Home Ice Advantage

We unpack a tight, low-scoring start where the team defense shines, Igor looks calm, and the power play sputters. We debate whether a true superstar is required to win a Cup, how to fix the top six, and what smart, non-rental trades could actually move the needle.

• controlled chances against but poor finishing
• reliance on 2–1, 3–2 games to survive
• Panarin’s ceiling vs playoff gravity
• Lafrenière’s role and puck-protection gaps
• faceoff splits hurting PP zone time
• net-front void and PP1 indecision
• term targets over rentals at the deadline
• cap space strategy and window timing
• leadership tone, accountability, and mindset
• West Coast swing expectations and benchmarks

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening Banter And Game Reactions
• 2:20 Early Season Form And Goaltending
• 5:45 Style Of Play And Bottom-Six Expectations
• 9:00 Panarin’s Tier And Superstar Debate
• 17:10 Process Over Results And Schedule Fatigue
• 22:30 Faceoffs, Special Teams, And Power Play Woes
• 29:30 Draft Classes, Development, And Lafrenière
• 36:40 The Missing Franchise Forward Problem
• 44:10 Trade Targets, Windows, And Cap Realities
• 53:20 League Trends, Contracts, And Comparisons
• 1:01:10 Leadership, Mindset, And Accountability
• 1:17:40 Nostalgia: 90s Rangers Trades And Media
• 1:35:10 John Candy Documentary Detour
• 1:47:30 Upcoming Road Trip And Predictions

Transcript

SPEAKER_04: 0:56

Well, good evening, everybody. Sean and Rock, two guys one cup. We are with you guys eight games into the season now. We actually have a season that's going. We have things to talk about. We have people jumping off bridges, dogs and cats living together in the modium. Rock, how you doing, buddy?

SPEAKER_03: 1:13

What's up, pal? How are you? Good. It is always fun to uh to talk to you here and uh vent and with uh with our listeners. And it's uh it's been an interesting start to the season, say the least.

SPEAKER_04: 1:26

That is uh one one way to put it. Jonathan Riggs, how you doing, buddy? What's going on, buddy? Everything is over. The New York Rangers have scored it home. That is there it is. It's now you can be damn peace.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38

I'm I feel happy that the Pittsburgh Pirates have made it the in the uh in the record books.

SPEAKER_04: 1:43

Yep.

SPEAKER_03: 1:43

I mean, they should have something to cheer about, right?

SPEAKER_04: 1:46

I mean, you know, they have they were trending, they were trending in 2025. Those Pittsburgh Pirates don't know what trending is.

SPEAKER_03: 1:54

Unbelievable. So yeah, it was a it was a good start. Unfortunately, the rest of the period didn't go as planned, but uh um, you know what I also think, you know, just to kind of jump into this, you know, head first here. Sure. Um, they played a lot of games in a row, to be fair. Um, and you know me, I'm always glass half full, uh glass half empty, excuse me. And um, yeah, and uh they did play every other night for the last week. I mean, it was bound to catch up to them at some point. And they got steamrolled in the first period and in part of the second period against Minnesota. They they kind of found their their footing. Minnesota had lost three straight. You knew they were coming in, guns are blazing. Um and it was an unfortunate situation. I and and again, they're getting these prime opportunities, but it's not enough. You know, that one opportunity by Zabinijat shouldn't be the make or break of the game. It shouldn't be. I mean, these goalies are having all right, Charlie Lindgren made a lot of made some really tough saves. But other than that, I mean, the the She Lobs game one was the first shutout was, you know, I I don't want to sit here and say that that he played poorly, but he wasn't tested. Um, I didn't think Stolars was tested that Skinner was tested, but again, a lot not much side to side, a lot of shots, you know, uh, you know, that he could see. Again, it's semantics, but unfortunately, we are what we are. Three, four, and one.

SPEAKER_04: 3:36

He's taken the East West out of the game. So don't expect, and I I forget who I was talking to about this earlier on Twitter. They were talking about, oh, well, you know, who in the bottom six is gonna put up you know 40 points this year. I'm like, nobody. That's not that's not the style of play that this team is looking to do. We're not Edmonton, we're not trying to win six, five games. Well, that's one thing I will clearly not the message.

SPEAKER_03: 3:58

When Connor Shiri, I mean they need to figure out if Will Cooley can handle playing in the top six. And they are not figuring it out. I don't think, based on what I've seen so far, he has not been good to start this season. Lafreniere has not been good to start this season. And now, is that just eye test, or is that the fact that they're not scoring? Well, he's he has a one goal, one assist. And again, the only goal he has is against Buffalo. And uh again, the team isn't scoring. So, I mean, it's it's kind of hard to start checking out points when really nobody's scoring. Right. Um, they've they exploded for four goals against Montreal, which again, they're getting goals from weird places too. Maybe Matthew Robertson has a goal, Rempey has a goal, Susi has a goal. Um, so again, they're getting goals from when they are scoring, they're getting goals from strange places, right? But again, you will you came into this season, and these guys have been handed the keys to the top six and have not ran with it. I mean, they've been terrible. I mean, Sean, watch the first period against what my they've been terrible. Watch the first season against against Minnesota, it was a couple of only twice, couldn't clear the puck, which then caused this massive you know, keystone cops episode right in and and the defensive zone, and and you can't do that. But Rockley, but he's it hasn't been neither of them have been good.

SPEAKER_04: 5:30

Let's it's been unnoticable. Let's be honest about things. Had and and this is all obviously hypotheticals and everything like that. But right, if we just look at the way that this team has played on the ice and and forget the record, which I hate to do because all that matters is the record, right? So let me establish that off the top. But if we're looking for as they say, and as I continue to say, process over results a little bit this early in the season, because it is such a small sample size, they were bound for this type of a of a letdown coming off their first road trip, like you said, playing every other night. Right. So they should have been afforded this type of effort and still only lost the one goal game plus the empty netter at home. Right. Had they got found that goal against Edmonton, had they found that goal against Washington and pulled out two of those wins, all of a sudden your record looks a lot different. And this game against Minnesota, which was bound to happen. They've been outplaying their opponents every single night, having nothing to show for it, but they have playing them. So finally they got outplayed by somebody. It was bound to happen. You're not gonna you're not gonna outplay your opponent 82 games of the year. No, no, it's tougher to swallow because they have nothing, they didn't have any, they didn't have any points in the bank to back up what happened.

SPEAKER_03: 6:51

No, that's a good point. That's a very good point. Uh, it's just frustrating. You know, I mean, I again I don't know what kind of I don't really have very high expectations. Like I said, I don't like the makeup of the team. There's a lot, I think there's they're very flawed, and I know you're gonna say, well, a lot of teams are flawed, but they're they're flawed in the sense where, and I've said this a thousand times, and I'm gonna keep on saying it until they get that guy. They don't have a legit superstar. I know you want to say Panarin's a superstar, he's but he's not at the level that they need to win a championship. Panarin's a nice player, and he'll probably win a championship when he goes someplace else, and he's not the guy. He's not, he cannot be the guy on this team. He's not big enough. He just can't be. He's if they're not he's just not capable. Without a supporting cast, he is not good. He's Mike Gardner. You know, he's he's Marcel Dion. He's a guy that puts up points, but then in a in a playoff series, and and listen, he's had playoffs, he's had overtime goals, so I don't want to take that away from him. But he to me, and I love Panarin, and this is not a knock on him as a player. I'm looking at winning a championship. You know, Marion Gabrick, when he was here, and and Panarin's better than Gabrick, so let me let me just preface that. Gabrick was asked to be the man, right? He couldn't be. And he was shut down in the playoffs. We saw Gabrick score a game, a goal against Ottawa, and then not score again until I think the overtime winner against Washington. Or even that was even, yeah, that was that was the same playoffs. But and then he vanished the rest of the playoffs. You need you need a guy that's just I hate I hate to stop bringing this up. You need a messier, you need a Steve Eiserman, you need that type of guy, you know, that type of player to to lift to to to that lifts his game up in the in the biggest moments. And I don't know if the Rangers have that guy on this team that's not in goal. And the problem is, is that you we've seen this time and time again. You do not need elite goaltender to win a cup. You don't. And the Rangers, again, have a great goaltender, world class. He may win the Vesina again this year. They do not know. JT Miller's a nice complimentary. I'm gonna get to JT Miller. JT Miller's a nice player, but again, he's not he's a nice player. You add to an already good team. I I just I just think they have a lot of good players, but they don't have a legit superstar. They don't have a Crosby, they don't have a McDavid, they don't have an Iichel, they don't have a Dry Sidle, they don't have um I'm trying to blank it, they don't have a McKinnon. Forget about St. Louis. St. Louis is an absolute one-off. So I know people are gonna bring up St. Louis. That's that's an anomaly. That's once in a lifetime. Oh, then that's what that, but that's what they're doing. They don't have a Copitar, they don't have that superstar high, they don't have a Bergeron, they don't have that guy that when it when the chips are on the table, you know you're getting everything out of that guy, and he's gonna come up big.

SPEAKER_04: 9:59

And that's why this and that's why this team needs to play two to one, three to two hockey. Because they don't have that guy. They have a lot of they have a lot of good players, a lot of very, very high players. I still consider Panarin, especially regular season, to be on that level of everyone you're talking about. Is he Kucharov? No, he's the next, he's like that next click down.

SPEAKER_03: 10:25

He's the tier between Kucharov and Gabrick. So I don't Gabrick to me was Gabrick scored 87 points, Sean. He scored 80 points once and he scored 40 goals twice.

SPEAKER_04: 10:34

This guy's averaged a hundred. This guy's literally averaged 100 points a year for the year.

SPEAKER_03: 10:38

I know, I know that, and maybe that's not fair. But we've seen guys not the guy that is. We've seen guys who have put up big numbers in the regular season, and when the playoffs come, I mean, look at Mul Gilney. Mulgilney was a fantastic goal scorer. How did he win a cup as a complimentary player for the Devils? I'm just saying, like these guys, honestly, he's that type of guy.

SPEAKER_04: 11:03

No, none, no one you're mentioning averages 100 points a season, 100 points per 82 games played. Not one guy you're mentioning does that.

SPEAKER_03: 11:11

Panera's only scored 100 points once.

SPEAKER_04: 11:13

Uh he's had two shortened seasons that aren't his that aren't because of him. You're right. So you're right. That's what I'm saying. I took the amount of points he scored, I just divided by 82 games.

SPEAKER_03: 11:25

Again, you could put up big numbers in the regular season, but all I care about is what do you do in the playoffs. And maybe he maybe he needs a better supporting cast. And I think that's the issue. And maybe JT Miller is the guy. And I think JT Miller's hurt, which again, what are we doing? He's looking a little bit better every single game. He is looking better. He is. Maybe these two days, maybe maybe Sean, maybe these two days these this team had off right now will help. Maybe that'll help them. And I said that. I said, maybe this team just needs a break because they've been playing every other night.

SPEAKER_04: 11:54

Right.

SPEAKER_03: 11:55

And they're playing these tight games. You know, they had no laughers other than other than the Pittsburgh game. Every game has been a one-goal game, you know, empty net situation. Again, we're gonna see what happens.

SPEAKER_04: 12:09

We're gonna see what happens. But but this is why I continue to come back to the fact team defense has been great. Igor's been Igor's been great. I'm not people think I'm trying to take anything away from Igor. I'm not. I'm just saying that in in more games than not this year, it's for the last four years or last three years, even when we've had success, Igor's having to face 35-40 shots a night. Right, countless odd man rushes. He has not had to face that. His numbers are amazing because he hasn't had to face that. So instead of him being, you know, putting up a 920 goals again, you know, save percentage, he's got like a 960, which is insanity. Yeah, it's insane.

SPEAKER_03: 12:45

Because all you're asking to do is and if they play this way in front of him. See the problem with Igor, though, Sean, and and I and I think you would agree with this, is he's better when he faces more shots. Like he's better when he's facing 40 shots a night. Has he given up a bad goal? Uh no, I mean, I I thought the Brodean goal, I mean, I deflect with La Brniere's stick.

