Could Leon Get Traded? + NHL Rumours | The Chris Johnston Show

Could Leon Get Traded? + NHL Rumours | The Chris Johnston Show

uh I know that some in our audience know the finer points of hockey the Chris Johnston show we are your friends the biggest stories bringing you inside the game what did you hear the Chris Johnson show what is going on here’s Chris with your host Julian Mackenzie part of the game CJ it is Silly Season rumors and and trade talk and speculation running wild and rampant uh the CJ show of course is the play to clear through all the mushh and get to what’s right I have a list of uh players I would love to know what you’re hearing on them and we’re going to start with a player we kind of casually mentioned at the end of last episode and you ended up writing something on him for the athletic what are you hearing right now about Edmonton Oilers forward Leon dry cidal well it’s probably the certainly the biggest piece of business Edmonton has to take care of this summer after uh you know their game seven Lo in the Stanley Cup maybe could become one of the biggest storylines in the NHL I think that depends on how things play out and and really the situation is this Leon drle is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer that means he’s eligible to sign an extension Edmonton as of Monday July 1 and I think depending on how things materialize here this could turn into a situation where Edmonton’s perhaps having to look at trading him and so you know at this point look the champagne still hasn’t dried in the dressing room uh down in in Florida where where the Panthers won that series Edmonton just flew back uh home Tuesday they’re doing some exit meetings this week I mean they’re not in a spot where they’ve dug into this one just yet but you know Leon Dr idle holds all the cards here uh it’s no mystery or no it won’t become as a surprise to you to learn that the Oilers badly want to keep uh you know the the number two player on their roster behind Conor McDavid you know I think that they’re willing to extend themselves pretty far financially to do it uh it’s up to him whe whether he wants to explore those contract discussions now or or not and and so this looms as a massive storyline I think either way because you know from what I can gather Julian I don’t get the sense that Edmonton has you know much appetite to to walk him into his final year if he is reluctant this summer to sign a contract extension it’s not to say there’s no chance they would do that but I don’t think it’s their preference to do that um just because you know this time next year we’ll be having the same discussion about Conor McDavid and I think there is some sensitivity to the possibility if you leave things unresolved with dry cidal and yeah you go in all again next year um you know then next summer there’s a world where maybe he’s walking away for nothing and then you’ve got to try to convince Conor McDavid it’s a good idea for him to lock in long term whereas if dry cidal and I I really have to stress this is an if these discussions haven’t got going yet because the the season only ended uh on June 24th for the Oilers late at night um on the other part of the continent and so there hasn’t really been an opportunity to get into these sort of discussions at a high level but you know if dry cidal isn’t looking to stay right now or sign some kind of extension I think they have to explore the trade market he he does have a limited no move CLA no trade clause rather but but they’re you know there is an ability for them to trade him to half the league and you know if if he’s not sure he wants to stay I think the Oilers have to do everything they can to get the best assets back to to convince Conor McDavid a year from now that even in a world could include not LeAndre iidle as his teammate that there’s a path for him to still win a championship and and keep that window open in Edmonton and so you know at this stage we’re kind of framing where things might go and what might happen but you know there’s just not tangible enough information or or action yet uh to to dictate where this goes but my goodness um you know the fact that it it kind of hangs so quickly after the season you know I’ll say this the NHL schedu maker did neither the Florida nor the Edmonton Oilers any favors by having a cup that goes to June 24th because you know quite naturally their focus has been all on what’s happening on the ice giving themselves a chance to chase a championship even one team that wins one and now there’s some big dis business decisions that have to come in a matter of days and you know meanwhile most of the rest of the league is already well into its planning and quite frankly I think it’s tampering season around the NHL I think there’s a lot of free agent deals already baked in whereas teams like Edmonton and Florida obviously just haven’t been able to do that kind of business because they’ve been focused on the games they’ve been playing until this week I I can totally understand if you don’t have an answer to this question yet but do you have any sense on where Leon dry cdle at his Camp might be leaning towards in this situation whether it’s resigning or looking to test the market I have zero sense to be honest and and you know dryad was pretty open during the year he did an interview