Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hour 2 Overdrive continues. Powered by FanDuel. Leafs-Ducks tonight. WBC tomorrow. We've got the players underway.
Chapter 2: What are the latest updates on the Maple Leafs and Ducks matchup?
Colin Morikawa pulled the chute today. Back injury. My number one pick yesterday. It seemed like he was too hungry to stick around. It was like second tee. It was like one practice swing, check, please. Yeah, like that was the Augusta swing. That was Augusta's in a month, and I love the players. There was a guy last year, I think, that just ā I think he had to hit one ball to get my cash check.
Yeah, you're right. Yeah, he got into the weekend. Yeah, because once you're into the weekend, like you make the cut, you've got to, I believe, play. I think it was like a ā a signature event, and he had to hit one shot to cash last place. He cheated and left because he was so hurt. But he's like, I'm cashing, man. Yeah, he did. Left the ball out there. Left the ball out there.
We have our former draft reporter here. Looks like he's on course right now. I know. What is going on? Yeah, you look great, man. You look like Mark Zucchino. Like what is happening here? I don't know. I think it's good luck for you. I got the cans on. We're good to go here. Nothing wrong with that. We got Chris Johnston at home. CJ's back. It's great to see you guys. So let's...
Let's do a little kind of looking back on what did or didn't happen at the trade deadline. Because, CJ, you can jump first and then, Dregs, you jump on too. Because after the fact, it became the Leafs and the Habs were talking and maybe Matthew Nyes and his name was out there. What is the reality here? What was actually being discussed? Was Matthew Nyes and his name out there?
What can you tell us? Well, 100% the Leafs had discussions involving Matthew Nyes. How close it got, I think, has probably been overstated a little bit in some circles. I don't have the impression that they got right down to the final stages and ended up missing on a deal with him. But let's look at the reasons why you would trade a Matthew Nyes. I mean, he has no protection in his contract.
he's probably the most valuable asset the leafs have i'm not saying by any stretch he's their best player but if you got to a point at any stage where they're trying to trade one of the players with a no movement clause they're not as valuable on the market because they're going to dictate where they go it's not a true you know open process for bidding and so you know i think given where the season's gone where things are at it just made sense for the leafs to listen on nice
You know, Dregs may know differently, but I have no reason to believe they got close, close to getting anything done there. But, you know, it's everything was on the table effectively and they listened and got a sense of his value. And we'll see if they pick that up. I don't even know we'll be making that call in the summertime, but it could obviously be something that's revisited down the road.
Yeah, I would say this. Every team has a group of players that maybe aren't untouchable, but they're very close to being untouchable. But that doesn't mean that other general managers, when they can see the direction that the organization is going, you make the call and you ask a what-if question.
You know, what if we were to put a real healthy package on the table for Matthew Nyes, would you listen? And I think that's exactly what happened, specific to the Montreal Canadiens. And I don't know this, but I think that the response from the Maple Leafs was Well, what are we talking about here? Michael Hage, two first-round draft picks, something else.
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Chapter 3: What discussions took place regarding Matthew Knies during the trade deadline?
Where do you go from here? Is this going to be a complete rebuild? Are they going to try to pull a Boston and get back into the thick of things? Or does it all depend on sit-down conversation at year's end with certain people to figure out which direction is even going to be attempted? Go ahead, CJ. I mean, it's the question. You're right, O-Dog. It's not being communicated.
I still think that based on the fact they don't have their next two first-round picks, and we all know the conditions on this one, but effectively they've traded away two first-round picks coming up. This is their first season out of the playoffs after nine years in, and they still have Matthews signed for two years and Willie signed for many more than that.
I think just on those circumstances alone, there's no way you do full rebuild. Now, I suppose if Matthews did come at the end of the season and said, OK, I want out, that changes things. But I don't believe that's necessarily going to be the case here.
I do think that there's a, you know, he and Nylander and any other veteran associated with this team is going to want to know what the direction is, what the plan is, who's making those calls, who's coaching the team. There's a lot of questions, I think, that are going to start. to be answered come mid-April when their last game has been played and some of those things get rolled out.
But at this point, I'm operating under the feeling that they're going to try to pivot on the fly and be more competitive next season because You know, whether they get this top five pick this year, let's just say they get lucky, they win the draft lottery. That means their 27 pick and 28 pick is spoken for.
