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Chapter 1: What updates does Frank Seravalli provide about the NHL and Mike Babcock?
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We are now in Hour 2 of the program. Frank Ceravelli, our NHL insider from Victory Plus, is going to join us in just a moment here to kick off Hour 2. Hour 2 of this program is brought to you by Jason Hominok at jason.mortgage. If you love giving the banks more of your money, then don't let Jason shop around to find the perfect mortgage for you. Visit him online at jason.mortgage.
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Let's go now to the Able Auctions hotline. As mentioned, our next guest, our NHL insider from Victory Plus, Frank Cervalli, here on the Halford & Breff Show on Sportsnet 650. Morning, Frank. How are you? Pretty good. How are you guys doing? We're well, you know, despite the fact that it's not just Stanley Cup finals time, but it's also an amazing Stanley Cup final.
We've spent a lot of time talking about things in the hockey world not related to the Stanley Cup final. And the first one, we've spent a lot of time about it this morning. Mike Babcock and the ongoing story about him potentially becoming the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Based on things right now, 7.06 a.m.
Pacific time on a Wednesday, what's the latest that you have in terms of information on where things are at with Babcock, the Edmonton Oilers, and the potential NHLPA investigation into his hire?
Yeah, so my sources indicate that the NHLPA has asked the NHL to put this potential Mike Babcock hiring on ice. until a formal investigation can be conducted and completed.
And part of the reason for that is when things got really messy in Columbus and the NHLPA first stepped in and Marty Walsh and Ron Hainsey flew to Columbus to meet with players, what happened shortly thereafter was Mike Babcock resigned. He came to a settlement with the Blue Jackets and there was never... No one really ever formally fact-checked or looked into the depth of the allegations.
And so with that, it kind of just went away and was left to fester until it reached a point where, and this was the unknown, if Mike Babcock would be interested in working again. So what I can tell, and I'm not...
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Chapter 2: What are the implications of the NHLPA's investigation into Mike Babcock?
Like it might stem back from further union members that have reported. I don't know. But they seem to be pretty concerned about the potentiality of Mike Babcock working in the NHL again. And they'd like to see his past, I think, be looked into with more detail and with a microscope.
What do you remember about the Columbus incident specifically? How many guys do you remember being upset about their interaction with Mike Babcock?
It's a really dangerous game to play to answer that, and I'll tell you why. Because I've seen some outlets quote and say, oh, well, this player says he was okay with it. This player, he didn't see any issue. I think you have to remember how this has historically worked for Mike Babcock and people who operate like Mike Babcock, which is, everyone kind of has a different experience.
The superstars get one treatment, the rookies get another, the vets get something different. The bottom of the lineup guys who are in and out could be treated on a totally different level than everyone else. And everyone views it through a different prism, which is part of the power dynamic that I think is at stake here that has left everyone feeling a bit uneasy about what happens next. So,
How many people were upset? How many people did he target with the phone? And how invasive was it in terms of what he was looking for, why he'd even asked the question or what he's looking through? I mean, all of that is kind of the reason why you need to have an investigation.
How long could this investigation take?
A great question. I don't know. And my assumption was, And this is what happens when you assume heading into this that because the Oilers were asking, and I think one thing that I really need to get to the bottom of today is what kind of power does the NHLPA have in this process?
Obviously, you could make an argument that this could be a claim about working conditions for union members, which is certainly a bargainable claim. thing that the NHLPA has grounds to step in on. But really what we're talking about is employment between a club and his stature or status in the league.
And so theoretically, there are some that could make the argument that, hey, look, the NHL can stamp its feet all it wants, but in the end, really, this is just about the NHL and the Edmonton Oilers. I don't think the league is going to bypass... It wouldn't even be in their best interest to bypass the NHLPA's concerns and allow Edmonton to do what it wants.
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Chapter 3: How does the player empowerment era affect coaching decisions in the NHL?
There's a lot to this. Maybe there's a thing where the Golden Knights win the Cup, they're satisfied, and Bruce Cassidy becomes
available i don't know yeah it really makes me wonder what happened last season in edmonton i mean we saw on the ice the oilers were pretty average team and uh some of us wondered if they'd you know flip the switch ahead of the playoffs they didn't and they lost in the first round and then all this it really makes me wonder what was going on in that room under knoblock
Yeah, I mean, when you see players and the stature of players that are McDavid and Dreisaitl publicly criticize the coach, I mean, it certainly leads you down that path. To me, the biggest thing and the biggest reason why the Edmonton Oilers were average last year is because their team got demonstrably worse from 24 to 25 to 26. That's the truth. Their roster is not nearly as good as it was.
Now, if you inject Mike Babcock into this equation, like let's just operate under the assumption that he's cleared and can work. I don't think the Oilers have ever been in a, in a more dark place really since you have to go way back to remember when there was that like watershed moment where Milan Lucic signed in Edmonton and it was like, Hey, look, Edmonton can attract free agents. Look at this.
People want to actually go there.
