, we all feel like this is directed at the Oilers. This is about waiting out the Oilers. And it just. It's. It's so greasy and it's. But. But I would have. I. I'd have, like, 5% respect for it if they just got up there and said, we don't have to. We don't like the Oilers. They're our number one competition is this, that Bruce Cassidy's a good coach and we don't want him going to Edmonton, but they don't even have the guts to do that.
- [47:29]
Sean Gentili
So they get up there much different in. In a vacuum. Before. Before you go into the fact that they're. That they're trying to, you know, whatever, feed us. Feed us crap and make us, like, the taste. Like, is this that much different from the offer sheet thing? Truly, like, this is. This is a mechanism that's in place. It's. It's legal. It's, you know, pretty. Pretty cut and dry. And when people. Whether it's like, going back to. Going back to Dustin Penner or whatever, whenever offer sheets get thrown out there, everyone's like, great, this is a mechanism you're allowed to use. Who cares that it's cutthroat? Like, let's drop. Let's drop the old boys. You know, we're all friends here. Gentlemen's agreement stuff. We kind of like it when. When there's a team out there that's willing to put the screws to people. Right? So I don't, you know, in a lot of ways, I don't know that this is all that different from that. Right?
- [48:24]
Frank Corrado
Yeah, but the difference is, like, the. The Edmonton Oilers didn't, like, send Dylan Holloway home and say, we don't want you playing anymore, and then suddenly go, oh, we're shocked that another team gave him an offer sheet. Like, I. Believe me, if Bruce Cassidy, for some reason, had walked out on the Golden Knights, totally different scenario. If he had Said, you know what? I don't like it here. I'm going home. Oh, by the way, can you give me permission to go talk to Edmonton? No. Screw you.
- [48:49]
Sean Gentili
You're.
- [48:49]
Frank Corrado
You're under contract. Where? That would be totally different. They fired the guy with. With a couple of weeks left in the season. I'd love to know what John Tortorella thinks about this. We won't find out because, a, he's afraid of the media apparen being the big baby that he is, and two, he wouldn't. He wouldn't tell us honestly, at least anytime soon. But I would love to know what he thinks. He's had, like 19 jobs in the NHL. He's been in this situation before. I'm sure he's had to have permission granted to talk to him and all that stuff. I mean, he's got to think this is bush league.
- [49:23]
Sean McIndoo
Well, he's part of the coaches association, and they put out a statement, right? And the coaches, they. They all talk like they all stick together. They, you know, they're. They're all grateful that they're making more money now because they've pushed the envelope that way. I'm sure they're not grateful that their shelf life is like two years. But that's the reason why, you know, the money has to go up for, for all these guys. So they do stick together the same way the players do. So. Yeah, I think, you know, it's hard to speculate on what he would think, but deep down, it's like you're. You're a part of the Golden Knights, so you abide by what they're doing, but you're also a part of the coaches association and know that you have guys backs the same way they have your back.
- [50:07]
Sean Gentili
It's. And it's not gonna end either. We're gonna be talking about this next week. Like, this just doesn't go.
- [50:11]
Frank Corrado
Because first off, they'll do something else. It'll be some other piece of nonsense that.
- [50:16]
Sean Gentili
Or this is just gonna, you know, Kelly McCrimmon, he's just. Just something we're gonna, we're gonna think about when our season's over. So that might be. That might be coming a little bit more quickly than he would like. Yeah.
- [50:28]
Sean McIndoo
I wonder what the Vegas Golden Knights have, like, up their sleeve next. They, like, it feels like they're the organization that says we actually can do this. And we will. We will trade for Jack Eichel, we will get Mitch Martin, we will tamper Hart. Right.
- [50:45]
Sean Gentili
We'll do all of it like Fine.
- [50:47]
Frank Corrado
Like live.
