Leo's Deal Changes Everything

🎙️ The Mask & The Mic Podcast | Episode 24

The Anaheim Ducks made their decision...now the real work begins.

On Episode 24 of The Mask & The Mic, Guy Hebert and Kent French react to one of the biggest stories of the NHL offseason as the Anaheim Ducks officially matched the Philadelphia Flyers' five-year, $90 million offer sheet for restricted free agent Leo Carlsson.

What does this decision mean for the future of the franchise?

Guy and Kent break down why the Ducks chose to match the historic contract, what it means to make Leo Carlsson the NHL's highest-paid player, and the expectations that now come with wearing that distinction. They also discuss the next major priority for General Manager Pat Verbeek—signing fellow restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier—and how the Ducks can build the rest of the roster with limited salary cap flexibility.

With opportunities opening throughout the lineup, the conversation turns to Anaheim's highly regarded prospect pool and which young players could be ready to make the jump to the NHL. 

The guys also examine what comes next for the Philadelphia Flyers after their aggressive offer sheet strategy. With former Ducks Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale now headed to salary arbitration, how much has the Carlsson contract changed the negotiating landscape around the league?

The discussion then shifts to the FIFA World Cup, where the action on the pitch has been matched by the incredible passion of fans from around the globe. Guy and Kent explore how the tournament continues to elevate soccer's popularity in the United States and what the long-term impact could be after the final whistle.

To close the episode, the focus turns to baseball. The Los Angeles Angels selected Huntington Beach High School standout Jared Grindlinger in the MLB Draft, adding one of the country's top two-way prospects to the organization. 

The guys also celebrate Mike Trout's selection to his 12th MLB All-Star Game and discuss what it will mean for the future Hall of Famer to play this year's Midsummer Classic just 45 minutes from his hometown of Millville, New Jersey.

From blockbuster NHL contracts and roster building to international soccer and baseball's next generation, Episode 24 covers another exciting week across the sports world.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi everybody, this is GA Bear, former NHL goaltender, and yes, I am co-host of The Mask and the Mic. And of course, I'm the mask because Ken French is the mic. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Definitely said he took the words right out of my mouth. We got a great podcast for you on this episode because it is reaction to Leo Carlton signing um with the Anaheim mega video. Or should I say the Ducks matching the offer sheet? So uh what a day it was uh for Anaheim, for the Ducks, for Pat Verbeek, and for ownership, and uh we can't wait to dive into that with Depot.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Yeah, we have we've got that much, much more. We touch on World Cup Soccer, uh FIFA, we like to call it, right? Frankie's got some uh stories from the pub, and uh we touch on some local sports, uh and maybe a what first round draft choice going to our own Angels?

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Yeah, to the Angels. Yes, the Angels. So that and much more is happening on a podcast we like to call the Mask of the Mike. Um we hope you enjoy this podcast, this episode, and Ghibow as always, and good for us. Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of The Mask of the Mic. Kent French alongside Guilla Bear once again. Uh, and we are back. It was the talk of the town when it comes to the National Hockey League, of course. Leo Carlson, the news, the offer sheet by Philly. The Ducks had seven days to match Gebo, and the Ducks came through and they matched the contract uh in in the sixth day of that seven-day window last Thursday. Um so congratulations to Leo. Congratulations to uh the Anaheim Ducks. Um, we are both glad. I mean, I I will speak for you in this one instance. I think we are ahead. We are both happy that Leo Carlson is a duck for five more years.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Yes, uh well said, Frenchie, absolutely. He is a cornerstone piece of this franchise moving forward for the next decade. And you know, it's funny because you, you know, you hear the number, um, you know, and and you hear some of the comments. We were able to listen to Leo uh in some interviews. And, you know, I mean, he listen, I said it before. Like if you're a player and someone offers you that kind of money in an offer sheet, uh like he said 99% of the people will take it. Um I'll go one step further and say 100% of the players would take that deal, hoping that if they wanted to stay on their original team, that they would hope that the team would match it, which of course the Ducks did. And you know, it's interesting just to kind of you know let that whole scenario, right? We talked about, you know, let letting like the shock, you know, sink in. And I think for the organization, they did all the right things. Like one, you you almost wanted that knee-jerk reaction, Frenchie, of like, yes, we're matching it. We said we're gonna match it, and we're matching it immediately. You know, so I think in in one case, you were everybody who are ducks fans were hoping that they would do it immediately, and then it's kind of uh a non-issue. But I do like the fact that they said, okay, let's let's absorb this, see how this is really gonna impact our future. Now, not just like year one or two, uh, it's five-year commitment, but you also think about it, it's it's gonna have an impact, even though the salary cap is going up every year. The league is uh financially as strong as it's probably ever been. So as the cap increases every year, there's a little more wiggle room. But you got to start thinking about that that contract affects, you know, maybe the next decade uh for this organization. So um I do. I like the fact that they kind of sat on it for a few days. They probably went through every single scenario that was possible, signing, not signing, taking picks, trading picks. Um, you know, uh whatever was on the table, I'm sure they went through every option and then of course said, you know, this is a player that we just can't lose. And you know, no matter how this affects the cutter negotiations or maybe Beckett Seneca in a year from now, I think it's just important to have that player locked up. And it's funny, I mean, I listened to uh the Kachuk brothers, and you know, like they are they're all in on Leo Carlson. I mean, when you're getting right, you know, those those type of players, Frenchie, just saying, you know, like this kid is incredible, and $18 million in like two or three years, like not only is it gonna be normal, but by the time this is done, he probably will be underpaid. So, you know, that's that's coming from some guys who really know what's going on and and the level of skill that Leo Carlson has. So if any Ducks fans were concerned at all, I think, you know, hearing that from the Kachuk brothers uh and others around the league that, you know, listen, this this is a guy who needed to stay. So uh yes, we are both happy. Orange Country is happy, and I'll tell you what, a lot of other players in the NHL are very happy with that number because I know we were just talking about it. It's gonna have a trickle-down effect, it's gonna have a ripple effect for some guys that we know well that are gonna come up for some contract negotiations this summer.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Yeah, and and you make a good point when you talk about the Kachuk brothers coming out. I did I did see that same thing as well, where that number is actually gonna be uh, you know, I by no means a bargain, but it certainly is going to be a a number where that makes sense for a player like Leo Carlson. And and going in when we talked about it on our last podcast, I mean, Connor McDave is gonna be north of 20, right? He took that that you know team-friendly deal to try to keep his team under the calves so they could add and get them back to the cup and be a cup contender year after year, but but they haven't gotten over the hump. They haven't won that cup yet. So you know McDave is gonna, and and as well he should be the number one player um in the National Hockey League when it comes to salary. So yeah, he's Leo's the highest paid player today as we do this podcast, but that's not gonna last for long with the cap going up this year and of course next year. So yes, that 18 million number, a little harder to adjust right now, but yes, that's a number that's gonna be, you're gonna see a lot more of that around the league. Um, and also one thing when we we do listen in on Pat Bravik's press conference along with Leo Carlson, and and a big conversation um point, big talking point was relationship. When something like this happens, what's the relationship like with the player, the GM, the player, and the team? Well, I think you answered that when it comes to the team. The team's gonna give him a standing over issue when he walks in the locker room. And Leo said in his c in his press conference that he'd been communication, everybody's very supportive, as they will they should be. As you mentioned, this is gonna be good for Leo, but for the rest of the players, as the flyers and this offer sheet have reset the marketplace in the National Hockey League. But when it comes to Pat Verbeek, he said, you know what, I was a player once. I get it. You know, it's a business. Um, you know, Leo is cornerstone. We want to keep him here. And I think you're right. They did the due diligence, they went and talked to ownership and made sure everything was on the up and up and they could make all of this work because as it sits right now, just over 9 million left in cap space, Gibo, to sign Cutter Gautier this year. That was the big question mark of how they're going to fit Cutter into this whole thing. Well, Pat again in his press conference said there's gonna be have to be some things moved around and some potential space created. And who knows what that conversation with Cutter has been like and will be like moving forward. But Pat kept saying, hey, I got I got two months. I got two months to figure this thing out. So um, yeah, and uh, you know, also for Leo, just one more thought there. You know, he was it was one of the most stressful weeks he's had in his in his very young career. Uh I had some fans come up to me and go, if I could have a stressful week like that, knowing I was guaranteed 18 per, um, you know, I'd take it. But I think uh Leo said too, kind of uh, which I thought was kind of funny, is that no one was more nervous than his mom was. So um, but you know, Leo made it very clear he wanted to stay in Anaheim Duck. He was hoping that the ducks would match.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

