Chapter 1: What are the latest NHL headlines discussed by Darren Dreger and Chris Johnston?
Hour 2 Overdrive continues, powered by FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score. Brian Haziodog, Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McLennan, and look who we have here. Darren Dreger and our Italian correspondent himself, Chris Johnston.
Cristiano.
Cristiano. Cristiano Johnston. Did you enjoy yourself over there, CJ, in Italy, or what?
It was an interesting trip. It was pretty quick there and back and fair amount of work, probably not as much play or fun as you might imagine, but it was cool to get a sense of the city ahead of the Olympics. And then obviously to be one of the first people, I guess, in our business anyway, inside that arena, getting a feel for what is and isn't happening there.
CJ, what is your one major takeaway if you had one with the facilities?
It's not going to be up to a standard you'd probably expect in an AHL behind-the-scenes rink, you know, let alone an NHL one. But I still think there's going to be enough there for them to play. And given how badly we know NHL players have wanted to get back to the Olympics and get back on that level, I mean, I certainly expect the tournament to go ahead.
And, you know, at the end of the day, the men's tournament runs February 11th to 22nd. It's not even two full weeks. So, you know, I think that You won't hear any complaining publicly anyway once the guys get over there.
I think that they understand it's not going to be what they're used to, but that the stakes are pretty high and that this is going to be a level of hockey that most of them have been dying to get back to for a decade.
Just to follow up on that, CJ, did anyone there at the facility or arena, what is the excuse? How did this just creep up on them, and how are they so behind?
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Chapter 2: What insights did Chris Johnston share about the Olympic arena in Milan?
And, you know, one thing they said to me is they got going a little bit late. in part because of COVID timing that, you know, between when they got the Olympics in 2019 awarded to them, and obviously they didn't get shovels in the ground until spring 2023, that sort of the world had changed and maybe some of the financial picture had changed.
So, you know, it sounds like they really just got going late and haven't been able to get ahead of it and catch up. And so that seemed to be the main issue. And then, you know, beyond that, there's just sort of this idea that, that Italians are pretty laid back and that, you know, they always get it done in the end, but they maybe aren't, you know, as get up and go as some other countries.
I mean, I can't speak to that myself specifically, but I definitely heard that. I mean, that sentiment was in the air a lot that maybe they just do things on their own schedule here. And so right now they're doing a lot of work to get it done.
So, CJ, we had a spirited debate about how you got the assignment to go over. Like, this isn't a scenario here where it's like, oh, you just acted like you were hard at work and, oh, you know, geez, I dreaded going over. Like, you're going to Italy. and I'm sure you had great food, you were able to go for runs, do whatever you needed to do.
Do you believe, in all of this information that you've been reporting back, they're still going to be able to have a great product, and the ice is still going to be fine, and you still believe that the Men's Olympics is going to be fantastic from that facility?
I'm pretty optimistic, yeah. I mean, they just got that ice. Like, last weekend was the first games ever played on it. Naturally, when you're making ice, there's kind of a process to that. You know, but they have the guy, Don Moffitt, that's making the ice there, makes the ice for the Colorado Avalanche. So, I mean, they've got a lot of expertise on the ground.
And, you know, if you just take the arena ball and ignore the scoreboard small and all that stuff, like, it looks like a hockey rink. They have everything they need there. I mean, it might be a little different if you're a fan at those games. It doesn't seem like there'll be as many kind of amenities around the rink, we'll call it.
But let's face it, most people experience this tournament through TV. And so I think the games themselves will happen, noodles and end. You know, most of us back home will be almost none the wiser once it actually gets going. And we're just focused on, you know, who's winning, who's losing, all the things that are happening. So, yeah, I'm pretty confident about that.
And I got the assignment because I have a nice boss at The Athletic where I do my written work that they suggested to me about a month ago. Hey, we'd love to have someone go over there. Would you be willing to do that? And it took me about... Less than 10 seconds to reply with a yes.