Yeah.
that that was edmonton became a destination because of mcdavid and because of the pull to try and win a stanley cup new arena new everything it's it's not going to be that anymore they're not going to be able to attract players and that's one part of the babcock situation that i think bears some serious discussion is our player recruitment efforts are Some may like him. Some may hate him.
Some may just say, look, I'm not even going there. Like, it's just a non-starter for me. Like, yeah. I mean, that might be a real factor for Edmonton moving forward.
We're speaking to Frank Cervalli, our NHL insider from Victory Plus here on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. I want to turn our attention to Detroit now. And Detroit actually might be breathing a sigh of relief that their former coach, Mike Babcock, is in the news because it takes away from some of the drama that has embroiled this organization over the last week.
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Chapter 4: What is the current status of Dylan Larkin's trade request from the Red Wings?
So that can't be the centerpiece of the deal. Minnesota, I see a much clearer path, but it's also going to involve some pretty difficult discussions because, man, Jesper Wahlstedt really seemed to be the guy. Are you willing to give up on a 21-year-old franchise goalie to land the center that you've been craving for a while?
Is that sort of the play? Because I know you also had stuff out there about maybe Sebastian Cosa, the younger Detroit goalie, potentially being on the move. So is that maybe starting to sort of become clear as a fit?
Maybe. I mean, I don't know what the Wilds think of Cosa, but I can tell you this, that Sebastian Cosa is not going back to the Detroit Red Wings next year. So wherever he lands, it's going to be somewhere else. They've just this is a classic case of a team over seasoning a goalie. Right.
Sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate that it would be Kosa going to Minnesota. It's like one goalie out, maybe a Wallstead in. And I know that Kosa hasn't played a ton, if at all, at the NHL level. I know his numbers in front of me, but it sounds like Eisenman has a lot on his plate here. And I'm just wondering, back to your earlier point.
what detroit can actually do because you're right like you can't i guess you could but to go into another rebuild having lost larkin because the teams that you're shopping with yeah it doesn't sound like that's an option but i don't know what a lot of these teams can offer up and like you said maybe minnesota can do the goalie thing but outside of that i think florida and vegas are win now teams it seems like this really hamstrings eiserman in this player empowerment sort of era
Yeah, I mean, not shocking that that would be the case, but look, I view this as a really difficult situation on both ends. I don't think anyone wants the specter of Dylan Larkin having to step on the ice again at Little Caesars Arena in September. I don't think that's going to play out well. The toothpaste is out. You can't put it back in the tube. So does...
If, if Iserman reaches, like, you know, he's going to get a good deal first off, because there's a really special player. And with the, the lack of difference makers and the total thin center market, having someone that's basically a point per game player under team control for the next five years, under 9 million bucks is a massive deal.
But will Dylan Larkin ultimately expand his list if Iserman can't get something done? I don't think that's outside the realm of possibility for the reason I mentioned.
Frank, what is the market for Brendan Gallagher going to be in this new era of cap space?
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Chapter 5: How are teams responding to Larkin's trade request?
Have a good week, guys. It's been terrific hockey, and we'll chat again next week.
Yeah, sounds good. Have a good week. See you, Paul. Thanks, Frank. Frank Cervalli from Daily Faceoff. Daily Faceoff. From Victory Plus here on the Halford & Breff Show on Sportsnet. 6.50. There's so much to unpack from the... And we'll put the Babcock thing aside because we've established it pretty well, but... Sorry? Sorry. Oh, hello, Adog.
Adog loves this new little thing that he's got where when I'm in the middle of a sentence, that's the best time to yell an instruction in my ear. There it is. The Larkin situation and the player empowerment era, which I kind of want to stop using that. As a phrase, the player empowerment era. I just think it's players just doing their thing, being players. Sounds like a social justice.
Yeah, it feels like it has way more gravity to it than what it is. Guess what the hour two podcast title is going to be called. Mike and Jason discuss this influential era. And, you know, I'll just say this. There's a lot out there right now about, and obviously it's a lot of American players about going home or going back to the good old US. They're going home.
You know, and you're going to hear more and more of it. And some of it will be framed accurately where it's like guys get to call their shots in their career. And they're, you know, going to want to, some of them want to go back to either where they grew up or whatever. I think the important thing here is that it's not always about fleeing Canada for America, although there is that element of it.
There is that element of it.
Yeah.
I think the really interesting part of this is going to be how many of these guys are looking at each other and being like, can we team up and win?
Yeah.
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Chapter 6: What are the expectations for Game 4 of the NBA Finals?
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Hey, it's Jamie Dodd and Thomas Drance. Get your daily dose of Canucks talk with us weekdays from 12 to 2 on Sportsnet 650 or catch up on demand through your favorite podcast app.
And it'll be corner three, fires away, shot's no good. And the Spurs win. What a response from San Antonio. They do it again. An inspiring road win. And they are right back in the series. The Knicks lead cut two games to one.
7.31 on a Wednesday. Happy Wednesday, everybody. Halford Sportsnet 650. Something on every night. It's amazing. It's crazy. Oh, yeah. The World Cup starts this week, too. Starts on Thursday. I know. That's tomorrow. tomorrow. You are listening to the Halford and Brough show on Sportsnet 650. Halford and Brough in the morning is brought to you by Sands and Associates.