I mean, without a doubt. I mean, I think he he knows how important he is and and he knows the trajectory of this franchise. Um there's a couple things. Let's get back to Pat Verbeek knowing that okay, I need to sign Cutter Goche in the next couple months. Well, see, he's not gonna want Cutter to have to sit on pins and needles for the entire summer. So uh, you know, what can be done is that like he can sign a contract and they could sign him to a contract that puts them over the cap. Now, like the cap, excuse me, you just have to be cap compliant by the start of the season. So Pat does have a bunch of time. Now, I mean, you don't want to sign him and then be, you know, $10 million over the cap and then kind of feel really hamstrung throughout the course of the summer trying to get you know some deals done where you're just moving money because then you're getting taken advantage of, right? You want to have some negotiating power. And, you know, listen, I mean, they're gonna have to trim the fat. I mean, they're gonna have to trim money from somewhere, and it's gonna come from player salary. And so, you know, we talked about Troy Terry with being on LTIR, and so that'll open up some room until Troy comes back in, you know, November, December. Uh, that's kind of a projected time frame, but that's temporary relief. And I know we mentioned that before. You know, the other thing is we've seen players, and I mean we all look at social media, and so this isn't anything that anybody hasn't read um out there, but you know, you're you're talking about guys who are in the last year of the contracts with the Ducks. That's Color and Krider. You got Frank Vitrano, who was healthy scratch for a good portion of last season, especially late in the season after having an injury. Um, I think these guys are all wonderful players. I I would love to keep all of them on this team moving forward. Um, I am a huge fan of Frank Vitrano. I think Frank just somehow fell out of favor with the team, whether it was you know what he could bring or just really trying to get the younger guys like Cutter and Leo more ice time, more power play time. Beckett Seneca, I think was such a revelation that that took ice time away from Vitrano, you know. But when you look at their contracts, you know, Kreider and Cologne are both, I think, a six and a quarter hit to the cap space. And Frank is um, I think he's only being paid three million per season. He's got that kind of funky contract. Uh, but his uh cap hit is I think four and a quarter. So if any of those guys happen to be moved, and I'm not saying I want them moved, um, but somewhere along the line you're gonna have to free up some cap space. So I know just looking at my social media, those are the names are kind of being thrown out by, you know, the experts or the pundits. Um how much they really know, we don't know because uh you know, sometimes it's just a lot of speculation, but that would create some space and it could happen over the course of uh the next two months with that pat has. Um fast forwarding to what you're talking about, Lee Win's stressful life uh over the course of a six-day period, you know, part of me is the stress is just really starting. You know, now you are being labeled as the top paid player in the NHL, and with that, and how important you are to this organization, the pressure to perform, the pressure to put up points, the pressure to score more goals. Um, you know, I think that, you know, for all athletes, your your safe, safe place is always on the field, on the rank. You know, so when you get into the locker room, you get on the ice surface, that's that's your happy place and your safe place, and that's where you just kind of tune things out and and just play and and react. So I think once he's in games and in practices, I think he'll be able to kind of just compartmentalize that, hey, I'm just a hockey player trying to improve uh on what I've done in the last couple seasons. Um, I don't really have anything to live up to in my own mind. But with that said, Frenchie, I mean, there is going to come a significant amount of pressure for him to become the guy here in Anaheim. Um, I think what will be nice is that if Cutter makes significantly more than he was expecting to make or was looking for, then all of a sudden that pressure gets spread out between two young players. And I I think that would be a great dynamic because it always brings me back to the dynamic duo of Solani and Korea. And not necessarily about the money back when we played, but it was more about the pressure of performing and putting points up and scoring important goals. And I think that, you know, this dynamic duo who should be here for the next decade, I think that'll be a nice balance where one guy won't be lumped with all the pressure, even though he's the highest paid guy in the league. Um, and I say that as of right now, Frenchie, but I've already heard rumblings of Quinn Hughes trying to get a, you know, I've heard a three-year extension possible possibility, right? Where it would be in excess of 18 million to get him locked up for three years. So I by the time we're we're talking start a training camp and guys are showing up the camp, uh, like there could be several guys or a few guys that are making more than Leo. So um I agree. But at the end of the day, I mean, as an athlete, you know, a lot of the pressure comes internally because you want to prove to yourself and everybody else that you know you're worth every penny that you're getting paid.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Yeah, it's it was gonna happen. Just didn't know it was gonna happen right now. Um but yeah, and and you uh when it when it comes to um the pressure that you're that you're kind of alluding to, and and you make a good point, it affects players differently. And not that you know Mason McTavish was dealing with that, but I certainly think that might have been a factor when he signed that you know significant contract with the ducks and he struggled. And you put internally you put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform and live up to that contract. So it is it is a maturity situation as well where you have to step in and you have to continue to to play your game and stay within yourself. And I think the coaching staff is gonna play a part of this too, with Coach Q, and you're gonna kind of lean on these guys to support these players, support the growth of their players, and not let you know, it's no one knows more than a professional athlete than you too than you do. Don't get in your own head. You stay out of that head. That's sometimes that's the most that's the most important thing and the most difficult thing at the same time. So um, yeah, and I and I think too, something we alluded to in the last podcast was now that this has happened and they're trying to fit cutter in to figure out how that's gonna happen, and you mentioned moving certain pieces to to hopefully make all this work for Pat and the cap, but you are gonna have to lean now on a lot of your young, young prospects that aren't making that kind of money right now, i.e., your young defensive talent to come in and really supplement some of these pieces and some of these openings to make it work. And Pat was very clear that he had made some moves specifically on defense because somebody brought it up. Truba, Carlson, Gudis gone, but that was by design to open up some spots for some guys that are well deserving to compete for a spot in camp. So when it comes to camp in a two months, yes, it's gonna be interesting to see what happens with Cutter and how they're gonna fit everybody in, but that competition Gibo is gonna be interesting to watch on those young players, specifically on the D line, and see how they're gonna um react and you know, to to a new open, a new opportunity to make an impact on this team.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

