Kevin Bieksa

The first year I was only there for half the year.

It wasn't my fault.

I had my guy the whole time.

So I don't really count that.

So like two times in my career, and they were spaced out.

And after each time missing it, there was a ton of pain.

There was a lot of pain and there was a lot of pissed off energy going into the summer.

And that fuels you.

So you hope that it doesn't happen.

Especially for the Leafs, you hope it's a one-off and they can somehow retool, rebuild on the fly.

And then Vancouver, how do they take that next step?

It's got to be a huge step to contend for a playoff spot.

But how do you contend or how do you take a big step next year and be a team that people take serious?

You'd have to be, I don't know what you think, you'd have to be an older veteran guy to really care who the GM is.

Yeah.

Most of the time you're, you're a player and you're, you're not even thinking about that.

You don't really understand how that all even works.

Like as a young guy, when Gillis came in for known as I had known as for the first few years of my career.

And then Gillis came in and like, I didn't know, I didn't know what he was qualified at.

I didn't even know.