And so there's no incentive there to be bad because you're not getting the main benefit of being bad. The main benefit of being bad is getting those top picks, getting those players in your program. So I actually think because of the circumstances, they're going to have to do their best to be the best they can be. I just don't know how good that is.
Yeah, I mean, best case scenario is exactly that. It's a retool. It's not a renovation or a rebuild. You can't rebuild when you've got those players in play, like Matthews and Nylander. That can change with a conversation with the big boys, right? But Toronto is going to do everything between now and the draft floor.
to figure out what exactly they have in every position, outside of the obvious, right? So that's why you're going to see a carousel of Toronto Marlies players brought through. Find out what you've got. See who's competitive. See who's hungry. I mean, there's individual evaluations that are happening at all levels.
Not just the eyes of hockey operations in Toronto, but if you're a Toronto Maple Leaf player, I mean, don't you want other clubs to think that you have some value? No matter what that is, right? And that includes the goaltenders. Maybe they go with three goalies next year. Hildeby can't, you know, he'll need waivers to clear next year. Akhtiyamov, they look at as a potential goalie of the future.
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Chapter 4: What factors influence the Maple Leafs' decision to trade players?
So those are all the areas that they'll get to before they really dig deep with the knife. So is it too early? Like, this is the one thing that I've been kind of harping on. Is there too many games left for us to be doing like a post-mortem? That's the one thing that has kind of been frustrating for me. Because if there was five or six games, I think we're having these legitimate conversations.
It's what's the future, you know, from the top down? Is the coach coming back? All of that. Right. They've got 17 games left. Like, that's the... I think it's 17 or 16. Yeah, 17, yeah. Like, is there too many games? Do they have to get through these games before they start to have these conversations?
And then the next probably 10 or 12, this is where the evaluation process within the organization is. Agreed. Agreed. And I... Look, I... We don't know what Keith Pelley is thinking. We don't know what anyone above him, per se, is thinking.
And I know that there is a higher level of responsibility that's put on the general manager as the architect of the roster and the head coach who dispenses the ice time and sets the structure of the team and all of that. But I think that there's a healthy realization from both Pelley and the higher-ups of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment that a lot of this is on the players.
This isn't just a coach issue or a management issue. Now, obviously, you've got to try and find a way to bring in better players. Every general manager in the league is going to do that. But it is too early to just pull the pin and start firing guys out left, right, and center. But here's the one thing I would say on that. We don't know how the market is going to continue to react.
And that factors in. The mob matters. It gets loud down at these games. Start throwing stuff on the ice. Start booing. Start chanting, fire this guy, fire that guy. You've got to consider it. It's not impacting their season ticket holders, Brian. It isn't. Well, but it impacts the way the organization is perceived, is my point. They were still selling tickets when they fired Randy Carlisle.
Didn't matter. They were sold out. But they were like, we can't. Putting this guy out. Ron Wilson, they were sold out. But they're like, we can't keep putting this guy out. It's a disaster. The fans are going nuts. That's my point. I'm not predicting. I don't know if it'll happen. But it could. It could. It could get really ugly down at that rank.
And then at some point, Keith Pelley or someone's going to say, we've got to do something here. This is getting ridiculous. And how many games in a row? They're going to win games. They lose 12, 13, 14. You're just going to let everyone just sit there? You're not going to do anything? At what point do you have an obligation to say this is unacceptable based on just the integrity of the team?
And do it now as opposed to wait and have a review at the end of the season? Well, I mean, what are they reviewing with Craig Berube? What are they going to learn from Craig Berube the rest of the way? Either he's staying or he's not. But who are you bringing in that's better? But that's the issue. That's on them to figure that out. I don't have that answer for you right now.
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Chapter 5: What are the latest arbitration cases discussed in this episode?
I mean, we'll have to see. There's seven home games left, including the games against the Ducks tonight. So it's not a lot of time. But, you know, I do think the fan, you're right, the fan reaction obviously matters. It's a reflection of how the customers feel. As for what you do, maybe that's why you're looking at trading a Matthew Nyes.