SPEAKER_04: 13:09

It's hard to blame him on the bottom.

SPEAKER_03: 13:10

I mean, it's hard to blame him for that one. But I think if that maybe be the only one, I mean, do you blame him on the Trent Frederick breakaway? I mean, I mean, I could be hard on him on that. I mean, I'm trying to think we could probably table the goals because there haven't been that many.

SPEAKER_04: 13:23

There haven't been that many. But that's my point. I get what you're saying, that he likes volume, but the lack of volume hasn't really affected him. No, it hasn't. It's not like he's shot up that sleepy goal because he's been taking a shot for five.

SPEAKER_03: 13:36

He's been sharp. They've been they've been the goals that have been scored on him have been kind of like, you know, obviously the breakaway, and then a couple of broken plays, and like the deflection off the stick, and then the one around the net. Right. I mean, he's only given up. That was the first game he gave up more than one goal, right? Was against Minnesota the other night. So, I mean, he's doing his job. Again, I I just I look at this lineup and I'm like, and everybody's looking for something. I mean, there was a um, I think what what did he say? I think uh there was um a statistic that everyone's looking for centers. So, sure, here's here are the centers you want. Uh Alexander Wemberg, Kevin Hayes, and they were rattling off centers that are available because everybody's looking for a center.

SPEAKER_04: 14:21

No, we're not. No, I'm just saying. We really are. I mean, to be fair, no, they they're gonna keep they're gonna keep Miller, Zabananjad, and Trochek down the middle. Write it down when Trochek comes back, he's he's gonna he's gonna play the three six.

SPEAKER_03: 14:35

They should, and and to be fair, that's where that would that would make them very deep. It also thins them out on the wing, and that means that Connor Shiri is played well. I mean, he's not getting any scoring opportunities, though. He's drawn, he's been great defensively. He's drawn five. That's five percent of him. You're right, you're right, Sean. So that does that does matter. It does matter, but points matter too. Which I get again, which goes back to saying thank you for dinner.

SPEAKER_04: 15:06

Yeah, again, you gotta put up some points at some time at some point, but in his role that he's being asked to play right now, he's he should be on the third line.

SPEAKER_03: 15:15

I'm not really should be on the third line. I'm not disagreeing with you. They have a lot of guys that are playing I think. We may see at some point right now.

SPEAKER_04: 15:21

We may see at some point later on this year where Perot comes up and takes that spot in the top six and he keeps far and Hartford in general have not been good. So I don't know. Scored the other night, I saw. Yeah, he did score the other night. Um, yeah, I mean, maybe we would then again that's the easier trade to make is to get is to get that middle six.

SPEAKER_03: 15:40

Um the wing, the wing spot is and that's smart though, because you know centers don't grow on trees. Mek is terrible in the face-off circle. I mean, he can't win a face. Uh listen, I'm gonna say this, and you're gonna probably fall off your chair for face-off wise, they miss Trochek, especially on the power play. Because I can't tell you how how many face-offs have they lost where the puck they lose the face-off and the puck's down the end, and they're not they're not setting up. I mean, that's the one thing I could say about that guy.

SPEAKER_04: 16:07

Mika is at 51% this year.

SPEAKER_03: 16:08

Exactly. Uh Zavinchev? Yeah, again, but can you break it down to offensive zone and defensive zone face-offs? I don't care if you won a neutral zone face-off. I don't care. It doesn't matter to me. But that's the point that drives me crazy.

SPEAKER_04: 16:22

I haven't no, I feel like we've we've been establishing most of our uh um offensive zone face-offs.

SPEAKER_03: 16:29

Maybe it's just I was at the game the other I've been at two games, and well, I was at the Edmonton game, so that was the first game that Trochik didn't play, and I could have sworn that he lost every offensive zone face-off that he took. But again, maybe I'm just fixated on it. I I'm sour, and and again, I I'm I've I've decided that I'm not gonna criticize him any longer, but I'm also not gonna praise him. I'm I'm just gonna just let it go and just let things lie the way they are. And you know, he's been one of their better players, but still got to put points up. And we'll know we'll see where it goes from now.

SPEAKER_04: 17:05

No one's gonna argue with you on that.

SPEAKER_03: 17:07

Uh, I think for better or worse, they are playing a playoff brand hockey. I have looked at these games and asked myself if I would be happy with the effort and the system to play. And you're right, and and Nick, you're absolutely right, because we talked about this. I would rather this record and the way they're playing right now than 11-4-1 the way they started last year. But they were getting steamrolled and quick and and shit jerk and had to bail them out every single night. Right. I mean, those games, like I said, I and again, I'm sorry to keep repeating myself. You felt dirty after those games. You needed a shower because you you really felt like you stole those games. You had no business winning them.

SPEAKER_04: 17:46

Right. Just to give you some context on what you were saying. So, like I said, the Benijad is 50 is 51% for the season. Okay, he was 36% in that Edmonton game. So your eyes didn't deceive you. He got crushed in the face of circle that game, which means he's been at the end of the year. They have some big centers there. Which means he's been at like 60% the rest of the season. Fine. Outside of that game.

SPEAKER_03: 18:07

Again, Jay, to me, if I guess if they're going to win, they're going to have to play this style because they don't have the horses to win games by scoring a lot of goals. They're going to have to be very close, very structurally detailed, but they're also going to have to score that that that that key clutch goal.

SPEAKER_04: 18:28

That power play is going to have to become back to being a top five unit.

SPEAKER_03: 18:31

And I don't know if it will without Crider, Sean. And again, I don't want to sit here. I'm not going to say anything about Crider because we all had that comp we had that conversation last week. We had to do it, so on and so forth. But I don't know if that power play is ever going to be as good without him, without him on the net front presence. I don't. Lafreniere is awful on the power play. Awful. Every time he handles the puck, you are scringing because you know it's going to get knocked off his stick and go down the other end. He he just can't make plays fast enough. You know, and it's funny. I I don't know if you saw this on F the FAN reel today. Um, someone called in. All right, well, someone called in Sal and BT today about Matthew Schaefer on a six-game point scoring streak. And it's funny because I thought it myself when I heard that stat. And they're like, How is this now another one first overall pick steps in and he's great? The devil's first overall pick steps in, he's great. Meanwhile, the Rangers draft first all first overall and second overall, and their guys still waiting for them five years later. It's remarkable. I've said this a thousand times. You and I saw 94. We are going to see our next Stanley Cup from upstairs. That's where you and I are gonna see our next cup. Heaven. Or I don't know, maybe I'll be downstairs. But it's it ain't gonna be on this earth because this team sold this soul for 94, and all I can say is they are definitely cursed in some capacity. We are gonna live to another, we are 31 years in now for to another drought. We're more than halfway back to where we were, and we just can't do anything right.

SPEAKER_04: 20:24

Dude, I I'm a I'm a jet fan, I know what curses are. The Rangers are not cursed.

SPEAKER_03: 20:30

Then you know, but that's bad or the Jets have bad ownership, though. That's the Jets problem. My opinion. I don't know a lot about football, but from what I from what I've heard and what I've what people have told me, that's what that's what I've heard.

SPEAKER_04: 20:44

Trying to find the uh the Rangers team, the the team stats here. Because I'm curious where we rank on the power play. I feel like I feel like the power play this year.

SPEAKER_03: 20:53

Uh it's really low. I I think they scored two power play goals against Montreal and maybe score two against Pittsburgh. Maybe they have four or five power play goals. It's not a lot. I mean they haven't scored a lot. So I mean we have three power play goals. Oh, so it's even less than that.

SPEAKER_04: 21:08

We only have 16 goals, period.

unknown: 21:12

And three.

SPEAKER_03: 21:13

The Rangers don't have band ownership. No, they don't at all. They spent every dime possible to win. That's that's all I mean. Dolan, I mean, you want to say he's had he's been maybe maybe by hiring Drury, maybe being loyal loyal to Drury, maybe that's his fault. But I mean, look at the Yankees. They've had the same freaking GM for for for three decades. He hasn't won anything. He's been awful the last the last 10 years. Still there. But no one criticizes the Yankees for being a bad ownership group, right? I mean how I mean people, people where the ring, you're right. But where are the rings for any New York sports team? Where are the Mets rings? Where are the Knicks rings? Where are the Jets or the Jets? Where are the J where the Giants and the Yankees? Without them, it'd be a freaking failure. New York sports.

SPEAKER_04: 22:04

We've been unlucky with the two years that we've had the first and second overall picks. It's not like anyone from Lafreniere's draft has been great. I mean, do you consider Tim Stutzler to be great?

SPEAKER_03: 22:15

Other than La Frenier.

SPEAKER_04: 22:17

Granted.

SPEAKER_03: 22:18

But do you think what about Byfield? Did he have a great year last year?

SPEAKER_04: 22:22

No.

SPEAKER_03: 22:23

He didn't.

SPEAKER_04: 22:24

No.

unknown: 22:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_04: 22:29

We're talking great. We're talking greatness. Ziegress got traded already. He's on his second team. Because he fell out of favor.

SPEAKER_03: 22:36

Okay, but what are what are their numbers compared to La Frenere? Pull up everyone from that draft. Where does La Frenier rank statistically?

SPEAKER_04: 22:43

Probably toward the top. I would say second or third in points. It's not nearly as uh as drastic as you would think.

SPEAKER_03: 22:52

Uh La Frenier is is not a bust in the sense where he's gonna play in the NHL for 10 years, but he's not a to me, he's not a top line guy.

SPEAKER_05: 23:00

Yeah, he's he's full in scoring.

SPEAKER_03: 23:03

He does, he has a great shot, but he doesn't and he has decent hands, but he can't skate, and he's he's like he has like grenade hands with the puck. So I mean when when when he's when he's pressured with the puck. If he has to make a move, and maybe he's one-on-one, he's decent, or he's going in on a on a two-on-one or something like that, he's okay. But I've seen him handle the puck on the boards, he can't handle it.

SPEAKER_04: 23:27

La Fenier's fourth in his draft class in scoring.

SPEAKER_03: 23:30

And how many games?

unknown: 23:31

Three.

SPEAKER_03: 23:34

How many games he played? Did he play the second most games or the most games?

SPEAKER_04: 23:41

The most by 10. Okay. So we'll use point shares as an example.

SPEAKER_03: 23:50

Should have traded him three years ago. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_04: 23:56

I I don't I don't understand it. It's just it's you're and I'm not saying you're wrong because it's what Vegas does, and you know, they're successful.

SPEAKER_03: 24:05

But Sean, that that's the thing is eventually you gotta you gotta give up somebody to get somebody. So I'm not I don't know who is available. That's not my job. It's not my job to know who's available. I get that, but the point of the matter is at some point, are you going to make a move uh of significance instead of just instead of traded eichel?

SPEAKER_04: 24:24

Like what why would you rush out to trade a first overall pick?

SPEAKER_03: 24:27

They had no choice but to trade eichel.

SPEAKER_04: 24:29

But I'm saying, should they have? No, so why would we trade our first overall pick three years three years ago?

SPEAKER_03: 24:36

It's much better. What Michael's been much better in his career up to that point.

SPEAKER_04: 24:41

Three years ago, where you still don't know what you have. 21-year-old kid. You don't know what you have yet.

SPEAKER_03: 24:47

I mean, you definitely don't know. Other than JT Miller, who of the Rangers traded away that has come back and been an absolute superstar?

SPEAKER_04: 24:58

And I don't know what the reasoning is for that, dude. I honestly don't. Is it development? Is it development? Is it I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 25:08

It's a problem because they can develop defensemen and goaltenders, they don't have a problem with that. That's true. I mean, we had this conversation a thousand times. When Chris Kreider is the best forward you've ever drafted in your history, that is a problem.

SPEAKER_04: 25:21

So, should they have traded Kreider in 2015?

SPEAKER_03: 25:24

No, Krider reinvented himself, and maybe La Frenier will reinvent himself.