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Chapter 3: How are the Vegas Golden Knights preparing for their upcoming games?
Calgary, we keep waiting for something to happen there. I mean, it's all around Rasmus Andersen, and then it shifts to Nazem Khadri. And I'm going to talk a little bit about Blake Coleman on Insider Trading because you can appreciate why a number of teams are calling on Blake Coleman. I mean, he's a good player. He's got the pedigree of a champion.
The problem is he's a high-character guy that the Flames value, and they might need to keep around. I mean, he can't sell off everything in their situation. So I think one of those teams, St. Louis, Vancouver, Calgary, I think one of those three will probably be the first to make a splash and go from there.
CJ, would you align with that?
The other part of it, too, is when... I was going to say, when you're this far out, it's like a waiting game. It's almost a game of chicken sometimes because the teams that have something to sell, I think it's natural to assume the best offer is still to come as you get closer to the deadline. That isn't always the case.
the case of course and so I think agreeing on a price on some of these players has been challenging you know that's certainly the case in Vancouver um you know where you know they're even more open for business this week as trades reported on insider trading on Tuesday but they've been open for business in a smaller way since December anyway and you know I think that they've engaged in an extensive amount of trade talk on their guys but it just seems like there's there's not
The urgency there. They are waiting for that shoe to drop. And so, Noodles, you're asking the right question. I just don't have the answer. I don't know what the sort of trigger moment is going to be. But let's hope it comes before the Olympic break. Because if not, it's a long wait until that roster freeze lifts at the end of February.
Right. Well, and you look at the two Canadian teams that are pretty comfortably in, Edmonton and Montreal. You know, like you talked about Calgary and Vancouver on the other end of the spectrum. Do we picture those two teams being hyperactive? Like I would assume Edmonton will do everything they can. I don't know how much they have. Montreal's got a lot of picks, prospects.
You know, they've done it right. Like if you're in Vancouver, I think you look at Montreal and say, let's try to do that if we can. The Habs are in a position where I would think if they wanted to acquire someone, they could basically acquire anyone they want.
Yeah, I mean, Pierre's talked about this, and I'm sure that they are one of the teams that have that appreciation for Blake Coleman, right? But are you willing to overpay? Are you willing to pay a premium to get that piece? Because that's what it's going to take for Craig Conroy to consider it. They'd like some help up the middle of the ice.
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Chapter 4: What is the status of Mitch Marner's performance with the Maple Leafs?
You know, is it even possible that they look at an Azam Khadri with the Calgary Flames, right? The market is thin at center ice. It is, especially when you're looking for guys who can comfortably play number two. Kent Hughes has been looking for those type of players for months, for months, and he has the assets.
I mean, they've got a good young prospect pool that they can dip into, but, you know, you can't be crazy either. Just because you have a want and you have the assets doesn't mean you have to overpay, but I can see Montreal being active soon.
Yeah, they're an interesting team right now. There's no disputing that. All right, boys. Well, it's going to be a fun one tonight. League school nights, bunch of games in the NHL. Great seeing you. CJ, great to have you back on Canadian soil. We'll do it again soon. Thank you for this. All right, boys. Have a good night. All right, best bets still to come, powered by FanDuel later in the hour.
Again, the weather in Toronto is wild, but the PGA Tour is back. We're waiting on baseball signings. You know, the spring, summer, it's around the corner. It's around the corner. And my boy Nick Taylor is seven under. He's tied for the lead right now. He's on 18. out at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Did you take him? I took him. Absolutely. I took him. You took your boy Ben Griffin. He's 7-under.
Oh, Benny. Danny McCarthy's in the hunt. Harry Hall's in the hunt. Where's Vijay? That's a great question.
That stinky old Harry Hall with that hat is in the hunt?
He's in the hunt. He's 5-under.
I knew you could do it, hair.
Yeah. Oh, Vijay's just teeing off. We should go live to Vijay teeing off. If we have access to that. Awesome. Imagine a Vijay Singh tracker in Hawaii.
