The Athletic Hockey Show — April 1, 2026

"Will Linus Ullmark be the downfall of the Senators?"

Hosts: Sean Gentili, Sean McIndu (DGB), Frankie Corrado
Main Theme: The unraveling of the Ottawa Senators' season due to goaltending woes, particularly the issues and future of Linus Ullmark; plus, implications for the playoff race in the Atlantic Division and the chaos surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs’ executive search.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the Ottawa Senators’ disastrous loss against the Panthers, dissecting Linus Ullmark’s struggles in net and their impact on the team’s playoff push. The hosts then expand the conversation to the wider playoff scene in the Atlantic Division, contrasting Ottawa’s predicament with Detroit’s continued March collapses. In the second segment, conversation pivots to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ chaotic front office and Keith Pelly’s much-maligned "data-driven" approach as president.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Linus Ullmark’s Struggles and the Senators’ Goaltending Crisis

• Ottawa’s Blowout Loss to Florida:
  • Five goals conceded in the first period—2:00 (Gentili)
  • Ullmark gives up 5 on 16 shots, including a goal just eight seconds into the game, displaying troubling body language and composure.
• Availability and Mental Health Context:
  • The crew is nuanced in balancing empathy for Ullmark's earlier season issues with justified criticism of his gameday performance. -- 3:47 (McIndu), 5:31 (Gentili)
  • “If you can't play, you can't play. But five shots on 16 goals with just bizarre body language... it is not a good situation.” —Sean Gentili [05:31]
• Team’s (Lack of) Support Structure:
  • Team had expected Ullmark to start Saturday, but he pulled out, citing he wasn’t “good to go.” -- 6:14 (Corrado)
  • “They don’t need $8 million goalie to be $8 million every night. They just need okay goaltending. …If he can’t be that guy down the stretch, that potentially torpedoes a season in Ottawa.” —Frankie Corrado [08:07]

Notable Quote

“You are at the mercy of Linus Ullmark, and that's the coach, that's the players, that's the GM... It's really not fair to all those guys that have been busting their, you know whats, all year.” —Sean McIndu [11:57]

2. The Senators’ (and Red Wings’) Playoff Outlook

• Senators’ Remaining Schedule:
  • Next five games are Sabres, Wild, Hurricanes, Lightning, Panthers. “No break coming here. …This is the make-or-break stretch…” —Frankie Corrado [13:05]
• Detroit’s March Problem & the Emerging Eastern “Pillow Fight”:
  • Red Wings notorious for late-season collapses: “March is the month in Detroit where everything goes off the rails.” —Corrado [16:23]
  • Both Ottawa and Detroit face tough odds for the last playoff spot, especially with Boston surging back in.
• The Eastern Playoff Race:
  • Multiple teams crumbling at the same time, giving under-performers continued hope — “This is starting to feel like a pillow fight.” —Corrado [18:05]
  • “They were playing at a 101-point pace by the end of February… this isn’t goaltending, this isn’t injuries. This is a team finding a bunch of different ways to lose games at the absolute worst time for the fourth consecutive season.” —Gentili [19:12]

Timestamps for the Senators/Atlantic Discussion:

• Ullmark’s nightmare start & context — 01:47–06:14
• Roster and playoff outlook — 08:07–14:44
• Detroit’s identical playoff pain — 14:44–20:58

3. The Long-Term Future: Senator’s Goaltending and Possible Trades

• Is Ullmark Done in Ottawa?
  • “Would they not be at the point where they look at it and say, we just can’t bring him back… might have to just eat the buyout.” —McIndu [09:34]
• Jarry-for-Ullmark Hypothetical:
  • Hosts discuss a possible trade swap with Edmonton, ultimately agreeing Edmonton would say “no” due to Ullmark’s contract. [10:46–11:57]

4. The Atlantic Division Landscape

• Emerging Powers:
  • Buffalo and Montreal are now major players; Boston and Tampa stay formidable.
  • “Tampa, really good. Buffalo, really good… Montreal, really good. Ottawa’s a goalie away. And, then you think about Detroit…” —McIndu [20:58]
• Future for Ottawa and Detroit:
  • “When the music stops and all the chairs are occupied, especially in the Atlantic Division, there’s going to be at least one and maybe two teams in Ottawa and Detroit that are going to have some really, really tough questions…” —Corrado [08:07]

5. Toronto Maple Leafs Executive Mess & Keith Pelly’s Data-Driven Confusion

Pelly’s Press Conference:

• Vibes and Non-Answers:
  • “I think it was weird… talking about data-driven decisions, which is fine, but… the vibes were off.” —Gentili [25:42]
  • Boilerplate language about “AI and data,” but with vague applicability to hockey [30:16]
  • “That is… boilerplate, boring, non-specific, deliberately non-specific corporate nonsense.” —Gentili [31:16]
• The Data-Driven Paradox:
  • If they’re so “data-centric,” why did they miss on Buffalo and Montreal’s rise? Are they ignoring the info, or only accepting data that fits their biases? —Corrado [26:48, 29:00]
  • “Everybody wants data until the data tells you something you don't like. And I think Keith Pelly is about to figure that out.” —Gentili [35:00]