SPEAKER_04: 25:29

But I mean, at what point it's easy to say in in in um you know, hindsight being 2020, what they should have done three years ago with a guy. It's but you you drafted him with some conviction that he's gonna become your franchise player.

SPEAKER_03: 25:45

Well, you drafted him because he was the consensus first overall pick. Let's be fair.

SPEAKER_04: 25:49

I give them a little credit that I think they did some homework. I don't think they were just playing franchise mode and said, Well, this guy says number one, number one, number one.

SPEAKER_03: 25:57

I'm sure, I'm sure. And you know, Lorena.

SPEAKER_04: 26:00

Even though it was a tough scouting year because of COVID, so I don't think you could really dig as deep as you may have.

SPEAKER_03: 26:06

I don't know. I don't know what they could have done differently. Could they have should they have sent Kacko to Hartford? I mean, should they have I mean, because let's be honest. I mean, Brady, I mean, Brady Shea played in Hartford, Linggren played in Hartford, McDonald, all the defensemen played in Hartford except for Mark Stahl. Delzado played there for a little while. All the defensemen, other than Mark Stahl, played in Hartford. Mark Stahl is the only defenseman that made the jump from the NHL and Keandre Miller. Those two guys are the only two guys that have made the jump from the NHL without playing any time in Hartford. So maybe they should have let those guys play in Hartford. Well, Lafreniere. Paul Hagland played in Hartford. He was up by the middle of the season and he never went back.

SPEAKER_04: 26:53

Lafreniere wasn't allowed to.

SPEAKER_03: 26:55

La Frenier wasn't that that's that, and but and he had nothing to accomplish by playing in juniors again. So there was no, it was we see how that's worked for Offman, right? Yeah, going back to juniors.

SPEAKER_04: 27:05

Right. I I don't know. But I cut but I come back to it again. So so here to let's put this all in in a true perspective. So the three guys who have scored more points than La Fournier in that draft class is Tim Stutzler, Lucas Raymond, and Seth Jarvis. Are any of those three guys you're sitting there saying cup? Difference-making franchise player. Good players, not one of them's a franchise player. Well, Seth Jarvis loves playing against us. Yeah, and he's a and he's solid. He's solid. He might have like a Jake Gensel type career. Like he's a really good, solid player, but he's not a franchise, he's not a franchise player. No, so this draft, unfortunately for us, lacked a franchise player.

SPEAKER_03: 27:54

But unfor and then if you look at the draft as a whole, it's a good draft to have five guys playing in the NHL, maybe six if Garon ever gets his shit together, right? It's it's from a from a from a depth perspective, they did get a lot of depth out of this draft. A lot of guys that are playing in this league or play are playing in this league or played in this league at some point are on this roster. So it is it is from that perspective, it's done well. But problem with the Rangers is at some point you gotta make a trade that hurts. You gotta show a fucking pair of balls when a good player becomes available and say, guess what? Maybe we need to move this guy. But other than play that and pray that we're right.

SPEAKER_04: 28:37

Other than Jake Gensel, who's the guy that we should have gone for that we didn't over the last four years.

SPEAKER_03: 28:44

I don't know what it would have taken. I don't know what it would have taken to get Mackichuk, but I would have liked to have seen if we could have traded two uh a Kako or a Lafreniere plus plus to get him. I mean it was worth it was worth a conversation. It weren't even in a conversation.

SPEAKER_04: 29:03

But they sent a 115-point guy and McKenzie Weiger the other way. We didn't have that to give up.

SPEAKER_03: 29:12

Maybe you would have had to give up, give up bulk instead of instead of the one guy.

SPEAKER_04: 29:17

I don't know, but he didn't try. We don't know that we don't know if they tried or not. We also don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 29:22

We never heard, and speaking of not knowing.

SPEAKER_04: 29:25

Clearly, Calgary didn't want draft picks, they didn't want rebuilding assets. They wanted, all right, well, if we're gonna trade our guy, we we want to compete now, give us Hubert Owen Weigher, two veterans. That was it was a pure hockey trade.

SPEAKER_03: 29:38

It wasn't who was on that roster at that point that they could have this just signed Nazi Kajri. If there were any young players, oh on Florida, no, the Rangers, if they had any other player that they could have traded. What was Miki's contract at that point?

SPEAKER_04: 29:56

He already had a new move clause.

SPEAKER_03: 29:58

It was already in at that point. Okay, I don't remember. I gotta go back and look at that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 30:02

I'm just saying, like I don't think we were a match unless we were trading, you know, unless they were trading.

SPEAKER_03: 30:06

I'm just saying if Mika if Mika if Mika Mika was still in his twenties at that point, and he would he could have been a guy you you would have traded. But again, you're trading a center for a wing.

SPEAKER_04: 30:18

I mean, I I I it wasn't it wasn't a match. Listen, they should have made they should have pulled the trigger on trading for Gensel two years two seasons ago. It didn't happen.

SPEAKER_03: 30:28

But then he would have walked. I mean So what? We would have had a couple we would have had a legitimate. You would have gone to the cup final, I think. I think I think there was a very good chance you would have to win.

SPEAKER_04: 30:36

And that would have been worth it.

SPEAKER_03: 30:37

That would have been worth it.

SPEAKER_04: 30:39

I don't know if it's a good idea. There's no other player that's been traded. And I'm I'm talking since this run started. This run to me started in the the 21-22 season. There's no player that was like, shit. I get that Brian Atard wants to keep harping on IC.

SPEAKER_03: 30:57

He was never available, he was never available to he really needs to stop.

SPEAKER_04: 31:00

So JT Miller to me, four years ago, was the one guy that they should have gone out and gotten, yeah, and given up the assets. And I said I would have. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 31:11

I mean, Chickering was traded. I'm not really sure you would have gone that route. No, I wouldn't have. Oh, his injury history. Yeah, no. Um, I'm trying to think who else was available during that time frame that really would have made a difference. I mean, that's why, like, you got it's it's crazy. I mean, you know, Kachuk, who is look, they get the two big names that were traded in the last what six years. Both of them have championships. Eichel and and and and and uh and Kachuk. So when that guy next guy becomes available, which it seems like those guys are available every couple of seasons, and maybe not anymore, because now with the cap going up, yeah, these teams can overpay these guys.

SPEAKER_04: 31:49

There's not going to be a lot of player movements at all.

SPEAKER_03: 31:51

I don't really know what's gonna happen, and that's what scares me, is they've they might have they might have lost their window to win, legitimately lost, because I don't there's there's to me the guys that are in the pipeline are nice depth guys, there's no free agents. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_04: 32:08

Let's see what Perot is before I can before I jump off that one. I'm and I'm not I'm not the highest one on him. There are plenty of people who were, you know, have already anointed him.

SPEAKER_03: 32:18

No, I mean he's gonna be good. I think he'll be good, but I don't know. Just they just don't ever have luck with these guys. Oh they never just have the guy who steps in and scores 40 goals, right? I mean, never, never, nobody.

SPEAKER_04: 32:35

Let me ask you this. So so where are you on Noah Lava right now? Like it was a really awesome story coming out of camp, and he certainly shows flashes and shows signs. I think once I comes back, he'll he will be in Hartford.

SPEAKER_03: 32:52

You don't think he'll get a chance at the wing? I don't think so. No, I think they'll want him to go down to Hartford and and really play some minutes. Yeah. Um, I think he's shown flashes, he's been good against bad teams. I think against the better teams, he's been exploited. Um I I think it's time. I think if Trochek was here, he may not be here. Right. No, I I I tend to agree with you on that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 33:17

Uh I think, you know, I yeah, and it's great to know that if if there's if there is a situation where they need him, yeah, he can play. It's nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 33:27

And he got a taste, and he earned he earned it. Listen, he earned his spot. And it's just so funny. I mean, every year we see these guys, they have these great, phenomenal, amazing preseasons, and then they come, they start the season, and they vanish. And it's just it's every time, it's every guy. I wouldn't say he's banished. He's done a lot of he's done okay. I mean he's gonna go solid defensively, but again, I mean, he's playing 10 minutes a night. He's playing 10 minutes a night. Yeah, it's not like he's been third line is awful. He hasn't third line is absolutely awful. It reminds me of a line that the Rangers had the the year coming out of the lockout. It was it was Steve Roochin, Fedor Federoff, and another big schlep on the line, and you knew they were doing getting you nothing offensively. It's they're on the ice to just know who it was. Who was the third guy on that? Dominic More?

SPEAKER_04: 34:26

Was it Dominic More?

SPEAKER_03: 34:27

Oh no, he was a big guy. Um, Steve Roochin, Fedor Fedorov, and it was a third guy, and I I'm I'm blanking on who the hell it was. He didn't last very long. Um maybe Jason Ward. Might have been Jason Ward. Jason Ward had a decent year for them that year. He he was pretty good for them.

SPEAKER_04: 34:46

Here's why I disagree with you when you say that they've I don't think it was him, it might have been somebody else. When you say that they've been horrible, atrocious, whatever adjective you want to use for it, they're all plus. So they haven't been exploited, they haven't they're not like they're minus nine in eight games.

SPEAKER_03: 35:00

Well, it it's it's also good when you're not giving up a lot of goals every night. Well, that's the point. It's a lot easier to not that's what they've been tasked with. I know, but you gotta get something offensively out of these guys. Something. I mean, I know Parson has a free goal. I mean, like, think about this. Parson has a goal, see, Robertson, and Rempey. I mean, that is incredible. How many goals have they scored this season?

SPEAKER_04: 35:23

16.

SPEAKER_03: 35:24

16 goals, and they have four of them. So those four guys account for a quarter of the goals that they've scored this season. That's incredible.

SPEAKER_04: 35:31

And Radish has a goal.

SPEAKER_03: 35:33

Oh, and Radish has a goal. I forgot about that. And in with the lava pass against Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_05: 35:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_03: 35:38

I mean, that's incredible. I mean, that's really and Edstrom and Carrick should have six goals each. But that was what I talked about on the show last week. Why is it that all the great offensive chances are coming from the fourth line?

SPEAKER_04: 35:54

That should be also coming from the role. Zabena Jad and uh Panarin are also getting a ton of offensive chances, too.

SPEAKER_03: 36:02

Let's not let's not against well. Maybe I'm just thinking about that Edmonton game. That Edmonton game haunts me. Um, they were great in that Edmonton game. That fourth line was fantastic in that Edmonton game. It was just it was a clinic. It showed me all over that team. And you know, I mean, you need that. You need you really need that. You really need those guys. You need to get some production out of them. If Adam Anstrom ever figures out the score, he's gonna score 25 goals in this league.

SPEAKER_04: 36:30

It all starts at the top. When the puck starts going in for the guys up top, it trickles down.

SPEAKER_03: 36:36

You know, someone made a great point. I don't remember who it was. They said, why are they using Rempi on the second power play? Why do they use Anstrom? He's a better player. He might not be better in front of the net. I don't know. He tips pucks very well. We've seen him do it.

SPEAKER_04: 36:52

I don't think it's because I don't think it's because his jersey's on sale on the garden. I think that's he Sullivan feels he's uh better equipped for it.

SPEAKER_03: 36:59

His jerseys, oh no, well, that's true too. I wasn't I wasn't sure you were getting that, and I thought about it. Okay, I get it. Um, I don't know, man. It's just uh it's just picture hairs. That's yeah, no, I know. I know. I'm I'm um like I said, it's it's hard for you to get mad at them in the sense where you know they're not getting their doors blown off.

SPEAKER_04: 37:21

I mean, obviously the the Minnesota game, they didn't get their doors blown off, they did get caved in for you know 19 minutes of the first of that first period, but they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't give up a ton of goals that's why I texted you after the first period I said I was as bad of a period as we've played, it was as good of a period as they played, correct? And that was their run. And how do we respond? And we responded. We played we played much better at a time we had the possession, right?

SPEAKER_03: 37:50

And we gave up an unfortunate goal, and that that it's just it it's end to a guy scoring his first NHL goal. At least it was a first-round pick.

SPEAKER_04: 37:59

At least it wasn't a seventh round.