Yeah, sink or swim. Listen, as a young guy and you've proved yourself in the American League, you're just you're chomping, you're waiting, you're like, you're like, when am I gonna get my chance? And right now, these young guys are gonna get an opportunity to play. And you know, I think the thing that maybe we're so excited as as Ducks fans, right? I mean, team continues to get better. They got into the playoffs, which you know, everybody wanted to get there. We just got to get there, right? As an organization, it we knew how much it was gonna mean to get to the playoffs and have that experience and show that, hey, we are making the right steps, we're making the right decisions, we're getting the right uh personnel, and we're improving. And I think the fact getting to the second round, and you know, a lot of us will sit here and say, you know, that series really could have gone either way. I mean, the ducks really looked in charge early in that series and could have beaten Vegas and moved on to the conference finals, right? I mean, a lot of us really believe that. I certainly do. Uh, some things happened, um, some great goaltending on the other side. I think some of the experience of Vegas eventually took its toll on the younger ducks, right? But there was such great stuff going on with that team. So maybe we're all of a sudden looking too too far down the road, right? I mean, this is still a rebuilding team that's getting better and it's growing for the future. And I think having the opportunity to have these young defensemen have an opportunity to come in and say, like, hey, like, this is why you drafted me, this is why you allowed me to grow and learn in the American League over the last year or two or three, you know, but I'm ready to make this jump and I'm ready to be a player to play every day for the next, you know, several years. And if you don't give them that opportunity, then you just really never know. And so this isn't a team that's set up to win the Stanley Cup next year. And I think that's where I think, yeah, I even myself, I've like put the cart before the horse where I'm like, okay, the defense isn't good enough to go deep into the playoffs on paper. And then I'm like, okay, well, maybe I need to pump the brakes a little bit because this isn't necessarily about winning the Stanley Cup this upcoming season. Sure, we'd all love to have it happen. And is that what they play for? Of course, and they're gonna do everything they can to do that. But at the end of the day, it's also about making sure that these young players who are gonna be a part of the organization get the time and the reps, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, have great coaching with the coaching staff that is in place. So I'm not, you know, you know, like a week ago, I was like, geez, I'm literally disappointed in moves on the defensive side. But as I sit here and look at it more as a little bit longer term process, you know, I mean, Pat's come out and said Tristan Luno should be an everyday NHL player. I mean, he's been fabulous in the American League. He's won awards and all-star appearances, he is ready to go. Tyson Hines just signs a two-year, one-way contract. And so, you don't sign a kid to a one-way contract for two years to send him back down to the minors. So you can effectively think that Luno and Tyson Hines will be part of your opening night roster on the D. So all of a sudden, you know, there is Stan Solberg who's gonna come in and try to make a big impression, and there's other guys as well. So uh it's gonna be a great battle, and I think that's what you want to have as you get into training camp is that there are opportunities, there are some jobs available, and that brings out the best of everybody competing for those, you know. I mean, listen, you want to make the big club so badly you can taste it. And I think that it's gonna be a really competitive training camp, especially from the defensive end.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

