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Canucks Central

Don Taylor on the Conference Finals and Waiting on Manny

25 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What insights does Don Taylor share about the Conference Finals?

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Back in on Canuck Central. This is like a Notorious B.I.G. knockoff.

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This is like Cypress Hill. What is this? It's something.

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This is called Still Maintainin'.

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Still Maintainin', yeah.

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This sounds like a 90s New York rap song, 100%.

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Is there an artist to this?

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It says L.A. L.A. Hip Hop. This does not sound like L.A. Hip Hop. I agree. It sounds like very much New York. It kind of reminds me of that Biggie song Party and B.S. Remember? Yeah. A little bit. But it also has like to your point of Cypress Hill.

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Yeah. This feels far more Cypress Hill-y to me, which is L.A.

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Well, both. All right. Interesting. Interesting. Nice work. Yeah. This hour of Canuck Central is brought to you by your lower mainland Boston pizza. The playoffs are here and BP is ready. So skip the couch, catch every hit, every goal, every save, every playoff beard. This is how you watch playoff hockey as we broadcast live from the Kintec studio.

Chapter 2: How has John Tortorella impacted the Vegas Golden Knights' performance?

697.447 - 719.295 Don Taylor

They'll get it. And they want players who are like that, who get how lucky they are in life. And that serving a community and reaching out to people is important. The Canucks have always been like that, except for the last few years. And Daniel and Henrik clearly realize that. So does Ryan Johnson. And I think that's really, really important.

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Also to buy yourself some time, too, as you go through this rebuild process, right? Like garner good favor from everyone by being faces in the community as you embark on this rebuild plan and guys need to develop and everything. And this third overall pick has got to be a hit as well. Do you have a personal preference of what you think they should do at three?

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740.675 - 766.94 Don Taylor

Oh, gosh, guys. You know, you hear all these scenarios. It's funny. I will say Ivor Stenberg, and I just, you know, the little I've seen him play, I just think he, and I don't care about NHL ready. I care more about what he's going to be like three or four down the road. Don't get me wrong. I don't care about NHL ready, but more so what he's going to be like three or four down the road.

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766.98 - 790.741 Don Taylor

I just think he's, kind of a spark plug 200-foot guy that every team really, really needs. Now, is he going to be there? I'm not so sure. Having said that, Caleb Malhotra, a center, size, the connection to the connection. Will his dad be coach? I think you put that on the back shelf for now until his dad does become coach and he gets drafted. I don't think that's a bad choice either.

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791.362 - 816.365 Don Taylor

But it is funny. I will say this, that when it comes to Stenberg, you guys notice this, I think – the tone has changed in terms of, and I don't want to sound bigoted here for a second, but I think the tone has changed when it comes to drafting a Swede. Now that the Sedins and Johnson are there, because even though the Sedins are Swedish, I think people just trust them more.

816.766 - 837.349 Don Taylor

They just trust their... their ability to make the right choice more than they did the previous regime and the regime before that. So if indeed they do pick a Swede, I think because it's the Sedins and Ryan Johnson, I think people will be okay with that. Now, look, it could fall apart. We all know that. We all know the connection to draft history, recent draft history.

Chapter 3: How do injuries affect the playoff performance of teams?

838.05 - 863.381 Don Taylor

I kind of like that kid. I really do. And I know there's a possibility that McKenna, drops to third if Stenberg goes first to the Leafs and San Jose gets what it needs in a stud defenseman right-hander like Chase Reid, and then you take McKenna and that's fine. And the Canadian kid, people will like that. But I have a feeling Stenberg might even die.

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863.701 - 872.691 Don Taylor

And I could eat my words very easily, very shortly. I realize that. But I don't think I have a problem with that at all. He's done very well against men.

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You know what? It's interesting because I know we've talked about this in the past, but Gavin McKenna is very talented, but he doesn't have the quintessential Canadian game in terms of being that guy that goes in a dirty area. He's more of a perimeter, very dynamic player, which is fine because he can create from that angle. He can score. He has a good shot.

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He can drive the net, but he lives on the outside generally. Ivar Stenberg lives on the inside. And if it wasn't for the passport, I think people would be looking at Stenberg a lot more differently. I think it just kind of comes down to, again, I understand there is the hesitation because of things that have happened here.

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But from a strictly profile of the player, Stenberg's more Canadian in how he plays than McKenna is. And I don't think there's any question about that.