SPEAKER_03: 38:01

There is a stat I don't know if this stat is out there. Who has scored their most first goals in the NHL and their first goal of the season post Thanksgiving?

SPEAKER_04: 38:14

Well, Jonathan Tames has already scored this year, so we don't have to worry about that. And so did McDavid.

SPEAKER_03: 38:20

At least we held him off the scoreboard. But um crazy that he just scored his first, yeah. I can't believe he's staying there. I can't believe he's staying there. I just I don't get it. I don't get these guys. Like, he can win 70 cups in Edmonton, no one's gonna care.

SPEAKER_04: 38:36

That's not true. Because they have a winning, they have the they're one of the franchises that has the okay.

SPEAKER_03: 38:43

When you think of Messier, what do you think of the Rangers Cups or the Edmonton Cups? Me well, that's hard. That's unfair for us because I'm telling you, when you see a picture of Messier, what is he doing? He's holding the Rangers cup, shaking. He won a cup by himself without Gretzky. They don't show that Kim Hoss in that cup.

SPEAKER_04: 39:02

No, you're right about that. Because it's New York. I I you're right. You're right.

SPEAKER_03: 39:06

I just don't understand these guys. They I understand you want to be comfortable, but you want to be in a small pond. You're you're the best player in the sport. Gretzky left, Messier left, coffee left, curry left, they all left. I mean, throw a pair of balls. Yeah, I'd I'd love to know what what why he has opted to uh he is smart though, smart enough to say he only signed a three-year deal and is like, you know what?

SPEAKER_04: 39:32

Two years. Two oh that's right. Two-year extension. He's got this year, which is still on his formal deal. Sorry, you're right. Two-year deal. And he added two years to it.

SPEAKER_03: 39:40

I would have waited. I don't know what I don't what was the what was the rush to get this contract done?

SPEAKER_04: 39:44

Like, I don't care. He didn't want to have it go into the season, which I don't blame him. I don't blame him for that. He didn't want the distraction. He's still trying to, he's trying to. Is Panera distracted by his contract? He's not McDavid, he's not the story McDavid is. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 39:59

They talk about him in every show, man. And NHL Radio all summer was McDavid. You're the best player in the sport. Right. It's gonna happen. I know Edmonton's not winning a cup this year, so he's gonna he's gonna ruin the day. But whatever, it's not my problem.

SPEAKER_04: 40:15

They'll figure it out. Did he get full new did he get full uh no move protection and all that stuff?

SPEAKER_03: 40:21

Yeah, I'm sure. I traded him anyway. You know, you know what that GM would be lynched if they traded him. Just like they said that what's his name would get lynched if they ever traded, not lynched, you didn't use that word. Um, but they said that uh what's his name would get crushed if they ever traded uh yeah, he's got no move uh Tage Thompson. I'd love to get my hands on that guy. But again, franchise player. Maybe out of Buffalo, you never know.

SPEAKER_04: 40:46

Is he is he JT Miller?

SPEAKER_03: 40:48

Guys leave Buffalo and win championships. That's all I can tell you. Ryan O'Reilly, Friggin Eichel, uh uh Matador, and uh and what's his name? And and Reinhardt. I mean, these guys leave Edmonton and they win championships uh leave uh Buffalo and win championships.

SPEAKER_04: 41:02

But I'm saying he to me, he Tash Thompson's on the JT Miller level of a player, different player.

SPEAKER_03: 41:09

So instead of maybe having instead of having that one guy, maybe getting maybe get four or five, but that's like not the point you opened with. You opened with the fact we don't have those players don't exist, so now they're gonna have to figure that out. That's what they're doing now. I also said that those players don't come on the market. The only way, and think about this, Sean. The only way the Rangers have ever gotten guys, Nash forced himself here, right? Brad Richards, for the most part, forced himself here. Panarin wanted to play here, he took less money to play here. All the guys the Rangers have gotten, they have gotten here because they wanted to be here, the guys. So it's not like they they've made these crazy trades out of nowhere and and brought in a guy like like what Florida did with uh with what's this called with with uh with Kachuk.

SPEAKER_04: 41:58

Right.

SPEAKER_03: 41:59

You know, they I mean he got to pick a superior. And they haven't drafted, they have still have not drafted a superstar forward, which and it's gonna it's gonna it's going to cripple this franchise.

SPEAKER_04: 42:12

But again, we look at those two drafts, and it wasn't like they missed it. Is he again Stutzla's put up better numbers, different situation? Yeah, in hindsight, sure. Why wouldn't yeah, give me Stutzla over La Frenere? I'm not right if you want to say it. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 42:32

Would Stutzla be better would be put up better numbers on a better team?

SPEAKER_04: 42:36

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 42:37

Well, I'm just saying, if if Stutzler, if you put Stutzla on the Rangers, is Stutzla scoring 40 goals. Is he putting up 80 points? Right. I don't know. I don't know. I mean, I like I said, La Frenier goes games without you even noticing him. I mean, you don't even know he's on the ice. I I mean you can't you can't be a top six guy and just be hanging in the weeds. I you need to you need to make make your own offense. And that's the other problem with this team. They don't have enough guys that make their own offense. They're every right everyone's looking for someone else to do something for them. You know, like I said, Panarin, Panarin, despite the fact that maybe he maybe he um he's a deterrent. People people fixate on him, which that leaves other guys open.

SPEAKER_04: 43:23

He also hasn't started, he he hasn't really kicked it up a notch yet.

unknown: 43:27

No.

SPEAKER_04: 43:28

And listen, maybe got seven big.

SPEAKER_03: 43:32

Elliot Friedman said that the before the Rangers, if lot if if Panarin stays with the Rangers and he wants the money he wants, he is gonna have to put up some crazy numbers. I mean, essentially. And I don't even know, I don't know if 90 points is enough.

SPEAKER_04: 43:50

No, because that would that would show a decline almost.

SPEAKER_03: 43:54

Right. So I don't I don't really know. I don't really know what you do, what what what he what numbers he can possibly and the team's gonna pay him. You don't know that because you're probably gonna be the best free agent on the world.

SPEAKER_04: 44:06

They would have they would have done it before the season started if that were the case. What they would have just paid him if they were gonna pay him. A team, yes, yes, go and pay him.

SPEAKER_03: 44:17

He is gonna give 10. He's gonna give he might get 15 million with the amount of money that might be out there this offseason. He may get a three-year deal at 15 million dollars.

SPEAKER_04: 44:26

Yeah, Anaheim. I heard Minnesota. He's not going to Minnesota. This uh that's what I heard. No, this is this is stupid nonsense that's being brought up by the beat writers in Minnesota. I was I was talking to someone, I was talking to a wild fan today on Twitter about this. He says that's where it's being drummed up from.

SPEAKER_03: 44:44

Well, because Caprezov's and and Theodorus is the same same agent, same agent, and all that fun stuff.

SPEAKER_04: 44:50

But bottom line is this is a guy who flat out told Columbus, I want to go play in a big market, I want to live in a big market. He's not leaving to go to Minnesota. That's not who Panarian is.

SPEAKER_03: 45:04

Go down and play with the Panthers, right? That's what I'm saying. Is that a big market, though? When did that when that's not a big market?

SPEAKER_04: 45:10

But that's it's South Beach, it's South Park.

SPEAKER_03: 45:13

Now it's not, it was never all of a sudden that's a big market, right? They couldn't draw flies five years ago, and all of a sudden now they're the they're the they're the epic where everyone wants to fucking play. That's what it is. You're gonna see Utah's gonna be in Utah's oh 100%. Well, it's that's gonna be the best destination. That's gonna be a destination, and they got good young. I mean, and I'll tell you something. Minnesota has some really I mean that that that guy, um Logan Cooley. Is it Logan Cooley? The one in or Baldy, Matt Baldy. Matt Baldy is Minnesota. Matt Matt Baldy, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_04: 45:48

I get to Logan Cooley is Utah.

SPEAKER_03: 45:49

Correct. I'm sorry. Matt Baldy, he is a stud. Yeah, he is a stud. And that's my point. That's what drives you crazy. Steve Corney on the case. So bad team bringing in these guys, and they're all stars.

SPEAKER_04: 46:04

Baldy was a mid-first round pick. A lot of teams passed. That was the year that the U.S.

SPEAKER_03: 46:11

national team sent how many guys to uh Rangers should pay the best scouts anything they want. Blank checks. You take steal every pro the best pro scouts in the in the country. They should spend to the gills on that. Because they're now they're drafting. Remember, we used to complain that they weren't drafting those like third and fourth line guys. They were draft, or they were drafting, they were drafting the the top guys or the second line guys, but they weren't drafting the third and fourth line guys.

SPEAKER_05: 46:40

Right.

SPEAKER_03: 46:40

Now they're drafting the third, fourth line guys. Now they can't get any top guys.

SPEAKER_04: 46:45

So he was the Kaco draft, Foldy.

SPEAKER_03: 46:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 46:48

He went 12th. Unbelievable. That was the year. That was the year the US team sent like 10 guys for the first round.

SPEAKER_03: 46:55

Is it me, or does that 12th pick always seem to be a very good player? I know McElrath was a 12th pick, so take him out of the equation. 10th, I'm sorry. You're right. 10th. Um Terasenko was 12th, wasn't he?

SPEAKER_04: 47:11

15th.

SPEAKER_02: 47:13

So who was 12th in that draft? Jaden Schwartz? Fowler?

SPEAKER_03: 47:21

I don't remember. That was a great draft.

SPEAKER_02: 47:23

That was a great draft.

SPEAKER_03: 47:25

And then this this is just this just goes to show you the drafting that this team has done. I remember they drafted. I forgot who they drafted. They drafted Brodeau was drafted like 30th overall. And it might was that might have been the Mel. That wasn't the Mel. That was uh I forgot who was drafted right before that. And I just shook my head on the city. Jim Fowler went 12th. Still playing in the league. I swear whoever's drafted in that 12th spot has uh I think Jack Quinn or uh was was uh was in that 12th spot.

SPEAKER_04: 48:00

Ryan Ryan Murphy Mikhail Gregorenko. Never mind Samu Samuel Morin. Never mind. Want we keep going? Yeah, forget it. Brandon Perlini, is that the one? Forget it. Is that the one that got you? No. I don't know what I was thinking. I was wrong. Just is what it is. Yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_03: 48:26

Um, but I drafted, was he 12th?

SPEAKER_04: 48:30

He was the pick just before. Um and Truba, wasn't Truba like in the um he was I think he was like eighth Truba.

SPEAKER_03: 48:39

No, he was later than that. Oh no, it was maybe Zara Carlson was a late pick. I think he might have been like 15th. 15th, I think Carlson might have been. Yeah. Pastronok was a late pick. That's what I'm saying. Like they're not even getting good, they're not even getting a great player. I mean, they've gotten the goaltenders, and they've for the most part, they've gotten the defensemen that have played in the league, but they're not finding that superstar forward. They're just not how can you how can you tell me, Sean, how in this in this world have you never drafted a hall of fame forward in 50 years of drafting? One time, one time, never drafted a hall of fame forward.

SPEAKER_04: 49:18

We could argue Sony and Monte belongs in the Hall of Fame.

SPEAKER_03: 49:21

I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_04: 49:22

And Kovalev.

SPEAKER_03: 49:23

I would say Kovalev more than Amante. Um, but but yeah, no, you're never never and talk about Kovalev and Amante, you're talking, you know, the age 40 years ago. Yeah. You know, 35 years ago, 40 years ago.

SPEAKER_04: 49:40

No, it's it's it's it's nuts. It's it's like it We're never gonna win unless it's Pete Alonso having the most home runs in Met history. It's it's but yet how many Cy Young Award winners have the Mets have the Mets have in their career? It's just some organizations are just good at finding talent on one end.

SPEAKER_03: 50:02

And the the crazy part about it is it's not even the same friggin' the same for the Mets, it's not even the same ownership. No, you know, it's not, I mean, the Rangers have had the same ownership for a while, but even them they've had different owners, different GMs, different heads of uh player personnel and director of scouting and all that other nonsense. Yeah, I I mean they just they just can't have a draft, and I'm telling you now, I mean, someone said, Oh, well, you don't need to learn how to draft, you just have to make smart trades and create. I'm like, no, it's both with the salary cap going up, you're going to have to draft better because the guys are not going to be as available.