with Mark Spectre of Sportsnet in January where he you know he talked about you know the Affinity he felt for Edmonton his desire to want to get the job done for that team obviously he came within one goal or two goals depending how you look out at one win of of doing that alongside Conor McDavid Zack kyman and Evan buard the rest of the Oilers but you know I don’t know how but he also mentioned in that interview that there’s lots of things you have to consider you know he’s got to talk to his family he’s got to consider lifestyle things I mean it’s it’s not it’s not I don’t think there’s any sense that he doesn’t like Edmonton or anything like that but this is a big decision right he’ll be turning 30 pretty soon into when this extension would start uh I would expect it to be a seven or eight year extension you know basically maximum length they pretty close to it and so this is a contract that will take him through the last of his best remaining years as an NHL player and he has to decide where does he want to do that is there anything else that’s kind of in the back of his mind that Reed want to play does he want to be the Frontline Frontline guy you know obviously with with playing with Conor McDavid you know he’s always sort of going to be I’m not that second fiddle I mean look at the numbers of guys put up 500 Point Seasons uh 350 goals plus Seasons um had a really strong playoffs until getting injured and and I think that slowed down his production late in this playoff run but um you know there’s a lot for him to work through and so I don’t I don’t know how getting so close and not quite getting over the top might or might not affect his thinking but you know I would think that there’s going to be some soul searching and you know I know the way the Oilers are viewing this is that this doesn’t have to happen in the next week I mean the LI first is first day he can sign extension but that’s not a deadline that’s the starting period for where I think discussions can can pick up and they can work through it so I I would think that that this will be this is going to play out over many weeks maybe even a month or more um before this there’s Clarity there and and you know ultimately I think Leon has to decide what he wants to do uh because this this is his last best chance probably to sign a a big contract to set up where his next years are going to be to figure out what he wants from his career um you know I can’t imagine any of this hurt it was Unreal I know you were in Edmonton just just seeing the excitement around that City how close the team got um they’ve got some some other decisions obviously they’ve got ufas like any team so there’s going to be a certain amount of turnover but there’s no reason to predict the Oilers key pieces are in place I mean you’ve got McDavid for two more years you’ve got Heyman signed steuart Skinner is still coming into his own there’s a deal that Evan Bard’s goingon to have to be signed but he’s a restricted free agent when his new contract is is due so you know I think that there’s there’s the the main pieces are in place um and so I have to believe Leon dle thinks he can win a cup in Edmonton because if how close they just were and I don’t think the window is closed by any stretch but you know there’s there’s lifestyle and family and all this other things that go into those decisions and and so we kind of have to wait and see where Leon winds up and I think that’s where the Oilers are at I mean they’re waiting for him too obviously they they just want to sign him I I don’t think that they not that the Oilers are exploring trades for him it’s just more if he doesn’t want sign I I don’t think they have any other choice because they are worried about the uh the so-called d double whammy that could happen where if Leon leaves and they don’t make a trade for him that maybe Conor McDavid could be leaving and and obviously that would be catastrophic for I mean that the window would slam shut if that was the scenario that played out and and so this is going to be a fascinating one this offseason and I’m sure we we’re not done talking about it oh man I I I don’t I mean look you obviously you would know more than me I don’t see it getting to that point where he gets moved moved but we’re talking about one of the biggest offse stories ever if it gets to a point where Leon dry side who’s still a top five player in this league somehow ends up on the move that is definitely going to be a story we’ll be monitoring here on the CJ show but we have to under this is different this is this is different than some other players like in the last few years we’ve seen Boston take David Pak into his last year last season it was William neander in Toronto um it could be Mitch Marner this coming season in Toronto you know players that go into the last year but Edmonton’s a different place right it’s it’s you know the Oilers are very realistic that they’re not probably going to be a top destination for free agents they have to sort of keep their own and and build their own and and so I don’t think they can be as casual or I don’t think they can spin the dice and just be like well let’s hope maybe he changes his mind in in January like like I think they need they at some point they will need a decision again that that’s still in the future here I think that they can