And I I think it's interesting too to go back and look at some of these moves that Pat made prior to the draft um and prior to the offer sheet from Leo is you get rid of MACT and his seven plus mil per year, right? And you get the picks and you get rid of Olin Zellwigger. A lot of people are like, what are you doing? You need you need you need help on defense, you're getting getting rid of a young up-and-coming defenseman. But again, he was up for uh he was uh RFA. So he was RFA as well. Yeah. You have these guys you're gonna have to pay out money to. So Pat technically was clearing space knowing he had to sign Cutter and he had to sign Leo. Didn't necessarily know Leo was gonna be the 18 number that it ended up being, but you know, a lot of this stuff is by design. And and I want to uh just give kudos to, you know, you and I are both big fans of Henry and Susan Samueli and a terrific ownership, obviously, that they have with the Anaheim Ducks, but they came out, which was cool with a statement and supported Pat, knowing that he was saying that you know he was able to uh intelligently, you know, leave enough cap room to make this happen, and they're excited to have Leo here, not only on the ice, but what he does in the community. And again, yeah, you look at culture, you look at what this team is about, and we've mentioned some of these great players like Vetrano and Kreider and guys that you know um are on the older side when it comes to you know NHL experience, but everybody that comes to the Anaheim Ducks know that community is gonna be uh, you know, 1B. 1A is what they do on the ice, one B is what they do on the community. And Leo Carlson is one of those guys as well that gets it. And players come here, they know that they're gonna give back. A lot of them created foundations and organizations to help those uh that are less fortunate and whatever it may be. So um again, Leo is that type of guy, and is certainly again, that's why he was it was not just his talent on the ice, but it was important for him, the person to be part of this Ducks organization. I just want to make that point because I think that's a huge thing that maybe people on the outside of the ducks don't really understand how important community is and is driven by Henry and Susan. So um, you know, kudos to them for coming out and making that statement.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Yeah, I mean the Samuel A certainly they lead by example. I mean, not just with the hockey club, but you know, in the community. So uh, you know, what they're doing at the OC Vibe, which directly affects the hockey team, uh, it's gonna be great for the community. I mean, you think about jobs being, you know, uh available because of what they're doing there. Uh, incredible people. I mean, they're they love Orange County. I mean, that's why it's now become Orange Country over at the Honda Center. And as you mentioned for Leo, and you know, we pontificated about who possibly could be the next captain of the Ducks, right? Good's gone. There's a vacancy right now. You know, interesting.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

And I know, right now it could this change the dynamic a little bit. I I agree with where you're going with this. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

So I mean, uh, you know, Paul Korea back in the day was our you know first ever first round draft pick. And, you know, I mean, it was gonna be Paul's team. And I know I've mentioned it before, and I think right now, with what has just happened, if it wasn't Leo's team before, it's Leo's team now. And because of the community relationship that he's gonna have and and wants to have, um, you know, I mean, I see no better player than to have. Where the C. But you know, as you say, the the coaching staff, you know, they may kick that around and say, How much is too much for Leo? But I I do, I think that this is uh a great moment, an opportunity for him to be able to embrace that role. Um, I'm excited to see what happens uh by the time training camp starts. But uh yeah, it's gonna be I mean it's gonna be great to see. Like if you're a Ducks fan, once again, everything that is happening and transpiring is just so incredibly exciting. Uh, it was a little nerve-wracking, but now that you've moved on and that the team has solidified, you know, Leo Carlson, it's just a matter of time to get Cutter under contract. And then you start thinking about we just locked up our our top two point getters from last season for the foreseeable future. I mean, I would I would expect Cutter to maybe sign something in that five-year range, depending on the money available. But um, you're gonna have those guys, and you need those two guys, you know, for the future of this club.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Can we talk about the other side of the equation now? Yeah, let's let's go to the other side of the coin. Wow. Talk about fascinating. So uh Daniel Brier, the GM for uh the Flyers, makes this offer sheet, right? So now Leo stays and and Brere came out and and of course had a statement right away saying we knew this was a possibility. We're still gonna go and try to build organization and make it the best team possible, which of course that's gonna, you're gonna say that, right? But what has he done? We mentioned it at the beginning of the podcast. He has reset the entire market. Oh, by the way, two former ducks are on his roster and have filed for arbitration, being Trevor Ziegris and Jimmy Drysdale. He's got to sign those guys. Now the marketplace has been set. This could be interesting to see how this affects those signings as well as everybody else we've been talking about. And yes, the Flyers have, I think some of the most they were like 29 million in cap space or whatever it would be. Um, but it's gonna be interesting to see how that all shakes out, Gebo. And you've gone through or almost went through, you know, you were arbitration eligible. So it's it's it's an interesting process to see what's gonna happen over at Philly. And wait, I'm gonna one more thing. Keep rolling, keep rolling, yeah. So the offer sheets might not be done, and they might not be done from that 2023 class, meaning Connor Bedard, yes, you reminded me of the injury that he has, and he won't be available right away. But Adam Fentilli, a guy that again who is an RFA, could the Flyers present another offer sheet to try to go get their number one center?