SPEAKER_04: 50:35

Oh, Carter Berhege was available and Sam Reinhart was available. These weren't cap moves. I mean, so Florida did just make great acquisitions. There was no cap move with Florida. You know, Kachuk said he wasn't re signing in Calgary, so I but they gave up. I mean, it's it's understated because he hasn't been good since he went to Calgary.

SPEAKER_03: 51:01

But it is remarkable, it is remarkable that guys go there and just die. 115-point season, and they traded him.

SPEAKER_04: 51:10

That that's again, had he gone to Calgary and put up another 100-point season, people would look at the trade so much differently. But the fact that he's been an afterthought literally since the day after the trade, it's looked at as you know, highway robbery. They who that takes so much balls. Could you imagine the Rangers trade if Panera never had a no no move clause and the Rangers traded him after having the 120-point season two years ago?

SPEAKER_03: 51:40

Yes, that would take such balls to do. Yeah, but it was because it was that type of guy. And you sometimes you need to have the foresight. But it's a huge that's that's my point, Sean. And if it blew up, and if it blew up in his face and all Matthew Kachuk turns into. But Matt Kachuk is a name. And you could just say, well, I wrote well, at that at that point, fortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately, or fortunately, that's that's what happens. I mean, guys are live off of of you know that type of reputation. But I mean, you got you gotta you gotta move somebody. I I mean, really? I mean, it's uh No, they don't they don't make trades. They don't make trades, and and unless it's unless it's a fleecing or a prospect. Listen, Ron Francis has gotten crushed because he never made a player trade. Right. His entire I know maybe he has now that he's with Seattle. I don't know if he is he the GM of Seattle still, or is he? I know, but it's he's I don't think he's the GM anymore, right? Bonne is the GM, right? But I mean it's it's uh you shake your head and like you laugh. They're gonna have to draft better. They're gonna have to draft better. And you know, and unfortunately, you know, they're in a they're in a window now where they're kind of in limbo, and it's scary. It's scary. I I I don't know what you do here. You know, your boy Johnny Lazarus thinks that they shouldn't keep Panarin, they should move on from him. And and and part of me, you know, I part of me agrees with him, and part of me doesn't. Because I say to myself, who are you replacing him with? Are you replacing him with who's out there? I mean, if they said, well, you can replace him with three guys, who? Jack Roslovic? I mean, who you I mean, seriously, but that's the guys that are gonna be available in free agency. Guys off the down years, uh uh guys, guys that are that are retreads, Alex Tucker. I'm saying, you're gonna have to give him 10, 12 million dollars.

SPEAKER_04: 53:45

Which is what the going rate is for that type of player now. And you'll have 30 million under the cap to do it. I don't know. How old is he? I think he's 29.

SPEAKER_03: 54:00

Uh young guys don't hit free agency. I know you're right, but I want to make a fucking trade, Sean. I want Brady Kachuk. I want I want a guy that's gonna make a fucking difference for 10 years. I know not a guy that's gonna make a difference for four years or three years. I I get it. It's just frustrating because we have we had our shot, we had our window, and it just it's just closing. It's just closing so fast. I don't think it's over yet fast than we want.

SPEAKER_04: 54:30

It's closing, yes. I think it's this year, next year. It's this year, next year, and possibly a third year with this core. Nate just worries me.

SPEAKER_03: 54:40

Why just does he has that Carolina stink on him? I yeah, it just worries me. I know he's having a good season. I know, but who's he playing with in Colorado? With McKinnon. Again, when you have a guy coming here who's played with great players, I I get I I'm apprehensive about it. And especially a guy that doesn't create his own offense.

SPEAKER_04: 55:04

So 11 points in seven games. Jesus Christ. I mean, I need more guys.

SPEAKER_03: 55:10

I mean, but Trump, but they're not even that team.

SPEAKER_04: 55:11

No, they lost last night because I bet them.

SPEAKER_03: 55:13

Oh, oh, they were five and oh, yeah, they um they have so I mean they have so much talent. Yep. I mean, is and and it was a smart trade trading ranton, and and now Dallas is off to a slow start. They're three and three to start the season.

SPEAKER_04: 55:29

Maybe Ranton is available, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 55:31

Right. I mean, we know none of us, and this is what pisses me off. Tell me how the fuck Vegas is able to afford Mitch Mar, Iichel, Stone, Teodore, uh, because they don't pay any money in gold. Is that is that why? Is that how?

SPEAKER_04: 55:47

Let's take a look at the book.

SPEAKER_03: 55:49

Noah Hannafin. I mean, it's it's just so frustrating. How I mean I hate them. I hate the moment. I just I hate that team.

SPEAKER_04: 55:56

They are$10 million over the cap.

SPEAKER_03: 56:00

But that's because Petrangelo's on LCIR, right?

SPEAKER_04: 56:03

Yes. So Marner makes 12, Eichel 10, Stone 9.5, Hurdle. See, Hurdle's only making 6.7. Yeah, because because they're paying, this is paying his salary. They're paying his salary. William Carlson 5.9, Barbersub 5, and then that's it for the forwards. On D, they got three guys making money. Well, Petrangelo's not, he's off. So it's just Theodore and Hanniphon each getting a little under seven and a half. Everyone else is like two and three, and you know.

SPEAKER_03: 56:39

Zach Whitecloud.

SPEAKER_04: 56:41

He's getting two seven. Wow. Lazan is getting two. I just don't understand that. I mean, six.

SPEAKER_03: 56:48

And then Iichel's new contract kicks in next year.

SPEAKER_04: 56:51

I mean Aiden Hill's getting six two. Isn't he's so they're paying a goalie.

SPEAKER_03: 56:59

In this NHL? That's about that's about an average, whatever a starting goalie's costing. Cost. That's what I'm saying. Right. I'm saying it's not like average. That's below average. No, it's average.

SPEAKER_04: 57:09

I I bet you if I looked at the goalie salary.

SPEAKER_03: 57:11

I mean, Ottinger's making eight, I think, eight and change. Swayman's making eight and change.

SPEAKER_04: 57:15

These are the top guys.

SPEAKER_03: 57:16

Um Babrowski, we know what he's making. Vasileski, we know what he's making. Um, I'm trying to think who else. Uh, I'm sure Markstrom's making over six. Well, he's making around there, I think. Umlebuck's making nine and a half.

SPEAKER_04: 57:35

Yeah, so you're mentioning all probably the top ten.

SPEAKER_03: 57:38

I know, but I'm just trying to think. Sorokin's making oh nine million.

SPEAKER_04: 57:41

I have the I have the list right here. Okay. So where's he ranked? What did we just say? Aiden Hill? Aiden Hill ranks 12th. Wow.

SPEAKER_03: 57:53

Wow. That's so he's so he's halfway like he's in the top half of the middle. Yeah. He's in the top half of the middle. That's incredible. Who the what who the hell I mean, what's them Demko? What is he making?

SPEAKER_04: 58:08

Who in the top 12? Shisterkin, Carrie Price. All right, so it's really top 11 since Carrie Price is actually on the god.

SPEAKER_03: 58:15

He's still on there.

SPEAKER_04: 58:16

I mean, give me a break. Cat pit is, yeah. Bobrowski at 10, Basholevsky, Hellebuck, Ottinger, Sorokin, Swayman, Linus Omark, UC Saros, and then John Gibson are ahead of him. Wow. Gibson's getting 6'4, so he's just just above him. He's just above him. The guys who are just below him is Bennington at 6, Markstrom at 6, Grubauer, 5'9, Logan Thomas, 5'5. Is he in the minors? Yes.

unknown: 58:46

Wow.

SPEAKER_04: 58:47

Elvis Burzleekins is 5.5. Jari 5.5. McKenzie Blackwood, Kemper, Joey DeCord. These are all guys making five. So five really.

SPEAKER_03: 59:00

And again, I don't know if it if it's possible. They almost have to kind of just wait, like um, wait it out in some ways.

unknown: 59:10

Who?

SPEAKER_03: 59:10

And see if one the Rangers and some not get themselves tied up in these big contracts. If no one really great comes available, stay flexible, and then maybe a guy kind of shakes loose.

SPEAKER_04: 59:21

And you have the cap space.

SPEAKER_03: 59:23

Maybe, maybe in three or three or four years, maybe if Fantilly gets doesn't want to be in Columbus anymore. I don't know now now. I don't know now. If the money is equal, I unless a guy just doesn't want to play in that city. I mean, that's really what it has to come down to. And I'll tell you, guys have become very loyal in a lot of ways. There's not many guys that say, well, I don't want to play here, I don't want to play there. You know, then there's no TVC's or Adam Fox's or Kevin Hayes type players. And think about that. All three of those guys were drafted by other teams, all three of them. wanted to come to play for the Rangers. So they stepped in shit with those three guys too. I mean they're not drafting. It's frustrating. It's frustrating, Sean. I feel like we beat our heads against the wall like every three shows about this. And it's it's just like I don't know what to say anymore. It's the truth though. It's so frustrating because you know just they just don't see an avenue to get better. I just don't see it. I don't want to win a championship. I don't want to just make the playoffs. I want to win a cup. And I just I look at this team and I see I just I'm almost like I almost don't care at some point because I know they're not good enough to win a cup and what am I getting excited for? Like what am I what is it to look forward to if it's not if it's not going to be if they have no chance of winning a championship then what am I watching?

SPEAKER_04: 1:00:52

So why am I watching this so let me ask you all these qu let me ask you these questions then who in the east are you looking at and saying fuck how we can't beat them I'm talking about in a playoff series.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:04

Yeah I'm not talking about one game.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:06

That's what I'm talking about too.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:07

I don't think it could be Toronto. I don't I don't think if if Florida was healthy well Florida you might be able to take advantage of because now they don't match well up against Tampa. Tampa has one win own car I know that but it's again I'm talking about getting into a playoff series. Okay.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:23

Toronto was looking good this year.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:25

You know that they have them in great you're right but I'm talking about if I have to play this team in the playoff series am I going to beat them are you scared are you scared of Detroit?

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:34

Yes very um and they've been good too right this year they're five and one I I know I mean nobody you know really I mean it's been weird the way the schedule's been um you know I think the Devils in the right circumstances they they they could beat us um Washington in the right circumstances I think can beat us uh I'm not afraid I mean I I mean my Columbus Islanders I'm not afraid of any of them but I don't know I I don't I I need a bigger sample size before I can my point is is that there's not one team in the east where I'm like we like if Colorado was in the east I would say you're right. If Florida was healthy.