be a little bit patient given the season everyone’s got to process what just happened and take a breath and really you know start to look ahead because they’ve been so locked in the moment uh through this this playoff run but I don’t think they can leave it unresolved into October uh again it’s not a 100% chance they don’t but I I think it’s very likely it’s going to come to a head at some point this summer either you know are you signing what what does this contract look like let’s let’s start planning that way or if you’re to do so then we got to you know weigh our options and see what else we can do anything else you’re hearing on some of the other pending ufas in Edmonton not a whole lot I mean they have a group of them right uh you know Connor Brown Matias yanm Mark guys actually played very well for them in the Cup Final Cory Perry Warren Fogle uh Vincent de AR who was in and out of the lineup in the playoffs you know I think that they want to keep about three or four those guys um but it’s all going to come down to what the contract uh expectations are and if they can get to work on it and and frankly those decisions just by nature of the fact they can all be free agents as a Monday that’s that’s what these next few days are as as the Oilers now go through their exit meetings obviously have a chance for for Jeff Jackson um to to start having those discussions in a meaningful way with the agents for those players um but you know I do think they want to retain some of those guys but but only at a certain price and and um you know that’s that’s where team like Edmonton and I’m sure you’re going to start asking me about Florida’s ufas is not long after this it’s a natural segue that they are really at a disadvantage with the schedule because obviously every other team that that that played their last game whether it was a month ago two months ago even two weeks ago it’s had a chance to get you know through those discussions I mean there was no point in having them during the Cup Final because even if you know the Oilers talked to the agents for those players they knew the agents were going to go to the player in the middle of the cup final hey let’s have a call between games three and four to weigh your options I mean it’s just just not something you can do and so it’s such a rush job now to see what they can get done but certainly I know Edmonton likes a lot of those players and they’re hoping to to keep them okay uh you are right uh my natural segue was to go to the Florida Panthers specifically with Sam Reinhardt uh you talk about the champagne not even being dry in the Florida locker room you guys didn’t even let him get off the ice after he won the Stanley Cup before you were asking about his future in which he said that he very much wants to stay in Florida what’s next with him well I think Florida does have an advantage being a team that can offer him an eight-year deal whereas the open market of course will only yield seven you know I think that they’ve put a pretty substantial offer in front of him for his Camp already um and you know this one feels it’s more reading the te leaves like I think there’s certainly a point where Florida will walk away because they have to be smart um but you know I I I believe Sam Reinhardt when he says I want to stay and when he’s on the cup and saying this is you know I think he said something along the lines of this is the best place in the league to play um you know obviously he’s been part of that team making its rise and and you know reaching the cup final now in two straight years winning at the first championship this year you know if he looks around and his you know teammates are driving golf carts to the practice rank um you know they have a lot of their key pieces signed it would be pretty hard to walk away from that so I will never say never but I I I do think if I had to sort of say what the most likely outcome in in my sense is is that he will stay you know I think it’s way more likely that Brandon Montour will hit the open market just because of what he can get out there I mean you know I’m hearing things like seven times seven or maybe even a little bit more than that for Brandon Montour it’s hard to imagine Florida giving him that sort of money just because you know they signed ghosta forsling to an eight-year 5.75 million deal in March and so you know I teams end up getting sort of internal structures you know it’d be hard for me to imagine that they’re going to give Montour that much of a Delta above what they’re paying forsling especially given that forsling was their top defenseman um throughout these playoffs in the season so you know I think when handicapping the situations in Florida um you know I think Reinhardt there’s a good chance he stays whereas Montour the yeah had pretty nice celebration on the ice but the the opportunities ahead of him are pretty lucrative and I think would be difficult to pass up um you know at this stage of his career I have to double check this I believe the Panthers parade is either Sun or Monday and a handful of guys in that parade Sunday okay so they’ll at least have well still like that’s so close to the free agent period starting and all of those decisions uh for Bill zle to deal with what a wild situation it’s I mean it’s unusual obviously every team that wins a cup usually