SPEAKER_00 24:35

Well, you know, there's a whole host of things that could happen, and another offer sheet wouldn't surprise me. Listen to listen, I give Philly just tons of credit, right? You identify a player you think is, you know, such a marquee player at a young age that you're willing to push in all the chips and and pay him potentially more than he's worth at this moment. Um, but you also make the ducks, you know, have to make a real conscious decision on on whether, you know, how that fits into their whole plan. So I give them a lot of credit for taking that big swing, right? It was a swing and a miss. But it shows affiliate fans that, you know, hey, they mean business and that they want to create a winning atmosphere and are willing to do kind of whatever it takes. So if you're a Flyers fan, you're like, I I love my management right now. They're willing to do this and take chances. Hey, I mean, it didn't cost them anything at the end of the day, right? They almost got Leo Carlson and they didn't, but it's not like they tried and then had to give something up because they went through that process. It was, hey, offer sheet, you know, you signed it, it got matched, we move on. So but could it cost them in arbitration? So, well, yeah, let's let's get to that. Let's see, like Adam Fantilly, like I would say Bedard is uh uh a non-issue because of his uh injury, right? Shoulder surgery, he's gonna be out, I think a couple months. Um, you know, I don't think anybody wants to get into a offer sheet for a player that's not gonna be ready right away, and you just never know with injuries, right? I it it was probably fairly routine, but you never know, and you probably don't want to do that, you know. As in Adam Fantilli, I mean, I don't know what the word on the street about him compared to Leo. I mean, how valuable other organizations see that, you know, is he the same type of guy? And I'm not saying it would be for the same type of money, it could be for significantly less. Um, so but it Philly, I I would not be surprised if they did something. Uh, there's still there's a player out there that, like, I mean, it's being talked about, but he is also gonna be uh in the same situation as Trevor Zegris and Jamie Drysdale, and that's Jason Robertson. Oh, right. He turned down a big deal with Seattle 120 million, 120 million he turned down. Um, and I think that was gonna put him, and you know, sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're smart, sometimes you're both, but you know, he basically for a guy who scored 45 goals, 91 points, only 15 goals on the power play. So he had 30 even strength goals. I mean, like, that's incredible, right? So you're looking at a guy who turned down all that money, but I think that it was like the AAV was like, you know, 15 or 16, and now he looks like a genius for not accepting a trade, a sign-in trade, and he's trying to determine his future whether it's gonna be in Dallas if they can create their cap space. Or, you know, I think I've heard Pittsburgh being probably one of the favorite landing spots. Oh, I believe his brother got traded there from Toronto to Pittsburgh, so he could have an opportunity to play with his brother if he was able to get that deal and see what happens. But so let's get into the uh salary arbitration. So for Ziegris and Drysdale, and I think that this maybe was fairly orchestrated by the club themselves, their agents, of saying, hey, we love it here. We want to sign a contract here. We don't want to get offer sheeted, uh, but we want to get a deal done. And I think by filing for salary arbitration, that takes the offer sheet option off the table. Now, with salary arbitration, it's a little dicey. I'm gonna be honest with you, because I went through it. Well, I got there uh in one season where we couldn't hammer out a deal with Anaheim, and we were really far apart both on contract value and on term. I was looking for more long term, they wanted shorter term, uh, and it just wasn't so it was one of those ugly things I was going throughout the course of the summer, and I literally had a flight from uh my home in upstate New York. I had to meet my agent and fly to Toronto for my arbitration hearing. And honestly, we had a binder of all the reasons why the ducks needed to pay me what I was looking for. Conversely, they had their own binder at equally as big. I mean, I'm talking about it gets ugly, it gets ugly, right? Yeah, everything in that binder, and Jack Ferrero was our GM at the time, and I was like, Jack, I just can't believe we can't come to some kind of you know resolution here. I said, Because I know once we go there, I'm never gonna want to play for you again. And he's like, he goes, I I know that. And that's the way it was, at least back in our day, is that that binder said everything that was wrong with us and why we weren't worth the money we were asking for. And so instead of it being some sort of amicable, oh, the amicable, you know, negotiation, you know, you presented your side, and then they present your side, and you sit there and listen to the whole thing, and then you feel horrible about yourself and your career, and then the the arbitrator comes up with a one-year deal at some value, and it's binding. So whatever he decides is the binding contract for that season, and it's usually just a one-year deal. Uh, fortunately for me, as I was getting ready to step on a plane, um, my agent called me and said, Okay, we got one last swing at this before we go to Toronto. And they came back with a like a two-year deal. I wanted more term. They came back with this number, said, Well, we're living, we'll give you a little bit more money, but we want just a two-year deal to see how things go. And we agreed, uh, which I was very fortunate about because uh the last thing I really wanted to do was uh hear how terrible I was. You know, be like, okay, so I'm gonna be your starting goalie, and I'm really that terrible, you know. Yeah, exactly. So uh, but so that's what you know, hopefully with Ziegress and Drysdale with, you know, doesn't mean you have to go eventually to arbitration and to the arbiter, but it's that, you know, I mean, for the the player, that's your power where you're going in with all this stuff saying, like, hey, I scored this many points, or I made this many saves, or had this many wins, and you go in there and you just you state your case. I would think that the hiccup for Drysdale and Ziggress is now that they might have been looking at some number of like seven million a year, eight, six, whatever. But now all of a sudden they're thinking, huh, maybe, just maybe our GM and president um just moved the market enough that I can ask for like nine. So that'll be the interesting thing is that they can hammer out a deal prior to the arbitration. Um, and then if it gets to arbitration, you know, I honestly I feel like nobody wins. You know, the player isn't really happy, organization really isn't happy. And then I think it just, you know, it's a scar that it's really hard to heal. I mean, that that wound just seems to, you know, and unless the player wins outright and gets a great award, and then he's happy, uh, which usually in turn makes the the the club not that happy. Uh, but those two guys I'm gonna be watching pretty clearly to see what happens. I think the Jason Robertson thing is that, you know, once these dates get set, and I actually looked up to see if Robertson's uh arbitration date was scheduled yet and it and it wasn't, but those are gonna be circled on the calendar for Dallas Stars because they're either gonna have to get a deal in place, they're gonna have to get a sign and trade in place, or they're gonna have to live with whatever the one-year uh arbitration case comes out. And with Leo at 18, you could argue that you know, a guy who just scored 45 goals uh might be getting the same number. And that's if they can fit it into their cap, which is gonna be a problem.

