Johnson on Matthews' uncertain future, the potential duo with McDavid and the relationship with Sundin
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What is Mats Sundin's role with the Maple Leafs?
And look who's jumped on the train. Look who's jumped on the train in the second hour.
Disappointing you didn't play it coming in, JP.
Yeah, Mike Johnson in here. He runs the operation in the second hour.
You want to hit it just quick, JP?
Get back on the train, folks. Hour two. Brian Hayes, Jamie McLennan, Jeff O'Neill, and MJ in studio. There you go.
It's seamless. I mean, this guy is a seasoned pro. This feels like old school.
We used to do this all the time. All the time.
How does Sundin's relationship with Matthews influence the team?
Around here. You know who we are? Chayka and Sundin. Sundin and Chayka. Best friends. Just two buddies running the operation.
Since 2012.
It's beautiful.
How about that? They've been buddies for a long, long time. We have complementary visions, in alignment, vertical integration. Totally.
The connection between the two is undeniable. It really is. They stayed in touch since the MEM Cup back in 2012.
What are the implications of Matthews' uncertain future?
What do you make of that, Johnny? I mean, it was not surprising what's happened. We all sort of knew it was going this direction. You know, a press conference yesterday was illuminating. I don't think they... the people on the stage should have been surprised by any of the questions. I mean, maybe the tone of them, but the actual questions. For Mats, having spoken to Mats and sort of hearing what he said yesterday, I think he's very much with his immediate eye on That culture is a weird word. But like the dressing room and how guys are treated and treating each other and the atmosphere. And that's when he's referring to the older guys and Dougie and Wendell and Dux or whoever. That he's going to go down that road of trying to make the room a way that he envisions it should be.
Let me just interrupt there, Johnny. For people that think that Matt's is this... skillful European player.
Could Matthews and McDavid form a super team?
He is that, but this guy, that's right, he can lose it and he can set the standard where it's just, I've seen it happen, where he's not just, ah, whatever, those guys can do it. That's not the way he can do it.
No, he's not saying, I'm going to lead only by example. That's not what he was. Now, you read a lot of people saying, he was never a good leader. I'm like, nah, he was. Just because you didn't see it. You didn't hear it.
They say that because they never won.
Right, but they were never in the room when he tears a strip out of me for not being very good and demanding more. He has a real sense of that. I think his title, for Matt specifically, it's sort of clear what he's going to do. And while he is going to have conversations about transactions and players, he's not talking about depth charts, who the Milwaukee Admirals might have in their third line, right winger for a P. He's not doing that to start. He may get there, but to start, he's like, how do we make it so this room functions better in a manner that he believes a winning room has to operate? And I think he's very...
What organizational changes are necessary for the Maple Leafs?
equipped and experienced to have those kind of conversations so quickly quickly i want to ask you guys because you can answer this you guys have both been in that room noodles you've been in your own rooms He's no longer the former player, though, right? Like, you can't pull Matthews aside and say, hey, we're just two captains, let's grab a beer and talk as players. He's not that anymore. Why can't he? Because he's not. He's technically Matthews' boss now, or he's in the executive office.
That's part of the reason why he's there, is to go and grab a guy and have a coffee, have a beer, and say, let's... Let's talk hockey. He can blend. Okay.
I guess that's what I'm asking you. I'm asking you to play the role of Matthews and Willie. Do you think they look at him differently? Is he a confidant?
How does leadership change with Sundin's hiring?
Or is he going back to tell Chayka and them and saying, hey, Boston just told me we've got problems in the room. And it's like, well, you're no longer Matt's the guy who – you're not a player anymore. That's what I'm getting at. He's got to shed the I'm the former player because he's an executive now.
You don't think Dave Poulin in Ottawa who – is an executive, he's an assistant GM, you don't think he goes down, has a coffee, grabs a guy and says, you know that play last night?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is Mats Sundin's role with the Maple Leafs?
0:00–0:31
2
How does Sundin's relationship with Matthews influence the team?
0:31–0:52
3
What are the implications of Matthews' uncertain future?
0:52–1:50
4
Could Matthews and McDavid form a super team?
1:50–2:56
5
What organizational changes are necessary for the Maple Leafs?
2:56–3:41
6
How does leadership change with Sundin's hiring?
3:41–4:28
7
What factors could lead to Matthews leaving the Maple Leafs?
4:28–5:24
8
How might the Leafs improve their chances of retaining Matthews?
5:24–28:25
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from OverDrive
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