players and sometimes Marquee players are are hitting the market but usually there’s two weeks of partying first not not five days um you know parying with old teammates but you know I think everyone gets it I mean look it’s a business at the end of the day and you know it’s there’s not it’s not like the Panthers don’t like Montour and Montour doesn’t love Florida I think it’s just at a certain point when the money gets to you know a level I mean there’s just there’s just no way around the fact that that you know players got to make the best decision um for him and his family so I don’t think there’ll be any hard feelings at that parade I think most of montour’s teammates will be happy to see him you know get the bag somewhere else um but you know it just feels it just feels as though that’s that’s where that’s likely headed look there’s other guys like alekman Larsson played very well for Florida in the playoffs you know he’s he’s really resuscitated his career with this year uh in Florida you know he told me on the ice he had about five or six options in free agency last year he went to Florida he’s like I made the right choice um but you know he signed a one-year deal as a bit of a Prov it situation for him after the way things ended for him in Vancouver but you know I I think you’re going to see him getting three and four year offers on the open market you know it’s not to say that that he’s leaving Florida but you know there’s there’s a very real opportunity or possibility of that and so man in a cap league with this schedule it’s it’s brutal like favor those players while you have them because five days six days later you’re going to be seeing them pull on another team sweater we’re going to talk more about the Cup Final a little later in the show and uh for the Leafs contingent of people who listen yes we’re going to have a Leafs Corner we still have a few more names to go through on what CJ is hearing how about Jake gensel uh obviously went for Pittsburgh to Carolina I saw Josh Yo’s article in the athletic saying there might be a small chance he might want to come back to Pittsburgh but it seems like he is going to test the open market I wouldn’t go that far actually I think that there’s still a couple days here before July 1 and my sense is Carolina is still very much interested in retaining gensel um you know similar to how I was talking about Sam Reinhardt I mean they they could get to an eight-year offer for gensel um which obviously no other team can which just by by virtue the way the rules work and so let’s let’s let this play out a little bit more I mean for gensel it’s a tough choice because you know he didn’t choose to be traded to Carolina per se right that’s just the way things went down at the deadline he had a very productive time there I think he liked his time there but you know you’ve played this far and you’re this close to free agency don’t you want to at least peek into the open market see what else might be out there maybe choose your own destination uh but at the same time the Hurricanes you know who have a lot of balls in the air with with peshi and Shay as free agents with t Carina is a free agent with Martin NIS on the trade market you know a lot of turnover coming in Carolina but I I do think the hurricanes are are going to make a strong pitch still to to retain Jay kensel so um you know we’ll have to see where that goes I mean if if he hits the open market I think Pittsburgh makes sense there’s been a lot to talk about Vancouver you know I wonder about a team like Tampa someone whispered in my ear that maybe in a world potentially if Steven stamp Co is moving on which is not clear yet but you know that gensel could be a replace there um you know Jake gensel is going to have a ton of options if he gets to July 1 and and um decides to test the market but you know I’m not at a point where I’m ready to rule out the Hurricanes as a possible spot where he may he may in fact stay I mean you we got to throw Detroit in there too and you could put that for gel or for uh or for uh Steven stamp Co just you met stamp Co maybe think about the Detroit trade yesterday in which Jake Wallman uh made the move to San Jose still wondering why they would do that CJ why would Detroit make that it’s obvious why they’re doing it they’re clearing out cap space what isn’t obvious is how they intend to use that cap space but you know to trade Jake wman who was you know a top six player for them last year to staple a second round pick to him and you know as a sweet Nerf to to induce or entice the the Sharks to take him at this point in time at full Freight right there was no salary retain there um you know there’s some Whispers now is is the bio period is set to begin officially on Thursday and HL it’s going to be very small again usually the buot window lasts 10 days or 12 days depending when the cup ends this is all going to be a race between Thursday and Sunday where we’re going to get biots but there’s some talk that that the Red Wings might look to execute a biod or two in this window so you know clearly they’re clearing out space to to be players either you know both could be both the trade market uh and the free agent Market you know I would think there’s a lot of reason if stampco hits July 1 I could see a lot of reasons why that would be a fit for him