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Chapter 5: What are the implications of the Maple Leafs' goaltending situation?
I really don't.
It's on a short list.
It is on a short list, especially if they're busy and just doing stuff. You better get up, man.
Well, we got a tournament we're going to this weekend. So it was a big, you know, it was a packing. We got a lot going on. So, you know, we'll be fine. Like, I got a couple of texts and a couple of, you know, emails from people that they're on buses, like, driving all over the place going to tournaments. You know, like old school, young kids, you know, U10 teams. Like, we're off to Montreal.
We're grinding it out. We got to get there. Like, got to do it. Right? You're committed. You got a tourney this weekend. The old should we go the night before routine, which probably would have happened. That, again, can't happen because I'm doing the panel tonight. So we got that, and it's going to be quite the scene. Quite the scene this weekend.
Well, it should be all cleared out tomorrow. I think it'll be okay. You're probably good to go super late tonight, but your kids don't want to.
Well, I'm doing a panel, and then I'm doing the show tomorrow. We've got the show tomorrow. So I'll roll in late, and we'll figure it out. But big, big tournament. Big weekend this weekend. Big hockey weekend. Where's the tourney? It's in Cambridge. So it's not a long trip. Didn't you already go to Kitchener? Yeah, exactly. We've had our two away tourneys.
This hotel we're staying at is seven minutes away from the previous one.
Oh, my word.
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Chapter 6: What trades are being speculated around Elias Pettersson?
Well, the amount of media that went to L.A. to see him last night, there were a bunch of media members that got out in front of it, went to see him last night. There's going to be a bunch of them down there, not just rights holders and that. This is something that the market, and I'm sure the team, is bracing for because of the magnitude of the Leafs. When Petrangelo went down there, I doubt St.
Louis media was like, we've got to send a bunch of people down when he plays the Blues for the first time. Eichel and Buffalo, Stone and Ottawa, the Leafs and their media and the coverage He's very unique. He's as well-known of a Toronto Maple Leaf and as an athlete and celebrity in the city over the last decade as almost anybody. And a polarizing exit, too. Big time. Big time.
The way it went out, the way he might have been circling it and thinking, I want to get out of here. The way they played in Game 7, himself included. The news of whether or not they could have acquired Rantanen, all that kind of stuff. It just builds and builds and builds, and it's deep into the season. We're into January. They've played 40-plus games already, and we haven't seen them yet.
So it's a big one tonight. Joseph Wall getting a start. Matthew Nines was not at the skate this morning, but he's going to play. I think the Leafs show up tonight. I think they're going to have a good game. I think they need to because of what happened a couple of nights ago, and Vegas is going to be ready to play.
Yeah, you've got to be ready to play against them. We've seen them go into that building. They have had some success in there, but they've also got their asses handed to them a couple times. They will bully you out of a game. We talked about it earlier. This is not the Colorado Avalanche. They're not going to be zooming around a million miles an hour. but they are going to play a heavy game, man.
Those guys are monsters. Gordon Miller talks about it every time this game happens. Their defensemen are gigantic.
Yes. Yep. And it's a big team overall, so you've got to be committed. Got to be ready. Got to be ready. Best bets powered by FanDuel. Make your picks and assemble a same-game parlay in seconds on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Least paying plus money. I'm going to jump on that. Austin Matthews, anytime goal scorer tonight. There's your parlay going into the game. Best bets powered by FanDuel.
Same game parlays around the NHL are available on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Please play responsibly. 19 plus physically located in Ontario. All right, boys. Well. Let's see what happens tonight. It's going to be a fun one breaking it down tomorrow. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out. We appreciate it. Everyone for tuning in today.
TV, radio, podcast, web, and of course up on YouTube Live, every show up on TSN's YouTube channel. We're out of here. Enjoy your evenings. Enjoy the games tonight. We're back tomorrow at 4 p.m.
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