Johnson on Rielly's future with the Maple Leafs, Carlsson's possible captaincy snub and Hellebuyck and Larkin's outlook
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What is Mike Johnson’s overall outlook for the Maple Leafs heading into the season?
Here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Johnny, do you have a read on Jim Hiller yet and the the stamp he's trying to put on his team?
Not necessarily. Like I know he had a good defensive team in LA. And I know that they had, you know, literally limited chances, but I don't know if that was his work or that was sort of a function of the way they played for so long under McClellan and that 1-3-1 and can't even do that here. So I don't know if that's what he wants to do. The I do know the only thing that's sort of come clear about what he's going to maybe try to do is really try to maybe manage zone starts, like sort of getting Austin and John Tavares out of their own end for defensive zone face-offs. Get Morgan Ryland and Darren Radish out against different opposition in the offensive zone, whatever it might be. Beyond that, I'm with you, Ayes.
I mean, I called the game, I talked to him, he seems like a lovely guy, really nice, sort of calm and respectful and and polite, but I'm not exactly sure what the team is going to look like under him.
Johnny, before O oh's Oh has a question for you, but I want to finish on the Leafs before we get to that.
We'll get to that question. I know where he's going and we'll get to it.
I I've got a question for you about the Leafs and for the follow up there. You know, Hiller had had mentioned that Morgan Riley and Radish would be he was going to try them out. Have you dug into the numbers on that? Like a what what is your initial take on that based on both the way both players play. Uh considering you do have Tanneh and McCabe who are more shutdown guys, would it be better to sprinkle those two amongst those guys or or keep it like what he's talking about to start with?
Well, I I would only say this, I mean Darren Radish had pretty good underlying numbers last year in Tampa, regardless of who he played with, regardless of who was on the ice with. They were very strong, sort of tilting the ice and playing the offensive zone. Even on a good team, his numbers were solid. But I think we've seen with Morgan Riley, and I think we all will preface everything we talk about Mo is he's a good dude. We ri you have to like him, you have to respect him. Ten year in Toronto. He hasn't been a great defensive defenseman for quite some time, and they've tried a whole bunch of different partners, and it's never really made a huge difference in being really airtight defensively. So I guess my hunch would be that Darren Radish and him will not be airtight defensively.
Like they won't be great in their own end, managing that part of the game. Now they will be good when they get it, and they will be good when they're going the other way and they get to the offensive end.
That they can just chew up all the hard minutes and they'll sprinkle the other whatever thirty four minutes in the game to the offensive guys and then the third pair as well.
Johnny, is there anything that's been put together through the first ten days of training camp, whether it be Roslovik with Matthews Whether it be Riley or Getting paired up on defense with Radish, like and like the kid McKenna with you know, Nylander and and Tavares, is there any of those things that you just don't see working or starting the season?
Well, we gotta let see Radish and Riley, I guess, play a game. I gotta get one game together, I suppose. Um my my concern would be not that Gavin McKenna's not talented. I think you guys all I listened to you guys all talk about his game and he he looked like he is crafty and creative and uniquely gifted with the puck. But him and Tavaras and Nilan are together. That to me is that's a dangerous combination. Like yes, I get when they have the pocket, it could work really well, but when they don't, especially if Willie is not dialed into playing really well, that line might struggle a little bit. So that's the one that I'm sort of watching closely could work, but could also not. If uh especially William Eliner's gotta be so good taking the puck and controlling it for those other two guys that a lot will fall to him to be consistent every single game to help make it go night after night.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is Mike Johnson’s overall outlook for the Maple Leafs heading into the season?
0:00–4:11
2
How might Jim Hiller’s coaching philosophy change zone starts and defensive pairings?
4:11–6:40
3
Will the Morgan Rielly‑Darren Raddysh pairing improve Toronto’s defensive zone play?
6:40–9:29
4
Which bottom‑six forwards could step up if Roslovic doesn’t become a top‑line player?
9:29–11:10
5
Why was Leo Carlsson reportedly passed over for the Ducks’ captaincy?
11:10–13:07
6
Did ownership pressure influence the decision to give the captaincy to Michael Granlund?
13:07–15:11
7
What are the possible scenarios for Connor Hellebuyck’s contract and start‑season status?
15:11–18:05
8
Who will lead the next‑generation core – Dylan Larkin or Connor Hellebuyck?
18:05–20:06
Speakers
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