and for them obviously a long you know history of working with Steve eam and the Red Wings GM who was in Tampa for so long uh pretty close to his hometown probably a team that I think Stam coast and a lot of players would look at as okay maybe this this is a team I can win a cup with in a couple years time that they’re building in the right direction um you know clearly they’re being quite aggressive you know they also traded a player they took in the second round last year to Nashville uh you know on Tuesday or was that Wednesday what day is today today’s Wednesday on Tuesday they traded a player that they selected in the second round and flipped them to Nashville to get the pick that they stapled to Walman I mean Stevie Y is cooking there in Detroit and and we should very much keep our eyes on that situation because obviously it’s a precursor to further move or moves to come you know there’s been some talk that maybe the Red Wings would would look at at John Gibson as an option uh which is interesting right I mean Gibson’s name has been on the trade market I’d say for at least a year if not two um you know Anaheim has Lucas doell uh who just won the the gold medal for for C at the world hockey championship had a nice uh season for the Ducks and I think it’s clearly their goalie of the future you know would be a way to clear some money off the books for them but also perhaps to you know clear out some spots for for doell to to have more starts moving forward and and you know I think at this stage of John Gibson’s career I mean he’s he’s been a Workhorse for the Ducks over the years but he’s been there through some long years with some poorer and poorest defensive teams in front of him you know I can only imagine he’d be at a stage where he’d a chance to go play for a team with you know higher aspirations in in the short term so um yeah there’s a there’s a lot going on out there it’s been such a weird goalie Market too right we’ve already seen four goal tenders traded I mean the carousel is swinging um have a new trade board coming out for the athletic today and you know in in the top you know 10 or 15 I don’t have it right in front of me you’ve got Philip gustavson the goal tender in Minnesota you’ve got Tristan jari uh whose name is out there you’ve got Gibson on that list uh UC cyos is a little lower I’m not sure that that Nashville is going to move him but you know there’s there’s a lot there’s a lot swinging behind the scenes and I think that’s tied to the fact that free agency uh doesn’t doesn’t have the the front line top top of the top of the rotation starters available so much so anyway I’m I’m going in all directions here Julian Focus me young man uh lenus olark uh who was just traded to the Ottawa Senators had a little uh Zoom Avail with a media today uh he said uh really interesting from him Ottawa was not on his list of uh teams in his uh no trade clause so he had no problem going to the Ottawa Senators but what about an extension for him you can’t rule it out you know I think that that both he and the team are comfortable letting this one breathe a little bit let him get situated in the city you know one thing about Omar is you know it’s been described to me that he’s very much sort of a he’s a kind of a quiet Family Man type of person I think he’s mindful of of getting his family in the best possible position and so maybe that’s why a place like Ottawa could be appealing I mean certainly a great place to live uh you know again a team that I if they get things right they should be on the up uh because a lot of their players are in the right window where you expect them to get better um and so if that ends up being a good fit if he has a good year if if if it works from him from a family perspective I would certainly think he would look at staying there because I I do think on the surface it it makes a lot of sense but you know no one is rushing into that either the team or or him and the senators were comfortable making the deal knowing that you know they’ve they’ve got to win him over a little bit too and obviously want to uh you know they want to they want to get the they want they want to see what they have in him as well I mean there’s some risk in that trade I mean that obviously Unis Corpus had a difficult year there in Ottawa but with them retaining 25% look I don’t pretend to know goalies um goalies are voodoo to me a little bit it’s it’s hard to you could just see who’s stopping the puck and who’s not but I had someone I trust in the goalie World say that they that he believes that Corp pasalo is a pretty good bet to have a rebound especially you know playing behind swayan you know you would expect he’s more of a 30 game kind of guy in that situation and he was saying that ad alark May regress you know that so on the surface I think a lot of people are saying wow Boston only got that for you know but they they did get a first round pick and they may have got a goenda you know number two option while getting rid of all Mark a year before he could have left in free agency anyway so you know in the moment sometimes way we react to these trades it looks a little different six or 12 months later uh let’s let’s see how this one goes you know I I I was of the mind like many like oh wow this is a no-brainer for Ottawa but you know you have to remember that