Even if, again, it's just conversations, it's just, hey, put a package out there, see if anything makes sense. They might have to get creative. Clearly, no one wants to do that. This year, if we had this conversation in September, no one would be like, yeah, the Leafs need to trade Matthew Nyes. The Leafs would never think that way. I think it's a sign that
how bad it's got, how far they've fallen, and how, I don't want to call it desperate, but how serious they are about trying to find ways out of this. And I suppose you're hoping healthy Chris Tannev, you know, one or two or three decent free agent signings, maybe a trade or two, and you can get it back going next year.
Well, and if there's one thing I hope the organization has learned from the past decade is you can't just say these are our three or four players and we're not even contemplating changing. They just did that with the core four. Like, don't call, don't ask. It doesn't matter if we lose. They're not changing. Like, you've got to get off that mentality. They might have to make an unpopular move.
What would the connection be to anyone like that? Well, I mean, but you know what I'm referencing. I mean, forever it was like, no, we're winning. It's Matthews, Marner. We're not moving them. After what you're watching on the ice right now, and I get the circumstances, and that has a lot to do with it. Packed it in, season's over, whatever.
What attachment could you possibly have to anything skating out on the ice? The answer's nothing. I mean, marketing, history, I don't know. I mean, no movement clauses, no trade clauses. It's complicated. It is. There's a lot of complicating factors. Detroit. I want to ask you guys about this. This is pretty big news. Larkins hurt. Cops hurt.
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Chapter 6: How does the potential retooling of the Maple Leafs look moving forward?
A couple of weeks, too, right? A couple of weeks and days. Yes. So we're talking six, seven, eight games. Columbus is on their heels. Ottawa's on their heels. That's got to be concerning. Borderline devastating, to be fair.
If they were to fall out of it after all the great work that has been done by that organization this year and the glimmer of hope that turned into real expectation of being a rock-solid playoff team. You guys haven't done it a couple times. Last two years in a row, they've melted down the stretch. We did a game against Detroit, I think, a month ago. And we had their record in the last two years.
Their first 40 games and then their last 40 games. And they mirrored each other where there was a drop-off. And it is concerning. Ottawa is six points back of them. With one game in hand, and they play each other. I'm doing that game. I think it's a week and a half from now. Again, Ottawa lost last night, which was a big loss. But I don't think it was devastating to the point where they're done.
18 games left. Look at Detroit. It's got 17. That's six points back. None of those teams are out of the woods yet. That's the crazy thing. What do you guys think the number is? 98? Oh, yeah. Oh, for sure. Way more than that. In the West, it's going to be 99. Oh, I think it's 96, 97. It's going to be 96, 97. For sure it is. So all these teams got to continue to win.
Boston's got a really tough schedule coming up. Toronto keeps going. Toronto's going the opposite way. But, you know, Ottawa... Allmark, we haven't talked about. The third goal, he's got to have. It was a bad rebound. He thought he had it. He was late on it.
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Chapter 7: What are the implications of the Leafs' current performance on their playoff chances?
And what's worse about it, guys, is the guy at the other end stood on his head. He did. He was phenomenal. It was unbelievable. And credit to the Montreal Canadiens for making that move. Marty St. Louis was taking bullets yesterday morning saying, like, this kid's starting tonight. That's all I want to hear. Don't ask me about Monte. Don't ask me about Monte. Don't ask me about Doe Bush and that.
Yeah. And it ended up being the right call because the kid stood on his head. I mean, in Ottawa, CJ, like, Olmark's locked in. He's got term left and everything. But it's been such a volatile season. Like, what are they ā can Travis Green move off him and just say we're playing the other guy? Like, how do you ā because that market, it's getting loud around Linus Olmark.
I don't think they're there yet. I mean, look, the other guy in this case is James Reimer. I think, you know, for a player of his age who sat out half the year was at the Spindler Cup to join the NHL, like he's given them some some good play. But I mean, you can't really count on him to roll. They don't have anyone in the American Hockey League to go with, you know.
Where they are right now, I think they're kind of in on all markers as long as they can be this season. Now, maybe there's some kind of offseason conversation. He's obviously signed for another three years beyond this one at a pretty good ticket. So, you know, I suppose it's something they could potentially reevaluate. But given what they've... committed to him and the other options.
I think that they're pot committed on him. And to be fair to all, Mark, I think that was his first regulation loss in a couple months. He's been playing better. He's played better. I agree. I agree, CJ. Which, you know, I mean, can't jump on him just for the one bad game. I know the goaltending, though, has been a huge underlying story of their season. But, you know, let's face it.