916.358 - 934.454 Don Taylor

So well said. And you're not the first person I've heard say that. Like, if you didn't know what the passport was, then you just watch the two players play. going with stereotypes, and we shouldn't generalize, we shouldn't go with stereotypes, you'd say, oh, McKenna's a Swedish guy. You know, oh, he's a fancy, great skater, great stick handler, sees the game well.

934.494 - 952.51 Don Taylor

But, you know, that Sedberg guy, clearly Canadian, you know, like goes to the dirty areas, you know, doesn't mind getting his nose dirty, all of that. So that's very, very true. And I think, you know, this day and age, yes, people want, I definitely want, there's nothing wrong with me saying as a Canadian, I'd love to see more Canadians on the Canucks.

953.047 - 958.855 Don Taylor

But that guy plays like the old cliche Canadian. I wouldn't have a problem with them drafting him at all.

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Also, too, with Caleb, it just seems like an extra hurdle to kind of figure it out. I don't know if it's as big of a deal for me personally. I think ideally professionals should be professionals and figure it out. But let's acknowledge that there is an added dynamic if it is Manny and Caleb together on the same franchise.

Chapter 4: What are the implications of coaching changes in the NHL?

1039.485 - 1054.562 Don Taylor

They feel he's the best, the best player available. And I think then when it comes to the father son relationship on the bench, I think it falls under the category short term at the very least as a pleasant problem. You go for it.

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Yeah, 100 percent. And, you know, It's impossible for us to say who's going to be the better player. We have opinions we watch, but obviously we're not the ones that are in the room. We're not the ones that are going to each one of these junior leagues and colleges to watch these players closely to know exactly, you know, what everything implies in terms of what they might end up being. But.

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I can be okay with the Canucks picking Caleb even a third overall, even if they pass on Stenberg, if they're doing it because they truly believe this player is going to be a high-end center. They truly believe the projection is if he's a second-line center, he'll be a high-end two-way centerman that can get you 70 points and also perhaps win a selkie.

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If that is your determination, I may not agree with it in terms of my valuation of it, but I don't have an issue with you taking a player if you truly believe this player is going to be that type of difference maker overall. What you don't want to see is you just pushing somebody up for the positional value of it. So I think that's ultimately what it comes down to.

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Because if Caleb Malhotra ends up becoming a Ryan Kessler type who gets you 70 points and can win a Selke, even if he's not a first-line center, I think that's a perfectly fine selection third overall.

1121.021 - 1136.414 Don Taylor

Absolutely. I mean, you had me at Selke winners. They'll take that. Keep in mind, Ryan Kester, they realize he has his issues these days, but taken later in the first round of that tremendous 2003 draft.

1136.874 - 1158.53 Don Taylor

But, yeah, somebody like that, not necessarily a 90, 100-point player, but somebody who's a 200-foot player who makes life miserable for the other team and has size and meat on him, I'm all for it. But it can't just be because he's a center. It has to be because he's the best player available. in your opinion.

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It's just so tough when you're the defensive guy because you have to be so inch perfect when you're taking that high because defense, you're not in control of the game.

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The high and upside guys, like the skill guys, fucks on your stick and you can just kind of see how you can manipulate and control the game and passing on skill at that stage, especially if it's passing on Stenberg at that spot, right?

Chapter 5: What challenges are the Canucks facing in their coaching search?

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If it doesn't, not a big deal. A top three pick and the dynamics around that, that's... franchise-defining. And yeah, it may seem like it's a different rule for different types of players, but that's the reality.

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Greg, this is a no-no. Perception of conflict of interest is a major issue. Look, it comes down to a situation that's like, are decisions made...

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that are conflicts of interest right right if everything is earned and it's like you start as a fourth liner you work your way up and like all that then i think it should get viewed differently and if caleb's like this awesome star there's not gonna be complaints of like why is that guy playing so much i mean no but he's like a middling player and he's getting huge minutes okay then it's a huge issue yeah but the thing is until it's okay if it works out but that's the situation with anything right that's ultimately how you do it

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All right, keep your thoughts coming in to our Dunbar Lumber text inbox, 650-650. Frank Cervalli is next on Canuck Central. But it also has, like, to your point, a Cypress Hill. It feels far more Cypress Hill-y to me, which is L.A.

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Chapter 6: Why is the delay in hiring Manny Malhotra significant?

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Do you know what's saying in the brain?

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