SPEAKER_03: 1:02:18

So you'd rather go all the way to the cup final and get and lose in four just get give me to a cup final and I'll I'll I'll still be ecstatic. I get it I get I get what you're saying. But you know what they always I just feel like they're always the underdog like I'd rather be that than the favorite I guess I guess we won a president's trophy and and nobody and nobody thought they were good. Yeah we were the under we were the betting underdog every series we were we were the and like I said I mean Freddie Anderson if it wasn't for Freddie Anderson and that Carolina series they would have lost that series too he's but he's on the team and Igor's on ours and that's part of it. Right give us a two million dollar shit goalie and add an 11 million dollar center that's our cap is we're paying our goalie I heard spechnikov's i heard i heard that um carolina's what five five and one and spechtakov and ealers don't even have a goal yet yep nikolai coward i hope he doesn't score the whole year who fucking coward nikolai healers fucking coward but they don't scare me because i played them now twice we played them well on the playoffs you know showing at some point that the the worm's gonna turn why i mean eventually well why the red socks eventually beat the yankees it's gotta turn at some point it's not gonna last forever i think but i think it's more them than it is even us i don't think they i don't think that they're built to win in the playoffs is nature's a free agent yes what's colorado's cap situation so here's the funny part because they make fun of this all the time now is had they just paid ranton what he would have signed for last year they'd have been fine yeah but what's the age difference between ranton and natches though this I think natus is a lot isn't he isn't he like a couple years younger a couple years I don't think it's anything crazy well I mean a couple of years you know I mean it's not who am I looking up I'm looking up uh what's Colorado's cap situation for next year they have there'll be there'll be 26.8 million dollars under next year's cap 28 million yes wow so natus needs to be signed and then they got jack drury um so they only have oh he'll sign McKinnon Nelson Landiscog Nishcutian Lecknon Ross Colton and Logan O'Connor under contract for the forwards and they need to sign two more defensemen it's a lot of money to do it I mean they could definitely make it work no they they that's what I'm saying what's nature's what's nature's think he's getting I mean is he getting is he getting 12 plus yeah he's gonna he's gonna put up 100 points this year he's already got double double he's doubled his you know what and you know what though Sean I mean and again if the money's equal everywhere else he may stay right here I mean to be fair I mean you're gonna I mean if if if if Colorado's offered you 12 and a half or 12 and the Rangers are offering you 13 why wouldn't you stay in Colorado playing with one of the top three players four players in the sport no one's saying that he would leave I'm just saying I'm just but I'm that's my point it's like now you're you're now the the the now you have you say you lose Panarin you take a hundred points off this roster this year if he doesn't re-sign yeah or in 90 points who are you replacing him with well let me ask you this when you when you talk about what would they do so Panarin doesn't re-sign next year and we're sitting there with what we have 30 million or something like that right we have I think we have over 30 million next year we have no 295 oh I thought the cap space and the only people that are free agents but is it's Panarin and Schneider. Right and Schneider's not going to make get a huge payday no he'll probably make like three and a half if that if that and then um and then what's it called especially unless he puts up a lot of points which I I don't I don't see but then again what did Ryan Langrin get this year? Didn't he get four he was a he was an unrestricted free agent true schneider's still a restricted free agent I know but they might want to try they might I mean listen they might they might trade him I mean I at some point you got to say to yourself this guy's only he's playing on the third pair every night well I'll tell you that hit the other night on on on Felino who he's played really well at Schneider he's been good but again you're not getting you're not getting a ton of points out of him um but uh at a point you got to sign a backup goalie which is probably not gonna be a lot and hear me out hear me out of defenseman hear me out with this this is replay Susie hear me out because this is where I'm going with this so we we'll be 29 million under the cap if Panarin walks let's say you give Schneider let's even overrated let's say he gets four million you give him you know three years four million dollars a year something like that so now you're you have 25 million dollars under the cap and the core of your team is going to be 33 Sullivan's the coach you're not rebuilding no what if they used some of their assets and went after all these other guys who are on you know now very very friendly contracts in their young 30s and just made a really deep experienced team that very similar to 94 where it was this is not for the long term this is we're going for it now whether they went out and got like a Braden Shen like that type of a guy I and again I don't know but I think Braden Shen only makes like six million but he went out and just added three of those guys. Well I did I did I don't know if you I don't I'm sure I don't know if you saw this but or heard about this but um Vince who was on a podcast uh not that long ago I forgot where he was but and he's doing his own thing now um he made it seem like the Rangers at the trade deadline that they're probably not going the rental route that they're probably going to be looking for guys with term on their contract so that might be a might be an option maybe a team wants to get out from underneath the guy that has term the Rangers have the cap space you know maybe a team that's not going anywhere and will maybe get rid of this guy he has two years left on a on a deal or three years left on a deal the Rangers could absorb the the contract they get out from underneath it and they move on again but the the big thing now is that every team's going to have a ton of cap space so to find that team that the match might might be difficult but I definitely think that that would be a it might just be what direction what direction a team is trying to go is more that I'm mentioning Shen just because he fits the type of player the age and for next year is on an unbelievable six and a half million dollars how many years did he sign for just for next year yes two more two more after this year. So you'd be he's 34 but that's what I'm saying that's the age of guy but you know what though you'd be maybe maybe that's a great point I mean that might be that might that might be a way for them to just go for the gusto you had three guys that can put up 50 60 points to make up Panarin you know to make you you have the cap room you're not gonna bring Panarin back but you bring in Shen's at center right yeah and you drink you shrinking yourself down the middle in case somebody gets hurt too but that's just the first name that came to no no that's a good one that's a that's a good one.

SPEAKER_04: 1:10:27

I mean that's another let's look at Nashville you know Ryan O'Reilly is another guy he's got to be over 35 right O'Reilly's 34. Yeah oh we season's four and a half million dollars next year I hate to go back to my St.

SPEAKER_03: 1:10:43

Louis let me throw a guy you should affinity let me throw let me throw a guy you as a possibility maybe Nashville wants to get out from Stamcos's contract is he shot is he doing anything this year I don't know because I don't I don't think he had a good year last year at all he he might just actually be done and he's getting paid a lot of money eight and a half million yeah you'll probably get it for nothing though is is he played oh there he is yeah he's done he's one goal one assist seven games minus three what's Nashville's record I mean they've been bad yeah they're bad because they're a bad team maybe get him off that two two three and two I just think but you don't think in a in a in a in a lesser role where he doesn't have to be the guy you don't think that would maybe rejuvenate him imagine him on the power play on a better team I don't know I don't know I mean I should pop it's it's if you can get him for nothing I would it would be so you got and then you would have you and only you would only have one more year left. It'll be next year that's it you have him for next year and that's it he's gone um you have signed a three year deal right Nazimkodri's another guy three years I I read about I heard about him that that that that's a guy that they're that teams would probably fe would probably feast over because he's only making seven million dollars and there's three years left so you is Calgary trying to lose you don't know where teams are going to be come deadline right we're talking about the eight games and we're talking about the trade deadline well because because the trade deadline's coming in February it's coming way earlier than the actual deadline right like teams are going to make trades before the Olympic break I think so too but I mean but that's what everyone are teams going to be that far out of it by then I don't know depends on the team I guess yeah who's in I'm trying to just look at teams that are could see Seattle's a team that just has they have shh garbage I don't want anyone on that team and the Rangers are notoriously trading with them um so he's one of the GMs that'll answer the phone right yeah yeah I'll give you a third round pick Valley Wembberg okay you've got a second round pick okay was it second or a third they gave up for that guy for Wemberg second stupid so stupid LA's a team to look at Kempe is a uh unrestricted free agent I don't know I don't know I I don't I you know what I don't watch him enough I don't watch him enough to have an opinion I've heard his name a lot I I just I don't know I don't know he's very he's big and fast is he big how big is he I've seen him live he didn't look big to me but can't be six two Brett Howden and Jimmy VC didn't look big to me either so yeah and VC's 6'3 right yeah uh he's 6'2 200 he hits he plays exactly the way that we want to play but he might be someone that that you look at especially this year he's only making four million dollars this year so he fits under this year's trade him though and then you resign him I don't know if they trade him though why would they why would they why would they trade him they're off to a bad start number one I don't know that they're gonna resign him I don't know this is a team that's you know dowdy's 35 They might look to reload though they I mean they do have some I mean I mean Turkot's looks like he's never gonna play. I don't know about Byfield they got Mikey Anderson um Brent Clark so byfield's actually off to a decent start he's got six points in seven games so maybe maybe he's finally found it because LaFronier might go someplace else and explode he might he might you never know but in the Rangers history there's been very I mean I in the Rangers most recent history I don't want to hear about Doug Waite and Tony amonte in the Rangers most recent history and even Kovalev to a certain degree in the Rangers most recent history the only guy that has left and put up any type of decent numbers I mean substantial numbers was JT Miller.

SPEAKER_04: 1:15:28

Right so I mean the Rangers have when they've traded guys they haven't come back to bite them in the S for the most part so again we're gonna see I mean it's uh it'd be nice for them to come out tomorrow night a little rejuvenated to get a couple of days off and and and San Jose's 0-4 wipe the floor with them I mean seriously no mercy 0-4 and 2 04 and 2 no mercy step on their throat and move out and move on sweep the leg is what you're saying yeah 100% it listen it's it's it's a good game to uh after you just had a bad one after you just had what you would what you would consider a stinker they all admit it after the game right listen I want to talk about this for a second JT Miller the captain I mean talk about the guy who just who sets the tone and how different the tone is the messaging after games we've watched Zabenijad and Kreider and Truba and even going back to Callahan and McDonough we've watched all these guys answer answer the tough questions after games Hank Hank's probably the closest the closest to the way I feel Miller is when it comes to speaking to the media after games as far as his blunt honesty with how the team's played and Hank used to get a bad rap for that because it's like wait you're the goalie and you're calling out the team for not skating we need to score more goals yeah right but it's but it's it's different now that it's coming from skater center. Yeah and when he says listen you know they came out blew our doors off the first uh couple minutes there and they outplayed us and they deserved a win right or hey you know how does this feel not scoring at home the first three games and him just I mean I if I were you with everything that you've said on this show and and to me you know in our conversations the last couple of years this team lacked guts and balls and intestinal fortitude right mentally mentally weak is a term that you have used so many times 100% and what does he say yeah if you're mentally weak you'll let that shit bother you essentially we're not you know this team is not mentally weak we're not worried about that remains to be seen let's see all things six seconds in 52 seconds in yeah listen it's uh he's good I like him like I like JT I like I like there are a lot of things to like but there are also a lot of things to say you know there's work to be done and and again we all know that the scene the team that starts the season is not the team that's gonna end the season.

SPEAKER_03: 1:18:11

I would really love I we should we should try to find an opening night lineup for opening night for last year. Oh my god who was on it I mean well last year's an anomaly because they traded they made so many in-season trades I don't think I've seen that they turned over half the roster i i maybe since 94 i i don't I don't remember uh an in an in-season 97 oh when the Ferraro and yeah they made a lot of the lockout too the year before the lockout when they traded away nedved and Kovalev Nedved and Leach and all that but I mean that was at the trade deadline you know they made trades they essentially made trades from uh the first week of December starting with truba yeah and then it went all the way through the season like big trades right yeah Kako went next then though then they got Miller with Little left then they they traded Lindgren then they traded you know Riley Smith and the and the list went on and on it was it was it was incredible.

SPEAKER_04: 1:19:12

I mean it was fun for us the only season it reminded me of was 97. We brought in uh Jeff Courtnall we brought in as a tikanin for his you know his ninth turn with the team um they made the Ray Ferraro trade you know they traded with LA no no no that wasn't that wasn't the same year I don't think Sean that was 96 because that was the curry trade and curry didn't play with Courtnell and Tikanen I don't think because they traded Ferraro Ian LePerrier Nathan Lafayette for Matthias Nordstrom for Marty McSorley Shane Sherla and Yari Curry and I believe that was 96 it was the year before maybe I had the wrong year and then they traded they traded um uh noon and was it noonan andchinoff the Tikin and Cornell I think it was noonan and Nemchinoff or uh Tekoden and Courtney I think that was in 97 so they brought in Driver was there all year right Noonan Bill Berg right um right there's Cornell there's Tekken so maybe it was the year before Sergio Mameso they brought in the Meso yeah Shane Chase they traded they signed Wayne Presley and they were playing with Bill Berg and they traded him from a Meso um they traded just that their playoff roster was so different than the team that was out there for the regular season that's that's what that's why in my brain it's still right that's what it reminds me of no you're right no you're that I got those years mixed up too because I think then they had Rabbi maybe verbique was too verbique they got in 95 96.

SPEAKER_03: 1:21:16

Right right they got verbique but they only verbique I believe for a year and a half yeah yeah they got him for half a season and then they kept him another season they got him in 96 with the other guys and then and then verbique was here in 97 also funny story to this day I finally went back I I've made it full circle where that was the first organized hockey team I ever played on was that year.

SPEAKER_04: 1:21:38

And I took number 17 for Pat Verbeek and it's the only 16 it's the only time he ever wore 17 to me Pat Burbeek is 17 not 16.