Bruins team that that allar played behind you know pretty stout defensive team you had three three really strong years there but you know it’s it’s a different animal what he’s stepping to in Ottawa where I think that they’re still looking to solidify themselves defensively to a certain degree but but you know he’s probably going to be facing uh a little different and more frequent quality of shots than he did in his last uh stop okay uh what about uh Jeff Skinner looks as if his time in Buffalo will come to an end yeah he’s been out there on the trade market um you know with obviously Buffalo preferring to deal him away if possible uh rather than than going to buyout option I mean he does have a no movement Clause so so you know that’s it’s a difficult trade to execute no movement Clause doesn’t prevent a player from being bought out and so the expectation is very strongly that you know either way his time in Buffalo is going to end and it you know might be imminent now with this bio period opening on Thursday and and the Sabers so far not being able to move on from them and you know that would make sense if you’re in Jeff Skinner’s Camp I mean why unless you’re really getting traded somewhere you know 100% you want to play why not just not wave the no move you get bought out you get paid 60 6% of what you’re remaining and I think it’s a reasonable bet then you become a unrestricted free agent you get to choose your next home and you can probably make up the 34 or 33.33 333 uh percent of your contract that that you know is lost in the bio with the next contract so um you know I would expect here as much as we have the free agent lists and we’ve had a free agent board already go out we’re going to see a number of names added to that board because there’s going to be buyouts and then there’s also qualifying offers due to restricted free agents on Sunday and and I think think you know as in past years teams teams are going to there’ll be some surprisingly good players that become ufas because they didn’t get um you know qualified by their team and and that usually happens in a case where A team’s a little nervous about what a player might get in arbitration that you know teams don’t like to go to arbitration typically with players obviously players don’t like that process either it can be nasty and and you’re leaving it up to a third party in this case the arbitrator to to dictate what the next contract looks like but you know in these next few days you know Jeff Skinner would be one I would expect will be added but possibly a few others to the uh you know to the the number of of free agents that are available uh next on the list uh Oliver Shillington I I tried to do some digging in this for myself it seems as if both sides between the flames and Chillington are still trying to discuss a contract I think a lot of fans are wondering why it’s taken a bit of time what Insight have you heard I haven’t heard a lot on this file to be honest I mean the reason it’s Tak a bit of time is because he he can be a UFA right I mean that’s even even when you’ve had the situation that Shillington hasn’t obviously hasn’t played a lot in recent uh years and last season you know he still has a chance to go and sign with any other team if the Flames don’t give him the kind of offer he wants and and so that you know that’s decidedly in in the The Players favor I would say um you know the team can try to play hard Paul or or what have you but I don’t have a whole lot I didn’t realize we’re going to talk about him but so to be honest I don’t know a whole lot about this specifics of his situation but um you know team has to compel you not to become a free agent when you get this close to July 1 and that you know we’ve seen a few do that I mean just on this day Liam O’Brien signed a three-year extension with Utah which obviously played last season in Arizona you know he signs his deal Dylan Dello signed a four-year contract in Winnipeg when he could have been a UFA you know he got a pretty good premium he got 4.9 million against the cap which which you know probably wasn’t necessarily going to be out there in free agency and so you know I I don’t think it’s personal when you get to this point but if you’re Shillington or any other UFA if you’re Tyler Myers in Vancouver you know it sounds like Tyler is is a good bet now not to stay with the Canucks I know he wanted to but you it doesn’t sound like the the the talks that they’ve had have been productive towards getting a deal and so when it’s only a few days away I mean what’s what’s a few more days to see what the market might be out there for you so um you know I would think Shillington that that kind of sums up where he’s at is just the Flames have to get a reason to stay and that would be probably security and money that they might not be willing to to give out at this point in time because they’re also looking at the market and saying well we have other options if if not you man I I I if I’m a betting man I I I think he ends up staying just because I know the Flames are ultimately going to need defenseman anyway I don’t see it getting to a point where it drags on for a really long time but we’ll have to wait and see on that one Siege anything else from uh any of the pending ufas or anything you’re hearing we’re trying to get that out now I mean