Structure and Search:

• What next for Toronto’s Front Office?
  • Suggestion: hire a president of hockey ops (poho), buffer for the CEO, then a more data-driven GM underneath (echoing old Shanahan/Dubas structure). —[35:00–37:55]
• Money Issues and Ownership:
  • Increased “nickel-and-diming” as Rogers becomes sole owner; potential for fan backlash.
  • “For the first time in 40 or 50 years… when I want to have my little temper tantrum… I can make a phone call and say, you know what? Switch my cable over to a competitor.” —Corrado [40:37]

Candidates Named:

• Mike Gillis for President & Brandon Pridham as GM are floated as a dream fit:
  • “...A president who has been through the ringer… then a GM who’s data driven, who’s very well liked and knows the organization.” —McIndu [41:17]
  • But real autonomy required, not constant interference from CEO or non-hockey board members.

Timestamps:

• Leafs executive segment starts at 25:42
• Data-driven critique: 29:00–35:00
• Staff structure debate: 35:00–43:25

6. Notable, Entertaining Moments

• Favorite Atlantic First-Round Matchups:
  • “I like the Montreal-Tampa thing, just because of the Marty St. Louis storyline.” —McIndu [23:17]
• End-of-show Banter:
  • “That was like the easiest segment of my life. Good God.” —Gentili [46:13]
  • “Have they scheduled your interview yet…?” —[46:43]
• Goalie Fight Chat:
  • Joyful discussion after Igor Shesterkin fights Jacob Markström, including “goalie Gordie Howe hat trick” jokes and reminiscing about Marc-André Fleury. —[52:45–56:31]
  • “Igor Shesterkin could not have looked less concerned by the fact that another goalie had suddenly appeared in his peripheral.” —Corrado [54:05]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:47: Start of Ullmark/Senators segment
• 03:42: Mental health, athlete availability & criticism boundaries
• 06:14: Ullmark’s absence, team response, local reaction
• 09:34: Senators' future, possible buyout/trade of Ullmark
• 13:05: Senators’ brutal remaining schedule
• 14:44: Detroit’s schedule and infamous March collapses
• 18:05: “Pillow fight” playoff race in the East
• 25:42: Toronto Maple Leafs segment begins
• 29:00: Corrado’s "data-driven" critique
• 31:16: Gentili eviscerates corporate AI speak
• 35:00: Blueprint for Leafs’ front office rebuild
• 41:17: McIndu proposes Gillis/Pridham as new management
• 52:45: Goalie fight discussion (Igor vs. Markstrom)

Memorable Quotes

• “If you're on the bench… that means you're available… You gotta kind of come to the table.”
  —Sean McIndu [03:47]

• "If you can't play, you can't play. But five shots on 16 goals with just bizarre body language…it's not a good situation."
  —Sean Gentili [05:31]

• “They don’t need the $8 million goalie to be $8 million every night. They just need okay goaltending.”
  —Frankie Corrado [08:07]

• “This is starting to feel like a pillow fight.”
  —Frankie Corrado [18:05]

• “That is… deliberately non-specific corporate nonsense.”
  —Sean Gentili [31:16]

• “Everybody wants data until the data tells you something you don't like. And I think Keith Pelly is about to figure that out.”
  —Sean Gentili [35:00]

• “They nailed all of this at the start of the Shanahan era. But then… they got paralyzed. They couldn't make a tough decision.”
  —Frankie Corrado [43:25]

• “Igor Shesterkin could not have looked less concerned by the fact that another goalie had suddenly appeared in his peripheral… At that point, that's got to be when Jacob Markstrom was like, I may have made a mistake here.”
  —Frankie Corrado [54:05]

Tone and Overall Style

• Deeply analytical but candid and irreverent.
• Banter-laden, packed with in-jokes, blunt assessments, and the perspective of both analysts and ex-players.
• Straight talk with humor—a focus on real consequences for teams, avoiding sugar-coated “positive framing.”
• Earnest engagement with mental health topics and player criticism boundaries.

For Listeners: Why Listen to This Episode?

• Understand why Ottawa’s season may hinge on their goaltending, and the real-world consequences of a high-priced contract gone wrong.
• Get the dirt on why the Leafs keep cycling through chaos, with a rare inside media perspective on the “data-driven” front office trend in sports.
• Enjoy sharp, funny, and occasionally biting banter on the weirdness of being a hockey fan in 2026.

(Note: Segment transitions, intros/outros, and ads have been omitted for clarity and focus on episode content.)