They're ready to give you the financial fresh start you deserve with no judgment or upfront fees. Visit them at sands-trustee.com Game 4 of the NBA Finals goes tonight for Madison Square Garden. Chris Percy-Einen is going to join us in just a moment here to talk about that.
Before we get to Chris, I need to remind you that our two of this program is brought to you by Jason Hominuck at jason.mortgage.
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Chapter 7: How does the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden impact the Knicks' performance?
If you love paying too much for your mortgage, then don't let Jason shop around to find the perfect mortgage for you. Visit him online at jason.mortgage. As mentioned, our next guest is joining us live from New York. Nick's coverage for Clutch Points and Fan Sighted. Chris Prisciano joins us now on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Good morning, Chris. How are you?
Good morning. I am from First of all, very interested to see the result of tonight's game. And second of all, I'm a little concerned about the roof of Madison Square Garden if the Knicks can take a 3-1 lead in New York City.
Before we get into tonight's game, I got to ask you, being in Madison Square Garden for what was an absolute circus of an atmosphere for Game 3, almost separate from the basketball part of it, what was it like being at Madison Square Garden around that energy and electricity and atmosphere in Game 3?
I got to say, it was strange. It was a different feeling than every other round in the postseason. there's two reasons for that. One of the reasons is the finals are a little more important than the other rounds of the postseason. And the other reason is the sitting president didn't come to see any of the first three rounds. So, you know, entrances closed off.
One of the main towers of the building closed off for like an hour and a half during the game is just... You know, it was weird. But I guess what I'm trying to say ultimately is weird doesn't have to mean bad, right? Like weird can mean, oh, this is, you know, a new frontier for the Knicks. They've never made it to this round, this and that. But I don't know.
So I'm interested for tonight so I can try and kind of dissect what What the heck was going on the other day?
Do you think they had trouble with all the things, all the distractions? I mean, they really were. There was a lot of distractions.
Exactly. So I would like to think that this Knick group is a bunch of 30-year-old veterans in their prime of their careers. They're not really, you know, flapped by distractions or things like this. They've proven throughout the season that Well, even if things look bad, they might be bad, but they'll figure it out. That said, a lot going on the other day, right?
You've got 27 years since the last time the Knicks brought the NBA Finals to New York City. So there's buildup. You know, fans are like a shaken soda bottle a little bit. Then the president, is in town regardless of anything. The president being in town means the several block radius around the garden is closed off to the public.
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Chapter 8: What insights does Chris Pursiainen share about Jalen Brunson's impact on the Knicks?
People don't know how to handle it or the president's here and there were loud boos and people feel a little off or whatever it is, right? All the people, all the officials, whatever it is, I'm interested to see if what a larger sample size looks like tonight, because we always knew there were going to be two games in San Antonio, two games in New York.
I don't think anyone saw the Knicks winning both in San Antonio. And I think if you asked any of those people, if the Spurs would then win game three, they probably would, you would, you would have lost them there. So I don't know if anyone had a road team, road team, road team coming through the first three games.
So at the start of the NBA playoffs, I think most people were like, well, it's probably going to be Oklahoma city that wins it, but maybe the Spurs could knock them off. And the East was kind of like, and they're going to play some basketball in the East too. And they will, they will send someone to the final who get beaten by either Oklahoma city or San Antonio.
And the Knicks themselves actually started out by going down to one to Atlanta and in the first round. They then rolled off 13 straight wins. They embarrassed Philadelphia and their fan base and the Sixers had quit by the end of that sweep. They embarrassed Cleveland and the Cavs had quit by the end of that series.
And somewhere along that line, I think a lot of people were like, wait, maybe the Knicks could actually win this because I know the East isn't terrific compared to the top teams in the West, but what the Knicks are doing is incredible. When did you start wondering, hey, could the Knicks not only get to the final, could they actually win this thing?
Oh, you're going to... maybe not believe, or maybe groan at my answer. You know, I will say this. There were... It will seem characteristic of being New York City media when I tell you that I have tweets, I have videos, TikToks, conversations with random people on the street, I'm sure. Going back to March 4th, saying the three best teams in the NBA full stop are OKC, New York, and San Antonio.
So I have long felt like this Knicks team was the best team in the Eastern Conference and that they have a chance against the Western Conference. Now, I will say this. I was there in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup. I saw the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs. I also saw Shea Gilchrist-Alexander looked like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were related and had a cousin, and he plays now.
So basically, going into the postseason, I had Thunder beat the Knicks, beat the Spurs. You know, in a bit of like rock, paper, scissors. Styles makes fights, and I figured if the Knicks and Thunder played, it would be OKC because... They have the guard defense for Brunson and the wing and big defense for Towns.
Going back to March was when I really identified the Knicks and Spurs as two of the three best teams in the NBA, reason being the defenses. The defenses were so elite, even at that point in the season. If you look at some of the numbers, New York, their turnaround started a little earlier than Game 3 of the Hawks' series. Game four, rather, like you mentioned, but there were signs, right?
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