Brian Lawton

Thanks for having me on.

This is a team that you and I have talked about over the season, Bob, that really didn't get to involving more players earlier.

Yep.

And I felt like that hurts at a moment like this when you kind of need everybody.

Another player stepped up.

and certainly played well.

Pod Kozlum and Kapanen I thought were exceptional in the playoffs, but it's more than that.

Dickinson was obviously hurt, but it's about developing your team over the season so that when you get in the playoffs, you can withstand at least one player, even if it's your star player, being a little bit injured, being a little bit off.

All the other teams go through the same thing.

Everybody knows it.

I know you and I talked about it multiple times in the middle of the year.

Got to get other players involved, got to develop them, got to make sure they're ready down the stretch.

There was a lot of McDavid and Dreisaitl this year.

And unlike basketball, it takes more than two players to win a championship.

I don't think it unsettled the team as a former player.

The important thing for a club is that there's a level of fairness in the club, but that doesn't mean everybody is treated exactly equal.

I think players recognize that

Connor's going to get different treatment than the rest of the guys.

I thought Connor did an incredible thing, which he caught a lot of grief for in not pushing for the highest amount that he could have commanded.

And he did that quite simply for one reason.