SPEAKER_03: 1:21:46

Yeah he switched for he switched to 16 the following season because Newton was traded so they right he was able to and a funny story a funny story I don't know if I've if you've ever heard this one so the Rangers acquired Pat Lafontaine like literally right right before training camp started. So they had to get their media guide out. So what they did was they used a picture of Pat for beak and put Lafontaine's face on it. Oh that's hilarious.

SPEAKER_04: 1:22:13

Yeah so uh did they both shoot the same way at least I don't remember I I don't know I I I think I this is a great question I I don't know I I have the yearbook somewhere I can probably find it uh what year was that uh 9798 when they got when they got look I got all the yearbooks here yeah 9798 was uh was that year could probably find it why did they not bring Verbeek back you want to fucking pay him isn't that crazy to think that they didn't want to pay him i i think that was before Dolan owned the team I think that was still like Bob before way before way i they didn't want to pay him and remember salaries back then checkets ran the team yeah but back then the salaries were were crazy I mean I think players were making six seven million dollars back then I think verbique made like seven or seven and a half with Dallas like something crazy um and to be fair verbique only had one more good season he had no more good seasons I thought he had one more decent season turned into a 50 point guy there oh well he wasn't playing with Messi anymore well he had 82 points in 69 games well and he got hurt he would have scored 50 goals that year yeah he would have scored 50 goals that yeah he was on an absolute tear I remember exactly how he got hurt he got cross checked into the into the goal and he hit his neck and his shoulder into the the goal post yeah they had some great teams back then the problem was was that they they they depended Richter shouldn't have been replaced and they never did they were too loyal he should have been replaced years years after that yep so they tried but the fun part about those years was there's there was no salary caps at salary cap and you could trade willy-nilly you know now it's like oh we can't we've got we can't trade till this now we gotta do this we have to move this guy move this guy down it's it's the fun there's also so much media coverage that I just think some of these GMs are gun shy like if you made a bad trade back then you never had to you never had to answer the bell to anybody who's gonna let me tell you something Neil Smith Neil Smith spoke to the media a million times more than Sayther Gordon and Dolan ever did and I will give Jeff Gordon the credit he spoke to the media the most of these last three GMs yes he spoke at the end of the season he had a a midseason thing a start of the season thing he spoke at the draft he spoke after both days of first day second day at the free agency I mean he spoke a lot yeah compared to this guy it's not about speaking but you're saying Neil Smith spoke to the media a lot it was you know him sitting with Larry Brooks or John Delapina for 10 minutes right there wasn't 15 cameras in his face he didn't have to after a game where player he traded away had a hat trick didn't have to go on social media and see about like it wasn't it's it was a different world yeah could you imagine do could you imagine a GM like Phil Esposito with the way he ran the Rangers that happening now I mean so Twitter would love it. You know the the all the you know the Vince McCoy know Colin Stevenson wouldn't be able to keep up with all the people coming in and out yes uh he made a lot of Esposito made a lot of trades but I'm saying like it's it's a different world now where everything is scrutinized Connor Sheary's PTO and playing time is being broken down on a daily basis.

SPEAKER_03: 1:25:49

I know you're right why he makes no money he's played up way above his salary let it die go after somebody else go after go after anybody else I know what year do the rangers get left on Tane 97 98 Really yeah oh it was that I was in high school still messy left that's rightbook uh yeah uh maybe that's it maybe that's part of it I mean but we don't see a lot of trades the way we used to anymore anyway I mean last year was was Toronto make big trades big trades since Kessel or Dion Fanof like they made big trades back then but since they've had this core have they made big trades they haven't been able to because they've been salary cap strong they haven't been able to do that I'm just saying it seems like some of these smaller markets that have two beat writers you know it's almost like it's easier to think is how do you how do you make a trade how do you make a trade when um you know you don't have the salary cap I mean they made the Jake Muslin trade like years ago here it is John here it is so what what way did what way did the verbique shoot oh righty or left he was a righty wasn't he yeah he's a righty and what was la Fontaine La Fontaine shoots right so yeah look all right I don't know if you can see this that's the picture that's hilarious that's Pat Verbeek with La Fontaine's face on it how did you know that I saw it I remember on a pregame show oh okay talking about it yeah that's so funny it is it's hilarious I mean the thing the things that you have to do because I mean these came out every year and I sort of garden and I was like oh I gotta get you know it was a big deal for me then I have I have them all so it was a big deal to get 94 is the only one I kept oh really I have three of them but yeah it's the only one I kept really this is my first one when I was a kid this is the first one I ever got I remember that one first game for Esposito it was the last one to in black and white and they're all color after that you know like Terry Cartner oh my god he turned out to have a great career he might have been the captain of the Flyers Dion Bob Froze I mean yeah yeah it was what year is that again what year was that 8788 yeah that was the year before I started so that was the first year I really started watching yeah so you were you were a year ahead of me yeah so that was the first year I really started watching and uh I thought that was the next year but I didn't watch nearly as much as I started the year after I mean to be fair you really I really didn't start like you follow it as a kid but you know you're chasing girls you're hanging out with your buddies and you know sitting there watching every single game were you staying up till 10 o'clock at night to watch these games no right no I mean I did have um listen to them on the TV on the radio I'm trying to even think I listened to them on the radio I would fall asleep to them listening on the radio I maybe I listened a little bit on the radio I think I told you at least to listen to FAN was on all night used to listen to Joe Boningo overnight I remember I remember Joe hearing him breaking a Lindros trade it was at mid it was at two o'clock in the morning yeah he broke that but you're on FAN you're 18 years old at that point you're almost a borderline adult I'm just saying I'm just saying that you know you use that's how you used to find out stuff yeah that's used to find out trades I'm talking that's how you used to find out anything.

SPEAKER_04: 1:29:47

I'm talking about the for us and yeah some of the listeners obviously you guys are probably older than us some of you are you know younger than us but right for our age 88 89 was the first year I follow At it, you know, knew every player, and you know, the video games helped also also where you start to really know a lot more of the league because you're not watching everything. No, to me, I watched the game, I probably watched 10 minutes, and then I had to go to bed, and then I'm listening. You know, but I had my Walkman where I'm listening to the game until I fall asleep, and then I'm waking up middle of the night, Salvador Light Cassina's, you know, post-game and Howie Rose.

SPEAKER_03: 1:30:24

Rangers wrap up, Rangers wrap up.

SPEAKER_04: 1:30:26

So, yeah, they're all different. My way of following back then. Oh, it's not like I follow it now, where I watch every minute of every game, and there's pre and post, and there's this. Yeah, you know, you're not following it that way.

SPEAKER_03: 1:30:40

This this this whole world, this whole world changed. Twitter. Twitter changed the world. Oh, yeah. From from a um from a quick knowledge standpoint, where you know you didn't know about stuff until it was in the paper the next day. Or if you called or or what do you call that, or if you called, or if you listen to FAN. Right. And sometimes, you know, you missed the 2020 flash. So now you had to wait 20 minutes to hear the next one. 2020 flash didn't come out until what 2000.

unknown: 1:31:14

No.

SPEAKER_03: 1:31:16

Oh no, I they had it when I was in high school. I gotta look that up.

SPEAKER_04: 1:31:19

I remember I remember when the 2020 flash.

SPEAKER_03: 1:31:21

They had the 2020 update. Because I remember I remember um taking my transistor radio with me on the bus and coding up to the window so I can listen at the end at the trade deadline to see if any trades went down.

SPEAKER_04: 1:31:40

Hold on, I gotta see where this is.

SPEAKER_03: 1:31:43

Keep going. I got I gotta look at it. Yeah, I'm I I uh Yeah, I remember getting in my car. I remember I can tell you right now I was in high school because I got in my car when I know the Rangers re-signed Tim Sweeney to a contract. It was on the 2020 flash. So it was definitely it definitely was in high when I was in high school.

SPEAKER_02: 1:32:05

So I don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 1:32:07

I mean I initially they are every 15 minutes, but by 91 began doing FDA's every 20 minutes. 91. Is it 2020 sports 2020 sports flashes?

SPEAKER_03: 1:32:19

Yeah. Every 20 minutes on the hour. Every 20 minutes. And they used to, you know, this is a 2020 update. And they used to have the update guys.

SPEAKER_04: 1:32:32

But that song, that 2020 sports song, that was not that wasn't the 90s. I don't remember.

SPEAKER_03: 1:32:38

They don't even have those guys anymore. No, there's no there's no need for it. No, it's a shame. Think of all those guys that lost their job. Bob Heusler. 2020, Bob, uh, uh, what was the other guy? Uh the Mink Man and uh Joe Tollison was a 2020 guy, Joey Waller, Mike McCann. I mean, there were all those guys used to be.

SPEAKER_04: 1:33:00

Now they do the um what are the what are the uh the pre-recorded oh the uh with Biggsburger? Uh no, like the boomers. Yeah, yeah. That's stupid thing.

SPEAKER_03: 1:33:10

I know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_04: 1:33:11

CBS sports CBS Sports Minute. Yes. That's kind of taken.

SPEAKER_03: 1:33:15

But I remember, I remember, I remember like during like when used to be on when Matt Mike and the Mad Dog used to be on, I guess they were on Yes. And it was funny because even when they weren't on, whoever whoever was filling in for them, whether it was Iron Eagle or whoever, they still showed them on Yes, which I thought was hilarious. They don't do that now at Michael K. I thought they didn't do that. Oh, they did it. They did it. This is in uh this is in the early 2000s because I remember seeing Iron Eagle on one time and him with Bob Heusler.

SPEAKER_04: 1:33:45

CBS Sports TV in the morning doesn't if if boomer if uh boomer and geo are both out, they rarely show it. Yeah, they they won't answer.

SPEAKER_03: 1:33:53

Yeah, no, they they did. Iron Eagle was on one time by himself with Bob Heusler, and he he's like uh he was making fun of the Lexus commercial. I'll never forget. He's making fun of this Lexus commercial, singing it. He started singing it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:34:06

They'll their uh Luxembourg uh ping pong before they fucking put someone on it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:34:13

I mean, since Michael K left, um I know you're not a Yankee fan, but since he left, I used to like to watch because they would talk about hockey, and you know, now now I don't listen to the show anymore. I don't get to watch it anymore because I'm not in my car. Yeah. So I don't I don't now that it's hot and I would like it more now because Alan Hahn actually likes hockey. He's an Islander fan, though. Um is he an Islander fan, or did he a beat rider for the Islanders?

SPEAKER_04: 1:34:38

He's a big Islander fan.

SPEAKER_03: 1:34:39

Oh well, I don't care. Long Islander, it's a lot of Long Island people are, and his kids are big hockey, big hockey uh players and stuff. So um, really quick, what is your what was your what's your opinion on the John Candy documentary?

SPEAKER_04: 1:34:55

I learned a lot from it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:34:56

I learned a ton from it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:34:58

Yeah. Um learned a lot about obviously, you know, his upbringing you never heard a word about, so I didn't know any of that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:05

Father died at 35. I'm sorry. If everyone, if you if you haven't seen it yet and you want to watch it, you don't want us to give away anything, maybe you should say goodnight. Because we're just gonna talk about this really quick because I want your opinion on it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:35:18

John Candy dies in 1994. Spoiler alert.

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:22

At what was he, 43?

SPEAKER_04: 1:35:24

42.

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:26

Crazy. Crazy to think I remember Macaulay Macaulay Colkin said it best on the thing. He goes, It's crazy to think that I'm sitting here and I'm a year older than John Candy was when he passed away. Oh, so that's incredible. It wouldn't have been a year then. No, I I want to say Candy was 43. I thought he was 43. Maybe maybe I'm wrong.

SPEAKER_04: 1:35:48

Um John Candy, he was 44.

unknown: 1:35:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_04: 1:35:54

Oh no, 43. Yeah, 43. 43. He didn't turn 44.