SPEAKER_01 32:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

Wow. Next couple months are gonna be fun to watch.

SPEAKER_01 32:30

I mean, off the I mean, yeah, it is fun to be. Like we're ready for the buck to drop. Right. We're ready for the buck to drop from the action on the ice, but the action off the ice has been so fascinating to watch how this has all played out, uh, with especially with the cap going up. Um, yeah, well, good stuff on that. Thanks for taking me inside that arbitration conversation because uh because I, you know, I never never had an agent. And God knows, I don't want to go to arbitration. I don't want to hear what everybody has to say about me. So I I agree with you on that for sure.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

Believe me, very, very stressful. It's stressful to the times, right? Because it it's one of those things that, you know, it's a little mini tug of war.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

Yeah. Oh well, I agree. And the last thing I'll say about that too is you have a relationship like Pat and Leo, and you hope that nothing was damaged here. And I believe both parties, right? It's business, and Leo signed a deal which everybody else would have signed. And Pat matched it, and we move on, but nothing necessarily was said about either player. But what you're saying, and you get in that courtroom and you're saying the things that you're saying, like that is certainly could be damaging, and that could damage the relationship moving forward. So um, you know, yeah, we're glad we didn't get there, right?

SPEAKER_00 33:36

I mean, it just is a non non-factor for um you know, for Leo's situation, and and currently no other ducks uh are are facing that situation, which is which is good news.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

All right. Well, we're gonna shift from the ice to the pitch, my friend.

SPEAKER_00 33:51

And I know that to we have Oh God, I mean I've become a I've become a soccer fan, right? I mean, I think everybody in around here, I mean, just I I can't help but turn it on, especially late in the game, right? I mean it's just they're all they're all it's two to one, and it's going into extra time and seeing some you know overtimes that go to the penalty kick to determine the winner. I'm like, yeah, riveted after watching like a hundred minutes of soccer.

SPEAKER_01 34:17

The greatest part for me is the theater off the pitch. And when I see that is watching some of these games and they go to a live camera shot back of the countries that are playing, and sometimes it's like two or three in the morning. Um, I didn't have uh the chance to watch the the game, uh the Argentina, uh Argentina play. Um but I uh Michelle, my wife mentioned that they did a camera shot and like they did this pan and it kept going and going and going and going. Like it was a sea of people that did not end. And I think people here are getting a sense, if they didn't already, of how much this sport means to each respective country. It is a culture, it is part of their fabric of who they are and what they do. I mean, and they live and but die by these teams, and to watch that passion unfold has been awesome. And not only to see it back in their respective countries, but also here in the stands, Gibo. I mean, the fans and uh when Norway won, um, I know they just got ousted, but you know, the rowing by all the fans after the game and beating the drum, and it was just it is fun to watch. I mean, it is the the the culture that they've brought to the United States. I wonder that after something like this, how does soccer grow from here, right? What does it do to the sport here in the States and how does it grow? Because obviously we saw what happened to Team USA. We still have we took we took a step forward, but we still have some strides to go to compete with some of these top talent teams on the biggest stage. So I wonder how this is going to increase the interest level uh of the young soccer fans and the young athletes here in the U.S.

SPEAKER_00 36:05

Well, I think it's gonna have a profound effect, right? I mean, like listen, we live in Southern California. My daughter grew up playing AYSO soccer. I mean, so there is there's a lot of people. AYSO. Yeah, right. Absolutely. There's there's a lot of soccer being played. I mean, I've played soccer, you know, uh growing up and through middle school and high school, and um, you know, love the sport. I mean, hockey players love soccer, just by the way, right?

SPEAKER_01 36:29

We see them all the time in the hallways warming up.

SPEAKER_00 36:32

That's a great point. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I mean, you know, it might it might have come from hacky sack. I'm dating myself, right? Hacky sack back in college.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

Hold on, I'm gonna stop you real quick. My daughter, you're gonna laugh real quick. Everly went to the dentist, and you know how they have a treasure chest? Oh, yeah, at the end, right? Yeah, she comes home with this thing and I go, Well, what is that? She's like, Daddy, it's a hacky sack. I'm like, uh, what? And she's like, Can you teach me how to play hacky sack? I'm like, where is this coming from? I I I had like corn kernels in an old pantyho from back in the day, and I made a hacky sack. So I I used to screw around with it and play with it, but now all of a sudden, to your point, now she wants to play hacky sack, and I and I would probably imagine Gebos because she's seen a lot of soccer and she's kind of so I guess you know maybe that answered my question. Maybe it maybe it is, but yes, I and I apologize to interrupt you, but that hacky stack thing was like, oh my God, I have a hacky stack story, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:26

Yeah, I I didn't know I didn't know it actually still existed, to be honest with you, but you know, it was a thing in college, and you go out in the quad and you're you know, whatever, you're juggling the hacky sack, and uh, but now, yeah, for for hockey players for years, yeah. I mean, way back when I played, I mean, there was always a a soccer ball, you know, in the travel bag of somebody, and usually the equipment managers. And so, you know, guys, just it was a good way to kind of just kind of get the blood flowing, you know, kind of get your mind set. You like routine, players love routine, and so that was a great way to kind of just kind of break the ice and you know, kind of get some camaraderie and you know, juggle the ball around. And you know, it started out with like two or three or four guys, and then like we'll walk through the you know, the basement of the Honda Center, and you'll see the visiting team. And there's like eight, 10, 12 guys out there, or two different units of them, you know, and with the European influence in the NHL, right? I mean, you got Czechs, Swedes, Finns, Nords, I mean, uh, Russians, like you just go all across the board. And so soccer is such a big part of their life and growing up and their childhood that you know it is a passion that they have. So I think, yeah, being here in the United States, it's been great to see that no matter where, whatever city that they've been playing in, whether it's Mexico, Mexico City or Dallas or Atlanta or New York or uh San Francisco, wherever, I mean, the places are packed. The you know, the fan, uh, the fans have flown in from all over the globe to be there to cheer on their teams. And of course, just all of us, if you can get a ticket you're trying to get to SoFi to go see not necessarily the USA team play, but anybody, just so you can have that experience. So um, I mean, I I know that soccer has grown uh tremendously. Our own friend uh Mark Rogandino, I've seen Rogo on TV for some of the coverage here and there. And shout out to Rogo, yes. Yeah, you know, with the LAFC and you know, I mean, uh all the stuff that already goes on. Our own OCSC, right? Soccer league. Recall, yeah, the OCSC. So, you know, I mean, it it's it's been growing for years, but I think this is gonna just shed a bigger spotlight on it, and I think people are gonna really appreciate that, like, hey, this is actually a really fun sport to watch. And, you know, you're watching all the best right now, but you know, it's just like the NHL. This is like the Olympics right now, like the World Cup. You got all these great players who are teammates of guys on other nations, right? So you see guys hugging after a game, and you know, like, oh, that well, that guy plays for Real Madrid with the goalkeeper, and you know, so um very cool to see that and see them compete against each other and then eventually be back on the same teams.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

