Johnson on the Maple Leafs' coaching sweepstakes, McKenna's future in Toronto and the Canadiens' quest
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What insights does Mike Johnson provide on Freddie Anderson's career?
Here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Freddie Anderson, if he wins a Stanley Cup, what does that say about him, his career, his stint in Toronto, Carolina, etc.? Go ahead, Johnny. I think it will do a good job in making people reflect on a guy who's had a very, very good career. It's not been perfect. It's not been a best in the league kind of guy. Although I think he did win a Jennings noodle, so I'm not mistaken. Back in Anaheim, he might have won one. But he's been really good. He's got 300 plus wins. He's got like the seventh highest save percentage of all time. He's got great counting stats. There's all kinds of reasons, injuries, durability, that kind of stuff that has hurt him playing in Toronto, some of those playoff moments.
But he's had a borderline great career. It's not Hall of Fame worthy, but his numbers are right up there. He's been good for a long time. And I think if he were to win a Stanley Cup, it would force people to at least acknowledge, yeah, he's not a top five goalie, but he's had a really, really solid career. And winning a Cup is a nice little cherry on top of it.
MJ, your smoothie was wrong, man. You made the coach's smoothie last week, and you said it's going to spit out a coach that's not going to be talked to. You know what I'm talking about. So do you need to mix up the ingredients with Jay Woodcroft apparently not being interviewed? Let's get back to the counter and the cashier and get some different ingredients and spit out a different name.
I am surprised about that. They must have... somebody in mind, wouldn't they? Like, if you're just sort of canvassing the field, I think Jay Woodcroft would be a guy who wouldn't warrant an interview. Doesn't mean you have to hire the guy, but you can learn what does he see? Why does it fit? Why does it not fit? Why do you be reinforcing going a different direction? But to just flat out say, no, no, we don't need to talk to that guy, I think that's surprising to me, given the nature of where the Leafs seem to be and how they seem to want to play, or maybe at least how I think they want to play. So if I'm running the smoothie bar, I'm running the same way. Like I told you what I think the Leafs should do.
I told you that's the kind of coach that I think they should go get. That would do well for them. Now maybe I have to franchise the Leafs smoothie bar and cook the one they want. And I guess if they were trying to get better now, like in the next two years to be sort of competitive for the playoffs or do something in the playoffs, they probably would want... maybe more of a taskmaster, maybe a bit more sort of detailed defensive side of the puck kind of guy. They'd want Bruce Cassidy. If you want to be good, let's be honest. If you want to be the single greatest bump from a coach, probably for next year, would be Bruce Cassidy. He is a very good coach. Now, he might only have a two-year shelf life because he's hard on guys, but for those two years, teams are always way better, and they're really good with him.
So, oh, I guess if you want me to go a different direction, I'm going the opposite direction. You go Bruce Cassidy, disciplinarian, taskmaster, old-school guy, direct in your face, but he'll make them better, So if that's how they want to go there, if they can ever talk to him, maybe they can't talk to him, but he would be that kind of coach would work.
But maybe John Chyka walked into MJ's smoothie bar all horned up, and he said, I want a lot of David Carl spice in this smoothie, and it better come out the other end, Johnny.
I mean, it's amazing that David Carl, a college hockey coach, like think about recent college hockey coaches who've jumped right from college into the NHL. Like Dave Haxtell did it right. He went right from North Dakota to Philly. Did not go great. There was a steep learning curve. And the fact that David Carl, because of success in Denver... his success with the World Junior Program with Americans. He is getting to call his own shot and write his own ticket all around the league.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What insights does Mike Johnson provide on Freddie Anderson's career?
0:00–4:50
2
What are the Maple Leafs' coaching options and strategies?
4:50–6:12
3
How does Evan Bouchard's injury impact the IIHF World Championship?
6:12–11:40
4
What is Gavin McKenna's potential future with the Maple Leafs?
11:40–17:31
5
How do the Canadiens compare to other Canadian teams in the playoffs?
17:31–19:34
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from OverDrive
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