- [50:48]
Sean Gentili
Live with your choices. I guess is, is sort of. Is sort of my overall point here. It's like if you want, if you want to be the, you know, that's the stickler or the team that's willing to walk down hallways that other teams aren't, that's fine. There are going to be repercussions for that. And you have to live with them in what we've seen from Vegas, in their fan base time and time and time again, is that they're not willing to do that. And that's what makes them annoying.
- [51:13]
Frank Corrado
That's it.
- [51:14]
Sean McIndoo
And they win. They win. That's why it's annoying for everyone, too, because they're successful. Because if they did all this stuff and they were a dumpster fire, no one would care. But they're successful. And that's why it drives people crazy.
- [51:26]
Sean Gentili
Frank, you're heading to Kelowna time to time to play some golf. Let's go.
- [51:30]
Sean McIndoo
Yeah, well, calling the Memorial cup first.
- [51:33]
Sean Gentili
Oh, right, right, right.
- [51:35]
Sean McIndoo
Second of all, playing some golf out there in beautiful Kelowna. It's going to be good. We got a stack tournament. Landon Dupont's going to be there. Everett feels like the team to beat. Kitchener has been really good. Shaku to me. A ton of firepower coming out of the queue. They beat Moncton and Kelowna is a good team as well. Tjginla's, you know, obviously a really good player, Utah prospect. So there's going to be a lot of cool storylines out there and we got a great crew coming out for it.
- [52:02]
Sean Gentili
It's on NHL Network in the United States, by the way, tsn. TSN in Canada and NHL Network has it. So if, if you want to watch Frankie on tv, folks, that's the O dogs.
- [52:14]
Frank Corrado
Go find.
- [52:15]
Sean Gentili
Love it. So find channel 1080 on the. On the quadruple elite tier that costs $400 a month to get it in American cable because the NHL network basically doesn't exist anymore. Okay, have a good couple of weeks, dude. We'll talk to you real soon.
- [52:32]
Sean McIndoo
See you boys.
- [52:37]
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- [53:07]
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- [54:07]
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- [54:32]
Sean Gentili
Goodbye, Frankie Corrado. Hello Sean McIndoo, my man. What have you learned?
- [54:36]
Frank Corrado
What have we learned, Sean? I learned that the Vancouver Canucks apparently don't want to lose. Manny Malhotra, I think, is the Adam Foote fired this week. Not surprising, certainly. I I it's rare to see an NHL coach just get one full season, but I don't think there are too many rookie head coaches that have had a full season with as many that's gone as badly as that one did in Vancouver. Certainly not all attributable to the coach. And the Canucks said as much in their statement where they they essentially acknowledged, look, we gave this guy a garbage roster to work with but needed a new direction and all of that. And Manny Malhotra is their, their coach down in the hl, a guy whose name has surfaced with some other teams that have openings. And it's it certainly it felt like a situation where they probably would have rather let Foot have another crack at it. And then if it doesn't work, then Malhotra is your guy. But if Malhotra is not going to be there or you're concerned about that, what you cannot do is watch him walk to some other team and then you're firing Adam Foot in December anyways. So I think it was the right Move. And now, you know, they'll. They'll talk to other. They'll. They'll certainly talk to other coaches and, and, and do the whole process, you would assume. But I think Manny Malhotra is a pretty solid favor unless they can get permission to talk to Bruce Cassidy, in which they should.
- [56:19]
Sean Gentili
They should call just. Yeah, well, I just, you know, what's the harm? What's the harm?
- [56:24]
Frank Corrado
Yeah.
- [56:25]
Sean Gentili
Yeah. And like, you know, cool. Manny Mahalra can coach his son in the next couple years. Right? That's. That seems like. That seems like part of it too. Like that, that makes that. That fit with Vancouver in Caleb Malhotra would have been obvious regardless of who was coaching the team. Now it's his. Now it's his father. So. Cool. We could. We get. We get that set up. Yeah, I think it was. I think it was Drancer who said it. It was definitely one of the Vancouver guys as it relates to Foot, like, obviously disastrous situation that he, you know, that he walked into. Really, it's a brutal roster, blah, blah, blah. But his, his problem was that he as identified by Drance is like the way he coached made evaluating prospects and young players pretty difficult.
