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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, it's Bob Stauffer. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Oilers Now ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime. 35 in oil country, Royal Pizza. Edmonton owned and operated 55 plus years. The quesadilla has returned. It's here to stay. Loaded with seasoned chicken, chipotle, mayo, peppers, onions, and cheese for only $15.95. Visit royalpizza.ca.
We head off to the River Creek Resort Casino Hotline and welcome back. One of your favorites. In fact, you want to know how popular this guy is? We had people texting our show Thursday when the Oilers made an announcement of three guys that got promoted and the organization said, when is Edmonton going to hire
Brian Lawton well Brian was working on other things and he joins us from parts unknown we welcome back to the show the former general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning he started Octagon's player agency knows Tom Dundon really well and of course the number one pick in the 1983 NHL draft hello Brian how are you
I am doing fantastic, Bob. And who wouldn't love to work for the Edmonton Oilers? Let's be honest. Yeah, absolutely.
Well, you know, and it's, it sucks because the last two years we've been in the Stanley cup final and, uh, and I, and I gotta tell you, um, Given that I've got some people that are important in my life now living in another city, it just reinforces it more how much I miss those extended runs.
It's awesome and it's frustrating, but I do want to talk about the two teams because the two teams that are in the final this year, you have a very close connection. How long have you known Tom Dundon for?
I've known Tom for probably since 18-ish, right around there.
Okay. Before he bought the team. All right. And you were a guy that predicted that this was going to be a unique owner and a guy that was really going to grab that Carolina franchise and turn around their fortunes. You're probably not too surprised by what's happened there, are you?
No, I'm not. I mean, every year the team's ā the record since Tom has joined is incredible.
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Chapter 2: What insights does Brian Lawton share about the NHL?
At one point, they went 24-3 in a 27-game run, a 16-game winning streak. That was in 23-24. And in 24-25, as you know, from November the 9th until February 6th, Edmonton did have the best record in the league. But they weren't as consistently good as what Carolina has been. And talk about being rewarded one year later.
A lot of criticism with how the whole situation with Rantan worked out last year for Carolina. Maybe you need to look at who knocked them off last year, too. Sometimes the matchup, sometimes one fighter has another advantage over another fighter. But this year they're looking like geniuses like Stan Coven came over in that trade.
They use one of the picks in the rent and trade to go get Keandre Miller. I mean, it's sort of it's it's it's got to be a special year down there, knowing that so many of their moves and these were chess moves have worked out.
Yeah, no doubt about it. And you look at. Like Tom's been talking to me a lot about Blake for quite a while now. And boy, has he ever played well. That line has been terrific. Taylor Hall, resurgence for him, no doubt. Looks like the Taylor Hall that most people from Edmonton know and love. But that line in itself has really single-handedly carried Carolina.
We saw Kent Hughes talking about it, which was a little... I'm not quite sure what to make of that. It was interesting to say the least, but at the end of the day, Carolina, they deserve to be there. They didn't have to play Florida. They didn't have to play Tampa.
Those teams I felt like would have been capable of beating them, but you can't take anything away from those teams didn't either go far enough for qualify.
12-1 is 12-1. Now, we will get to Vegas in a second, but first I want to talk about what happened today with Chris McFarlane. We both liked Chris McFarlane for a long time, like years and years and years. Pretty interesting that Colorado allows him to go to a divisional rival when he's their general manager. I think this is a major coup for Nashville, don't you?
Absolutely. Chris is an excellent general manager, very hardworking, very diligent in everything he does. He I would he's very Nouveau in the way he manages the club. He's really open to using every Avenue possible to improve the club. We saw that in Colorado didn't quite work out the way I thought it would for them in the end.
But at the same time when you have injuries and Edmonton certainly been a part of this the last couple years, it can change the complexity of your team. There's no doubt that happened when they lost kale McCarr McKinnon got hurt. a little bit with a thud, but he's done a wonderful job in None of this year should take away from that. They had a terrific season.
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Chapter 3: How has Tom Dundon's leadership impacted the Carolina Hurricanes?