Yeah, and I I'm not sure if this is apples to apples, but you here in the US, and we have seen hockey grow, right? Especially on the West Coast, and you've seen the high school, the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League. You've seen how it's grown. Um, kids are playing it more often, there's more facilities, it's more available, and you see the talent pool growing. Um because a lot of kids, hockey kids, as you know, had to leave home early. If they wanted to compete and be in the ultimate level, they had to go to certain areas, um mostly in the US, uh like Shaddock in Minnesota, one of those high high schools that were Crosby went, you know, yeah, that type, that type of situation. Um and so and then the US win, US men win gold in the Olympics, and that just creates a whole new wave of interest level in the sport of hockey. So um you're hoping this can can also elevate that game, that compete level, uh, and create so kids don't have because in soccer too, speaking of more from a naive point of view, but I know that if you really want to be elite, a lot of these kids have to go overseas. So it'll be interesting to see how this can grow um when it comes to soccer. But it's been fun to watch. Uh, you know, I've you know, I've uh told you that I'm working part-time at Green Cheek in Orange, and uh I was there on Saturday for the differ uh some of the quarterfinal matchups, and Mike, we were solid, and we are not a sports bar, but we were solid for like six hours straight. I didn't get to see the games because I was helping people, and it was, I mean, and it was cheering and loud and people in jerseys, and then this is after the US is eliminated. It's like it's it is fun to watch and is fun to see the fans get behind it and uh community, you know, and um just soccer fans. So it's yeah, man, it's it's fun. And we got the Final Four coming up uh this week, and then uh next weekend would be the uh the play for third, and of course the finals will be on a Sunday. So yeah, I'll be tuning in as much as I possibly can, but it's uh it's been fun to have it here in the States.

SPEAKER_00 42:16

Well, I mean, no doubt. I mean, it's it's a global sport, and I think, you know, like we in the United States, I mean, have embraced it, I think, to uh a higher level than I think a lot of people thought. Uh, and I think that it's something that we, you know, uh as a sports fan of every sport that there is, I mean, I I love watching pretty much anything that comes on the TV. Uh, but it is, it's one of those things where it has to gain some traction in parts that you know you fight with, you know, it's like hockey. Hockey fights with NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball. Like, you know, we always joke about the NHL is kind of like, you know, that other sport. Like sometimes you wonder if the PBA, you know, the Bowling Pro Bowling Association is a notch uh above or below the NHL, and that's kind of you know tongue in cheek or whatever. But sometimes when you look at what's being broadcast and what's you can get to see, but that's changed dramatically, I think, in the last decade that you know hockey has now really become uh one of the four major sports when you're talking about you know those four sports. But I think now soccer in the United States, I think is gonna start to gain a lot of traction. And you know, don't forget that talk about you know kids having to go overseas to play to become you know high-end professionals, but US college soccer is such a great feeder. Like you hear some of these great players, not all you know the the great ones necessarily, but they'll be like, Oh, that player played at USCLA, or and that player played. So the US is still a great feeder system, much like pro tennis. That you all of a sudden you hear, you know, all the Europeans that are coming over here to play US college soccer, US college tennis. Um, it's pretty incredible. I was watching In to segue into uh Wimbledon. Uh oh, that's going on, by the way. Yeah, I I'm not gonna lie to you. I I have it on mute right now, and we can't tell anybody what when we're broadcasting this uh or taping this broadcast, but if I could see without the glare on my TV, I would tell you the men's final. Um but there was a local kid who grew up five minutes from Wimbledon. His last name is Ferry, and he's like 5'9, and I think it had taken I don't know how many years for a local uh British tennis player to to reach uh the quarterfinals and um actually semifinals, and I believe he lost to uh Zverev, who is now in the finals against uh Center. But the crazy thing is, is I'm listening to him and they're like, yeah, he's like, I you know, I'm I've been playing on the tour for a while, and you know, I mean, this is better than I could ever expect, you know, in my home country in a tournament that I've watched since I was a kid. I could literally walk down the street to Wimbledon to you know come watch the tournament. And as they were talking about, you know, his development in the sport of tennis, he's like, Oh, I went to Stanford. Well, that's not that. First of all, we know what a great institution uh educationally, but as a great sports program, I'm like, see, and and so it's just there's a lot of things that we don't even know as like you know, fans and spectators of athletes that so many of them are being able to come over to the United States and and kind of you know work on their craft at the U.S. college level. So just a little nugget for everybody out there that um you know sometimes you you almost have to do a deep dive to see like where you know where these players were able to develop and how they developed, and a lot of times it comes back to U.S. colleges.