- [57:11]
Sean McIndoo
Right.
- [57:11]
Sean Gentili
Like, it was such a mess that they don't, you know, what, what, what do they. What do they have in some of these guys? And that's something that just can't continue. If you're. If it's. It's one thing to lose, it's another thing to do it in a way that doesn't teach anything about the guys you have on the roster at this, at the start of a rebuild. And I think the fact that, you know, it seems like that's what they were working with is that made. That made the decision, you know, the correct one even, you know, which is odd for Vancouver, honestly. We're so used to them doing the. Doing the wrong thing. It seems like they've seemed like they're on a streak now of 2 of. Of doing the right one. So. Congratulations. I've learned that Alex Tuck maybe didn't cost himself any money. His agent, Scott Barlett, told her buddy Greg was from espn. This is a quote. I guarantee you it doesn't change a single thing as far as how he's viewed across the. Across the market, because obviously Tuck had zero points in that series against. Against Montreal. Best forward, theoretically, that's gonna, That's. That's gonna hit people thinking he's gonna make 10 million, $11 million. I am of the mindset here that Scott Bartlett is correct. I, I think that the UFA class is so barren and people have so much money to spend that this is going to matter less than people were. Than people were. Were making it out to. Am I, Am I, am I wrong about this? Like, is Alex Tuck going to get 8 million instead of 10 and a half now because of, because of those seven games? I don't. I don't think so.
- [58:44]
Frank Corrado
I, I don't think so either. Although it would have been very funny if his agent had been like, yeah,
- [58:49]
Sean Gentili
we're screwed, we're screwed.
- [58:51]
Frank Corrado
He blew it. What a bum. But no. So here's. Here's where. Here's where I think you're right. And here's where I think there's a path to. To this maybe going a bit sideways is we don't really know what Alex Tuck wants out of all this. If Alex Tuck just wants to cash it, just wants the highest dollar value possible, which he has every right to do. He's been underpaid for years based on his production. This is his. It probably is one chance to swing really big in unrestricted free agency. Yeah. Go out and get the bag. We all understand how that works. And if that's what he wants, then I don't think this affects him at all. Because you only need one team willing to pay. You need two teams to get in the bidding war to drive the price up. You don't need 32 teams. So it doesn't matter if 25 teams out there looked at the playoffs and said, I don't like what I saw, you've still got plenty out there in a very, very weak market to, to drive the number up. If he's a little more picky, if he's got maybe only a couple of teams in mind, then. Then it could. Because, you know, there may be some teams that, that are. Are held off a little bit by it. But I just. The fact that there's nobody out there even comparable that you can turn to. Like, there's not a lot of teams out there that are, like, we desperately need a top six forward, a guy who can play potentially on our first line. Well, Alex Tuck didn't do so great in the playoffs, so, you know what? We just won't get anyone because that's
- [60:19]
Sean Gentili
kind of the other Bobby McMahon. Like, what do we. Like what do we. It's. It's crazy.
- [60:23]
Frank Corrado
Yeah. So, I mean, I think he should be okay, but, you know, maybe ultimately it keeps it from getting even crazier than it might have because, I mean, I wouldn't even be Surprised if the numbers higher because it only takes one team to call on July 1st. And you know, of course it's July 1st because nobody tampers, nobody's allowed to talk to free agents. But kind of maybe a team that you're not even thinking about calls up and says, we'll do 13 caps going up. We got a ton of room, you know, Come on.
- [60:52]
Sean Gentili
I think that's probably, maybe that's the right way to frame it, is that he did. He could have made himself more money. Like, for sure. There's a world out there where, you know, Alex Tuck goes supernova in that series and the Buffalo Sabers are still playing and people are saying, is Alex talking to make, you know, 13 and a half million dollars a year? Like that's, that's very, very feasible.