You did talk to Dave about Evan Bouchard's deployment and said, you got to give this guy some more runway here. I think we just saw, I think Team Canada just found out how important Evan Bouchard was because they were a completely different team After he got absolutely crushed by Ryan Lindgren when he didn't have the puck, may I add. And, you know, he led the Team Canada in ice time.
He was plus 14 in the tournament. And they couldn't score five on five as effectively. Their power play just plummeted without Bouchard. Do you think maybe they got the hint? Maybe some people outside of Edmonton realized how good this guy is?
Evan's one of those guys that he's an easy guy to make excuses for why he isn't as good as he actually truly is. And a lot of good coaches have have it's taken them time to warm up to him. But it's mostly people from the outside that don't see him day to day and maybe see a highlight play here or there that I think don't give him the respect he deserves. He's an elite defenseman in this league.
I think Team Canada found out a lot and they'll be forever changed what level of play he can give you because he's proven that he can play at any level at any time. He's done it in the most important times for the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs. I just think he's one of the most misjudged players in the National Hockey League.
Yeah, in my opinion, he's literally a top five defenseman and yet, you know, doesn't make Team Canada. doesn't get the accolades he deserves. I think that's all going to change from here on out. I really do. It's easy to say Connor and Leon, they make them better. It's not true. He'd be good on any team in the league.
95 points. He led all defensemen in scoring, finished fourth in the Norse voting this year. We are joined by Brian Lawton, who for years was at Octagon's player agency. Brian, how... How much engagement and involvement should the players have, especially top end players, in maybe charting the course in the direction of organizations? We see it in other sports.
I believe Josh Allen was involved in the coaching search with the Buffalo Bills football club. Is this the way of the future, do you think, in the NHL as well?
I do. I think it's a sign of the times. I think it's also very situational. If a team is rolling along and everything's going perfect, I don't think you hear much. If things aren't going quite the way, you know, some of the star players want to see the organization going, then, you know, it's going to catch their ire and you're going to hear from them.
And obviously we're, you know, talking somewhat about Leon and Connor. You know, they had a lot to say this year. They were obviously frustrated. It didn't really affect their performance. They still showed up every night. But the new world is more of a combination between the players, management, coaches. These guys, I always say the same things. You guys have heard them a million times.
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Chapter 4: What makes the Edmonton Oilers' recent performance significant?
It's going to be tested against Vegas like it hasn't been so far, though.
Awesome stuff, Brian. Thank you for your time. Thanks, Bob. You bet. That is a long time. NHL agent, the man that started Octagon's player agency. It's one of the biggest player agencies in the book. Was a general manager two years of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Of course, the number one pick of the 1983 NHL entry draft, Brian Lawton. Modern measure, MDRN.
Measure to find fitter, to find stellar, to find you right in the heart of Ice District at Edmonton Tower. Modern measure. If they can make me look good.
imagine what they can do for you we'll be back in a second with this day in order's history and away we go reminder we have game one of the stanley cup final tonight after an 880 news weather traffic update welcome back everybody it is 552 in oil country let's go to this day in order's history for new west travel your local travel experts what do you got aiden
Well, on this day just two years ago, the Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final by beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Game 6 at Rogers Place, behind 33 saves from Stuart Skinner. The Oilers scored two power play goals in the first period, and when the dust settled, shots were 34-10 in favor of the Dallas Stars, an NHL record for low-scoring elimination games.
Skinner totally outplayed Jake Ottinger in that series. Put up a 9.22 save percentage. That series was close. The next year? Skinner was at 924 when the Oilers won in five. There you go. If you missed any of today's show, make sure to download and subscribe to the Oilers Now podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere you get your streaming audio.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, Pierre Lebrun, Rob Brown, and John Shannon will be our guests. Up next, an 880 News Weather Traffic Update with Thomas Dyess. And then we have game one, game one of the Stanley Cup final. Aiden, I got the Canes in six. Who do you got? Canes in seven. There we go. So Elliott's got the Canes in seven. Frank's got the Canes in seven.
And Brian Lawton went with Vegas in six. Hope it's a heck of a series. And we'll be back tomorrow. So long, everybody, from Oilers Now.
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