there’s a lot swirling around you know Detroit is a situation a lot of people are are obviously focused on you know I’ve heard the Rangers are trying to to move a defenseman maybe perhaps to to set up you know a lot of the reasons the trades happen now I mean it’s because there’s you know the draft is here so teams like to get a pick they can make right away it’s also because free agencies coming and sometimes it’s clearing money out which you know I think explains a trade like the Jake wman Deal Detroit made you know I think the Rangers are looking at a similar type of move one of their defenseman I mean a lot of talk that Jacob troa could be the odd man out there not because he’s disliked or anything but he’s almost a luxury at this point in time they have Adam Fox and Braden Schneider who are also right shots who play Above him you know trouba is making $8 million in the cap do you really want to have that much money invested in in what is you know effectively a third paring defenseman for them at this point he also has a contract that’s a no move Clause but it becomes a 15 team no trade on July 1st on Monday so you I think that there’s also that Dynamic so that’s that’s something to keep an eye on you know Carolina I think is going to be a very active team just because of the number of free agents potenti walking out the door plus the Nature’s trade that they continue to work on um you know the Jets you know we have to see what happens in Winnipeg with the r ruer mcord situation also Nikolai yers his name being out there with him one year out from potential unrestricted free agency um you know it’s always about the Leafs around here I guess you like to pin at Leaf’s corner so you know important week for them where you know we’ll get a little Clarity I would think you know with Brad TR living speaking to the media later today on where things exactly stand with Mitch Marner um you know how he plans to approach revamping his blue line I think that they’ll be looking for two right shots in for agency or maybe get trying to get one by trade but certainly adding two more right shot defenseman to their group here in the in the next week or so uh I don’t even know what else man my phone’s been uh been on fire since I got to B here late late last night so I I’m just I’m just in stream of Consciousness right now but um that’s some of what I’ve been hearing and and you know obviously we’ll keep you I don’t know when we’ll do our next show maybe they’ll be an emergency po if something big enough necessitates it with us both once you get down here to Vegas this week but um yeah it’s h it’s a great time of year if you like transactions it’s this is a very Compact and crazy week I don’t know how many trades we’ll see there’s obviously going to be a few more I think sometimes we overhype the trades at the draft but but certainly I expect three or four trades of some level of significance and then obviously a whole slew of more minor deals that that go down you know plus the biot plus free agency opening plus hey there’s actually a few teenagers being drafted to some teams this week too that are going to be players that will be uh worth following here for the next number of years man could you imagine if you were a draft prospect expert too I’m glad I’m not I mean there’s only so many days in in the week I’m happy to leave that to the Scott wheelers and Cory prman of the world Bob McKenzie Still uh puts out his definitive list for TSN um you know there’s there’s I don’t I quite honestly there will be someone selected in the top 10 that I will not know that person’s name heading in I know that’s embarrassing to admit I did meet uh four the prospects theying the Cup Final uh and really really nice actually really nice kids and so I’ll be excited to see you know what What Becomes of them this week but um my goodness it’s uh it’s it’s quite a week in in hockey this week yeah I’ll uh I’ll be joining you in Vegas uh later tonight and as you uh we kind of sort of alluded to with next week uh Monday I believe that’s TSN that’s well it’s one everyone’s going to be doing their free agent frenzy shows so since Siege will be deep in that don’t expect to show on Monday you’ll know very soon about when our next episode is uh did you Tuesday Tuesday makes sense we haven’t we probably yeah we haven’t coordinated with producer Nick and and you but I I would think it makes sense because so much of the action happens on the first day I say like Tuesday morning we just go back on we we sort of reset where we at who’s who’s left to sign what are we hearing there and and you know sum up the day that was but I mean there’s no point in doing it on July 1 it’ll be it’s gonna be a [ __ ] show that’s my that’s my official that’s my official term for it it was gonna be a [ __ ] show I I like that did you empty all that you could on Leaf’s corner just want to make sure we cover that base so that way people like Sid 6o don’t come at us uh for not satisfying conditions of Leaf’s Corner yeah I mean it sounds like Tyler bruzi is likely to test the market at this point uh not totally clear on Max DOI there’s sort of mixed signals there I think that that certainly Max doy is a pending UFA you know naturally liked this time in Toronto has a long history of to organization I don’t know that the contract talks have got to