SPEAKER_01 45:53

So I don't know if you you realize the segue you just gave me, but I have a wonderful segue from this because you talked you talked about this tennis player like you know being able to walk over to Wimbledon and growing up and it was right there. Um, well, Jared Grinlinger, remember that name. So the MLB draft uh just happened. The Angels had the 12th overall pick. Jared Huntington Beach High School. How about that getting picked by the Angels, 12th overall? And this kid uh doing a little research on him, he's a two-way player. This stuff is becoming a little more popular thanks to uh someone named Shohei Otani. So he can light it up as a lefty on the mound. He hitting 93 uh at 17 years of age. Also, he's got a bat, he can play outfield. He was actually drafted as an outfielder, and I and all the uh the uh the broadcasters when he was his name was called, they were hoping he'd be announced as a two-way player, but technically he's been drafted as an outfielder. So pretty cool. This kid, uh get you know, Huntington Beach High School. I saw when he got his name was called, he was all his family and friends. I mean, I can't imagine you know being in your hometown team, yes, growing up, going to this team, and all of a sudden you your name is called by that team. I mean, that's that's pretty special. So um, you know, that's that's going on right now as uh the all-star break approaches. So congratulations to him. Uh it's gonna be fun to see his journey and keep an eye on him, and hopefully we can see him uh in a halo uniform, not too in the not too distant future.

SPEAKER_00 47:19

Yeah, incredible moment, right, just to get drafted, but even more special, you know, to think about if you grew up, you know, in Anaheim area, Huntington Beach, you know, probably a lifelong Angel fan, and just you know, going to the ballpark when you're a kid, wearing the Angels gear, and then thinking at some time, like, hey, I'm I'm draft eligible. I, you know, I'm just hoping to get drafted, right, first and foremost. But then all of a sudden your hometown team steps up to the plate, pun intended, of course, and and picks you. So uh great story. And you know, I don't know what his plans are. I mean, a lot of like I just mentioned about US college opportunities to be able to go and develop under those uh you know programs really creates a great opportunity for these kids before they have to actually turn pro. And you know, we know baseball, right? I mean, uh it all the different levels and layers of the minor league systems and you know, summer ball and this and that. So uh I always think that college is such a great opportunity where kids can go and at least get some development and coaching, you know, before they have to make that decision, especially in baseball, where all of a sudden you're on some bus rides that aren't very glamorous, uh single A, and then you work your way up the ladder to hopefully double A and AAA before uh in the major leagues. But um, great story to watch. I'm gonna put it on my radar because uh who doesn't want to see a hometown success story? And hey, you know what? Great segue, Frenchie. This is the type of uh guest we should be looking for to get on our little podcast. Yes, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 48:55

I like where you're going with this. I do like where you're going with this. Um, and I'm gonna end uh end our podcast here talking about uh somebody going home. It is the all-star break. The all-star game uh by the time this airs will have taken place. But Gibo Mike Trout going to his 12th All-Star game, 11th, uh being voted in by the fans. He is going to Philly, uh, gonna play in front of family and friends there. Philly is a 45-minute drive from his um hometown in Millville, New Jersey. It's gonna be cool to watch him go back. I'm sure growing up, if there was an all-star game in MSG that you could have played in growing up in New York, that would have been that would have been the pinnacle or one of the pinnacles of of your career. I mean, that's got to be a very special moment for him. And I I look forward to the reaction and watching what happens uh with him during that game.

SPEAKER_00 49:45

Uh you know, it's just it's such an incredibly talented baseball player, and I and I know I can speak for all baseball fans, especially Angeles fans. It's it's just such a crime that he has not been put into the position of being able to chase a World Series, right? I mean, one of the best ball players in the last, you know, 15 years, and you know, just consistent, you know, year in and year out and dynamic, and you you get to it's a treat, right? You go to the Angel Stadium and to watch him hit, to watch him field is just uh, you know, it it's one of the reasons that I go, right? There's certain players, like even if the team's not playing well, you always know that you're gonna go and see somebody perform at such a high level, and to be able to go watch Mike Trout. And if you haven't gone out there and watched him, and uh you you've certainly missed something. So I encourage you to get out the Angel Stadium and get a chance to see Mike Trout in action. But yeah, what a wonderful moment it's gonna be for him to be able to go and play basically in his backyard and in front in front of fans, uh fans, friends, family. I mean, it really doesn't get any better than that. And I know sometimes the the luster of going to the all-star game kind of is lost because you know, guys are concerned about you know load management and wear and tear and all that, but it really is an opportunity to embrace um, not only for yourself, but for everybody who helped you get to where you are uh and your success. And that's really a great way to pay it forward with the fans uh and your family.

SPEAKER_01 51:20

Yeah, congratulations to Mike Trout. And um, you're exactly right. He's had a resurgence this year because he stayed healthy for the most part, had a little hiccup there with a hamstring injury, but uh hopefully he can have a great one um in Philly and then have a great second half of the season. Um you mentioned load management. I I don't want to I think it's time for us to say goodbye because you know I I I feel like we don't want to give too much away. We got to save some because you know there's a lot more to talk about. We have I I'm I have things pulled up on my screen and am I gonna go there? Like we could just go all these different places. So I think we need to we need to practice load management right now.

SPEAKER_00 51:54

Because we we want the fans, they they need to want more from us, right? So that they can't wait for the next episode.

SPEAKER_01 52:01

Less is more, Gebo, less is more, I guess is what they say. Uh well listen, um if you want to uh see our smiling faces, don't forget you can catch us on the Mass the Mike YouTube channel, of course. Yeah, Gebo's got his early shirt on. Yeah, all you folks are curly, hashtag curly. Uh and we are on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. So thanks so much for tuning in. Uh, congratulations again to the Anaheim ducks, Pat Burpee, and Leo Carlson for getting it done. Leo is gonna be a duck for at least five more years. And that is music to everybody in Orange Country.

SPEAKER_00 52:38

Yeah, uh and and like I always like to say, and we'll end it on this, and good for us.