Jeff O'Neill

is the discussion coming out of Brady's presser was not, why did you not have a point in the series?

Why, as the captain, did you not play better to allow your team to have a lead during the series?

Instead, it's about his future.

It's almost a cop-out, and it's probably something Brady, he may not look at it this way, but it kind of eases the pressure, right?

Like, he didn't have to show up and talk about his own play.

He's talking about people worried he's going to leave, right?

If I'm a player, I'm like, yeah, let's talk about that stuff because I don't want you asking about why I didn't show up during the four games we got swept.

That's much better for me.

No, it is.

And listen, the reality is...

You know, Marner went through this, too.

We can include him.

We always include just Americans.

There's Canadians that do it, too.

Let's not forget that.

The biggest one in recent memory in this city was a guy that grew up 25 minutes up Yonge Street from the rink.

And the exit strategy, and I'm not suggesting this is what's happening with these guys.

I don't know what's going to happen with the future of all these players.

But the exit strategy in a Canadian market is blame the crazy media and spin the passion of the fans against themselves.

Because there's an understanding that there's always a little bit of an inferiority complex up here.