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:57

Um, so that's what he said. He was a year he's a year older. Macaulay Polkins, my age. He's born 1980. But I guess when they filmed it, he's like, it's crazy to think that I am I'm a year older than John Candy was at this age. He goes, I met him when I was eight years old, and he goes, I never saw him again, but I always thought I would eventually run into him again. Right. And I never and I never had the chance. So I mean, you think about it, I mean, he was 14 when he died. Right. I mean, it's it's crazy to think. Um the part that the part that bothered me was I felt like they rushed. I felt like they took their time at the beginning and then they started just rushing through the end of it. They rushed through the ending part. I thought there were a few movies that he did that were good. I made them sound like the every movie he did from here on out what were bombs. They weren't delirious. He did a movie, and you probably didn't like it, but I thought it was decent. And obviously, I'm a I'm a movie historian. I mean, he did a movie with Maureen O'Hara, brought her out of retirement, and they didn't tell this story, which I think they if they they they didn't do it justice, and they knew how great he was. But John Candy did a movie with Maureen O'Hara. And if you don't know who Maureen O'Hara was, she was the leading woman in Miracle on 34th Street. She had been retired at that point for years. Okay. Um she uh came out of retirement for this role, and uh they in the budget didn't have in the budget for her to have her own trailer. John Candy gave Maureen O'Hara said, No, no, that's not the way it works. She's a legend, she's an icon, she's getting my trailer. And he kind of coaxed them into giving them both a trailer. That should have been mentioned. That should have been mentioned because all they said was, well, he was doing people favors at the end of the show, delirious and harry crumb, and he's got a lot of uncredited roles at the end of the show. Right, he was in rookie of the year, but I mean, cool runnings. I as kids, I thought that was a good movie. That was terrible. You didn't think that movie was good when you when you wait, when you were when you were 13 years old, you didn't think that was a good movie.

SPEAKER_04: 1:38:17

It was a bit it was a big movie. We had the Jamaican Bobsled team. Yeah, that's the only thing I can tell you.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:25

It wasn't a bad movie. And I didn't think I didn't think nothing with trouble was awful.

SPEAKER_04: 1:38:30

Terrible. Oh god, it was so bad. It was so bad. And he's in Only the Lonely was another movie. That's the movie.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:37

That's the movie with with Maureen O'Hara.

SPEAKER_04: 1:38:39

Yeah, that it was terrible. Delirious.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:42

I like that movie. His his role in JFK was excellent, right? He was good in that. Well, you don't like romantic comedy, so if you don't like romantic comedies, you're not gonna like that movie. Only the lonely was a funny movie. He was and it was serious, he had a serious dialogue. Um Harry Harry Crumb was terrible. That was a terrible movie. Delirious was a terrible movie.

SPEAKER_04: 1:39:01

See, it's funny because playing trans and automobiles is clearly like that's your John Candy movie. If I 100%, yeah, and Uncle Buck. Great Outdoors Great Outdoors for me is that's my favorite John Candy movie. That's the one that I clunk like as a kid. If that movie was on, right, which is a good movie, yeah. Which is a good movie. Great Outdoors has always been my you know, that's been my butt I mean more than Uncle Buck, more than they did say that he just started doing favors for people, opposed to getting roles, and they did say that you can't be nice in this industry because it eats you alive, and that's essentially what happened.

SPEAKER_03: 1:39:39

Well, think about it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:39:40

He does Uncle Buck in '89. He's not other right. So there's no other movie where he's even close to the leading guy anymore. No, he's the leading guy of Uncle Buck, he's the leading guy of Harry Crumb, he's the leading guy of Great Outdoors, he shares the bill with Steve Martin and playing transit automobiles, and then he goes backwards. Nothing but trouble. He's not the leading guy in it. He's he's in it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:40:05

He did have two roles in it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:40:06

He's got two scenes in Home Alone, right?

SPEAKER_03: 1:40:09

And they talked about that movie, they talked about that movie as if he was in it for the whole movie, right? And I know why, because Mourino Harris, one of his did his eulogy, and Macaulay Culkin was in it. I get it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:40:21

But but Delirious was terrible, and that was the that was the last time he was really given a chance.

SPEAKER_03: 1:40:27

I don't I don't think only the lonely was a bad movie. Okay, I that's my opinion. I don't know what kind of any of the no, no, no. No, it wasn't. I mean, of all the movies, but they didn't even mention it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:40:41

His weight was why they didn't give him another chance at a leader. He bombed, like once he bombed, that that's it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:40:47

We what movie did they consider was a bomb? Harry Crumb, Delirious?

SPEAKER_04: 1:40:52

So Harry Crumb was a major bomb, yeah, and he's but he still got Uncle Buck after, like he kind of saved himself with Uncle.

SPEAKER_03: 1:40:59

I thought Harry Crum was after Uncle Buck. They made it sound like Uncle Buck, Uncle Buck was after they're both 89.

SPEAKER_04: 1:41:07

Okay, they list Harry Crum before Uncle Buck, so maybe they both came out similar. Time. Oh, but yeah, it's a it's a cameo in Home Alone, it's nothing but trouble where he's not a cameo, but no, very small role.

SPEAKER_03: 1:41:20

He was in career opportunities, he had a small role in that. Like I said, he started doing it was good. Well, he was just popping up in these random movies, like yeah, and like these cameo spots.

SPEAKER_04: 1:41:34

So was he were they thinking uh like I said, he's on he's it's funny, he's in rookie of the year, he's uncredited for it. Right, but were they was was his line of thought thinking I'm gonna be like you know what Bob You what Bob Euchre was for Major League? Like, do I have a chance to endear myself to the crowd again that way?

SPEAKER_03: 1:41:52

He was funny in that movie, yeah. He was good in that movie, but then that was it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:41:56

Wagons East and Canadian Bacon were both. They're awful.

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:01

They were terrible. I didn't even, I don't, I didn't even see Canadian bacon, did you?

SPEAKER_04: 1:42:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:07

I got saw it 20 years ago. I don't have the heart to watch it. I don't have the heart to watch it. I heard it was so bad that I just didn't I'm like, I'm not I'm not remembering him for this crappy movie, right? And Wagons East, and but believe it or not, I think Canadian bacon came out after Wagons East, but it was filmed first.

SPEAKER_04: 1:42:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:24

I don't know. Which happens, and but they did say that they did say in the documentary that he lost 70 pounds. He lost 70 pounds, and they said don't lose any more weight, don't lose any more weight.

SPEAKER_05: 1:42:38

Right.

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:39

I mean, to be fair, I mean, I mean, look what happened to Newman, look what happened to Newman from Seinfeld. You don't see him in anything anymore. I I'm not comparing I'm not saying that I mean the guy from Mike and Molly's having a hard time getting getting gigs now. That's what happens. You have a certain look. Now that look's gone. Now what?

SPEAKER_04: 1:43:00

Now John Candy is uber talented compared to these to the other two people you're talking about.

SPEAKER_03: 1:43:05

He's always been robust, though. In every movie, he was always big in some way.

SPEAKER_04: 1:43:11

And that's what allowed him to still break through, despite his looks.

SPEAKER_03: 1:43:16

Um wasn't in the uh documentary.

SPEAKER_02: 1:43:23

Why would he be?

SPEAKER_03: 1:43:25

Well, he was in National Lampoon. Another cameo. Yeah, but that was the beginning, though. I mean, Bill Murray, I mean, apparently this whole thing was held up because of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. I mean, Bill Murray, I mean, after stripes, they didn't really cross paths anymore.

SPEAKER_04: 1:43:45

No, but that's how he got a start. They they started together with SCTV.

SPEAKER_03: 1:43:48

I know, I know that, but I just he in it with they he wouldn't really didn't really talk that much. I thought Aykroyd made more sense because he did more with Aykroyd. Right. And the crazy part, and and the crazy part with with nothing but trouble was to case what do you mean held it up? So Ryan Reynolds uh did an interview, and they said that it took time to get to nail down Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. That's what held the documentary up.

SPEAKER_04: 1:44:17

They're so busy, apparently. You're you're retired, people, and how busy you are.

SPEAKER_03: 1:44:23

Well, I mean, uh there and they're listening that's the way it is, but I thought it was good. I thought it was tastefully done. Yeah, um, I felt was very sad at the end of it. Um, I thought it was amazing that the the the freeway was closed down for his funeral, that two other only two other people in the world. I did not, I didn't remember that. I didn't know that either. I mean, think about it, Sean. We were very, very young when he died. I was very young. You were 13, I was 14. I mean, he's all we knew. I mean, we he we grew up with him. Like we our childhood, and even Camp Candy, you you watched that as a kid, right? I watched Camp Candy, so it they did ridicule that a little bit too. They got on him for that, but he did, he started to do a lot of things that you know took him out of that mainstream market, right? Because he was a people pleaser, and like they said, that's doesn't work well in the in the Hollywood world, right? So it's a shame, but it was good. I enjoyed it. So that was it. So how many games we have coming up, and what do we think? So we'll end with that. Four or no. They have four games? I have no idea. I just oh I know they got uh San Jose tomorrow, then Seattle Saturday?

SPEAKER_04: 1:45:45

They're on a road trip, right? Oh San Jose tomorrow night, then they get another couple of days off on the 26th, they're in Calgary, 28th, Vancouver, 30th, Edmonton, November 1st, Seattle.

SPEAKER_03: 1:46:00

So they're gonna play Edmonton twice in the first 11 games of the season. Get them before they get hot.

unknown: 1:46:06

Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_03: 1:46:07

Wouldn't you rather that? I just think I just don't get the scheduling, but that's just me.

SPEAKER_04: 1:46:12

Anyway. So today's the 22nd, right? So by the next time we uh we'll have four games. Yeah, we'll have four games before next uh next Wednesday. I'll be I'll be realistic.

SPEAKER_02: 1:46:25

I'll say two and two.

SPEAKER_04: 1:46:28

I'll say two and two. Let me go two, one and one.

SPEAKER_03: 1:46:35

Not going four and oh you don't like you don't you don't like the four oh that uh ruined the four-o thing, yeah. The four-nothing thing.

SPEAKER_04: 1:46:44

Um West Coast West Coast trips are not easy. It's not an easy trip. Never is.

SPEAKER_03: 1:46:54

Didn't they sweep it?

unknown: 1:46:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:46:56

Was it last year or the year before? Last year, right? But I never expect it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:46:59

Right. I love it because the games are way after my daughter goes to bed. Right. I get to watch, I get to watch every second of the games. Nice. Um I'm hopeful. I'm supposed to be going tomorrow. We'll see if we'll see if those plans go through. Okay, but um yeah, I expect to beat San Jose. It'd be nice if they could fucking take care of Calgary as they should. Vancouver's reeling a little bit. Edmonton's gonna want revenge on their home ice. Revenge, they won the last time. I know, but they probably feel like uh, you know, they fit they probably feel it cheated because they only got one goal. Sure. All right, see what happens. All right, isn't that what you would put on your locker in the locker room? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would. These guys outplay us. Watch the tape. They outplayed.

SPEAKER_02: 1:47:46

100%. 100%. Let's show them who we are. And we owe Stuart Skinner a beating, so that'd be nice to knock him, knock, knock the shit out of him one game. Yeah, you just want my fantasy team to suffer.

SPEAKER_03: 1:47:55

Oh, is he on your fantasy team?

SPEAKER_04: 1:47:57

You know, I I'm available if you need a goalie.

SPEAKER_03: 1:48:02

He wasn't available the other day. Damn right he wasn't. I picked him up. Oh, you're the one that picked him up? You fucking asshole. He was day to day when I looked at him the last time, and that's why I didn't pick him up. Because I wasn't sure how long he was gonna be out for. When I looked at him to pick him up, he was day to day. So that's why I didn't pick him up. My team, mom and uh, my team stinks. Um takes a year. Yeah, I'm not I'm not really I'm not I'm not even worrying about it this year. Your team's young. I didn't you'll you'll get guys that'll you know you'll you you'll get a couple guys you know. I'm not worried about it this year. I'm taking it as taking in and tried because I didn't know. So we'll see what happens. Yep, but this was good and a good time.

SPEAKER_04: 1:48:45

Yep, all right, guys. We will talk to you next week, hopefully, uh with at least the 500 or better record. That'd be nice, and some goals. Yes, that'd be even better. West Coast goals. Nice, all right, guys. Later.