- [61:11]
Frank Corrado
Yeah. So that's the way to put it.
- [61:12]
Sean Gentili
Cost him, he cost himself money. But like the, not the, but in that sense.
- [61:16]
Frank Corrado
But he missed the opportunity to make himself money. Yep. Which I guess is costing yourself money
- [61:24]
Sean Gentili
depending on how, it's, depending on how you look at it.
- [61:28]
Frank Corrado
But I, but he's gonna be okay.
- [61:29]
Sean Gentili
I don't think, I don't think the floor has changed.
- [61:32]
Frank Corrado
Like he's not going to be thinking too hard about whether to biggie size the fries, you know, he'll be all right. Like, it's like, boy, do you think he stays in Buffalo, by the way?
- [61:40]
Sean Gentili
Like I've, I don't know. I have no sense. I have no sense. I, I did, you know, I, I, I've always been of the mindset that he would, but also like, why hasn't the deal happened already? Maybe, maybe he was waiting to see if he was going to have a five goal series, you know, in the Eastern Conference final or something and now, now everyone can move on because that didn't happen. I, I don't, I don't know. He makes, he makes the most sense there. But again, we live in a world where if you don't count Alex Oveshkin and Evgeny Malkin, the next best, the next best winger on the list at this point is, is, is Bobby McMahon. So I don't, I think, I think he's going to be fine.
- [62:20]
Frank Corrado
It might be one of those. Yeah. The agent might be begging him like, please go to July 1st so we can see what the numbers are. Then you can circle back to Buffalo. Whatever. I mean it costs him the, the extra year. Whatever.
- [62:30]
Sean Gentili
Go to, but go to, go to July 1st because of course that's the only way they're going to know what other teams are willing to pay. Alex Tuck.
- [62:37]
Frank Corrado
There's. There's Northern Greens and. And, you know, maybe the problem is just maybe Tux wanted to sign, but Yarmo is just so laser focused on the playoffs that he couldn't do anything else.
- [62:46]
Sean Gentili
Yeah, it's. Again, it's. Sending.
- [62:49]
Frank Corrado
Sending emails is tough, you know, Normal, Very normal behavior.
- [62:53]
Sean Gentili
What's your post today?
- [62:55]
Frank Corrado
Got the all playoff bus team.
- [62:57]
Sean Gentili
I read it already.
- [62:59]
Frank Corrado
We wait. Wait till the conference final. And I got to pick a full roster with at least one player from every playoff team, and that includes the teams that are still in the conference finals. So if you want to know which four players are gonna blow up and make their Con Smythe cases, you can. You can check that out. Shout out to Mitch Marner for not making the team for the first time in a day.
- [63:24]
Sean Gentili
Congratulations.
- [63:25]
Frank Corrado
Yeah, Good for him.
- [63:26]
Sean Gentili
The streak is over.
- [63:28]
Frank Corrado
Yep. And yeah, beyond that, you'll. You'll have to see. But yeah, they. Let's just say I. I really appreciated the photo they chose. I think they really nailed the spirit of the thing.
- [63:38]
Sean Gentili
I. I didn't want to. I didn't want to ruin it either.
- [63:40]
Sean McIndoo
Got it.
- [63:41]
Sean Gentili
Gotta check the site to see that. It's pretty funny. All right, bud. It's good. It's. It's always a good day with you. And we get another one tomorrow. It's me and it's you. No Frankie Gentilian McIndo on Thursday. I am in Raleigh. Arpin Basu is also in Raleigh. He's our guy with the Montreal Canadiens. He's going to check in. Haley Salvian's going to be in Ottawa for a Walter cup update and that'll be that. So thank you folks for watching. Thank you for listening. Enjoy game one of the Western Conference final, and I will talk to you tomorrow.
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