I just I look at all the other options. I don't they don't have a Jacob Fowler. Right. If they had a Fowler in the minors, I'd say that was the time to go to him. But they just don't have anything like that to turn to instead. How much healing, guys, needs to happen in St. Louis? It seems like there's so much commotion around them.
There was the Robert Thomas rumors, Pareko trade that he said no to. It seems like, I don't know. I don't know if they're good, they're bad, they're kind of retail. I don't know what the hell they are or what they represent. It was just kind of a chaotic month and a half. And I don't know. It seems like they've done it a couple years in a row now.
Come and get anybody you want, and then it never materializes. Maybe that's just a ploy. I don't know. But there needs to be. It's Army. Army's like open for business, and that's what it is. Last couple years, you're right. Open for business, but not really. Yeah.
Well, that's the tricky part, though, when you're navigating through a process with any player that has a no move or a no trade clause. I mean, you know, veteran agents will say it's better not to know that your player is in play until there is a team or an agreement in place that you can work with. Then you go to the player and you say, okay, well, Team X wants you.
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Chapter 8: How are the Maple Leafs handling player evaluations during the season?
Edmonton-Vegas, Minnesota-Dallas. That's your first round matchup in the West. Everyone talks about goal differential. They're a minus. Yeah, they're a negative seven. Yeah, minus seven. Usually that concludes to a team not making the playoffs. Only them in Detroit, I believe, and Seattle. The only three playoff teams with negative.
And Detroit is, like we pointed out, is going to have some struggles here without Larkin and Kopp. But they're a good enough team that the goaltender can hold up. Gibson's been real good for them. So it is going to be a fascinating last 15, 16 games. Guys, we do a thing called the underpants cam, and I'll ask you both. Where would you want to point the underpants cam for the last 16 or 17 days?
CJ, we'll start with you. Go ahead, CJ. What interests you the most? Who's underpants would you like to check on? Bruce Cassidy's maybe, I guess, or Kelly McCrimmon. I mean, just because huge expectations on that team, obviously massive track record of success. They made a big in-season deal to get Rasmus Anderson. Things aren't going well.
I mean, I think they're going to make the playoffs, but the fact that it's even a question at this stage, I'd be curious to see the underpants there. Darren, who's underpants? This is so off-putting. I'll keep it Canadian. I'd say Toronto and Vancouver. And, I mean, it's easy. But aren't those underpants already thrown out? No, I don't know. Maybe you're looking at the wrong pair of underpants.
Or color. Okay, whose pair should we be watching for within the organizations? Let's get specific, Darren. Do you want to get specific on this pair? Come on, Drex. All of the above. It's easy to pick on the general manager and the head coach. Maybe some of the players. Maybe they need to hire a president. Maybe they need different players. Triple stack, black Calvin Klein.
I got one for you, and it's not for a Chevy or whatever, but you look at Winnipeg. They won the President's Trophy last year. Yeah. And they've been awful all year. But some of their players have had good seasons. They're five points out of the playoffs. There's a chance. That's the thing. That Anaheim game the other night. You think they could scare somebody if they snuck in? I think so.
Oh, yeah. But I look at that. If the goalie plays like he did at the Olympics. Obviously, that would change a lot. But, I mean, they've had injuries. Yeah. And they've had inconsistencies. But keep in mind, like, how noisy is it in that market compared to, like, what's the overdrive version of Winnipeg? Like, that's a team that won the President's Trophy last year. Yeah, exactly.
I think that Halibut can single-handedly go nutso and get them in. Like, it really could. But that's a team I would still be looking at going, maybe. Yeah, it's not over. Maybe. They've got 19 games left. Yeah, L.A., San Jose, Nashville, Winnipeg, they're all still... Okay, let me just ask you, and C.J., you weigh in.
Out of those four teams, L.A., San Jose, Nashville, Winnipeg, on paper, coming into the season, who did you think was the best out of those four? L.A., San Jose, Nashville, Winnipeg. Winnipeg, clearly. Go ahead, C.J. Winnipeg. Yeah. Right. Winnipeg. I mean, I didn't see this coming for them or the Leafs, honestly. I didn't see either scenario playing out the way it has. Mm-hmm.
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