a point where there’s anything to compel him to stay I mean he’s he’s looking for some security right um I would think it would take a three maybe fouryear deal at minimum um to to compel him to sign before July 1 I I I don’t think the door is totally closed there yet but um you know there’s there’s a lot of other players around you know it won’t surprise you to know that Chris tanv is a player of of significant interest to the Leafs um given the history there with Brad TR living the fact that they were connected to him pretty prominently before he was delt to Dallas last season you know I think the Le are willing to get creative on a contract with tanov even despite his age and some of his injury history you know you might see him sign a longer term extension or longer term contract with wherever he lands and you know that could be a way to to lower the aav slightly obviously for him it’s huge security but it’s it’s kind of interesting that what did he sign a four-year deal when he was a free agent moving from Vancouver to Calgary like I don’t think you can rule out a five or six year deal um for him and for agency this this time around and you I think Toronto’s going to be one of the teams they knocking on his door but they’re they’re far from alone a lot of players a lot of teams out there like the player and so does the Dallas Stars where he finished last season I think they’re going to try to you know keep upping their efforts to sign him as well so you know that’s that’s someone to watch for the Leafs you know in goal that there you know sounds like Kevin weeks first reported that there’s a year out an extension in the offing for Joseph wall you know that would just be a pure bet at this point if if you know that ends up coming in it’s or four year deal um you know a year out from when he’s actually his contract expires that’s that that’s betting that it’s smarter to sign him and give him that security Now give give him peace of mind and that the best has yet to come for a guy who’s who’s you know had some pretty pretty big highs I’d say like like his top end in Toronto has been very enticing but obviously dealt with some injury issues wasn’t able to play game seven against Boston you know it’s something the organization wants to get to the bottom of um and and you know in terms of free agents I think Lauren boswa and Anthony stolar are are two players that the Leafs are are looking at quite prominently to to maybe be you know run in tandem uh with with wall next season um yeah I mean on on the blue line Matthew Roy um is someone that that they have some interest in I don’t think Shawn Walker maybe is as much of a fit don’t think pes’s a fit to the same degree but you know we’ll have to see where the dominoes fall you go in you go into July 1st with a plan and then everyone signs somewhere else then you got to alter the plan so the fact that the at least need two defensemen you know I’m sure in a perfect world for them it’s like tanov and and Roy but the world might not be perfect and so if they don’t get those guys they’ll they’ll have to look at some of the other options available there’s so much to get through with all this offseason talk we didn’t even mention Marty hes who we’ve mentioned on previous episodes but we haven’t even discussed his situation uh there’s the Matt Fay mitov situation in Philadelphia where it looks like he’s going to be signing with the team in a matter of a couple days talking about the yeah yeah for sure um we were talking about the Emon Oilers just now and we haven’t even talked about what’s next for Ken Holland the the GM of the team who’s in his final year of his deal like there’s just so much to go through through this off season and stuff we didn’t even get to touch on today I my head is spinning after that entire segment I can’t imagine what you’re going through well good thing I’m on my second coffee in the morning here so I’m uh only your second only my second well it’s still relatively early in Vegas and I got my run in this morning so I’m I’m on the good side of it right now but you know Ken Holland look he signed a five-year deal The Five-Year deal expires on Monday you know it sounds like at this point he’s not going to come down to the draft I think the Oilers are interested in and keeping both him and Bob Nicholson who have been with the organization for a while maybe in slightly different roles different titles than where they’ve been and you know I don’t know if those guys are going to take those jobs or how that’s going to shake out but there’s still those discussions ongoing you know I would expect for the near term that Jeff Jackson who’s the president of the team will effectively be the general manager um you know sort of heading up the hockey decisions the hockey operations Department obviously he’s been heavily involved having worked there now for the last year and you know we’ll see how how things shake down because again those are conversations that weren’t happening during the playoff run so now now they’re starting and you know I don’t want to don’t want to jump to the conclusions about what may or may not happen because you know there’s just the decisions haven’t been reached yet if there’s one thing we don’t do on this show is jump to conclusions we we probably do we do we’re guilty of it we’re it’s always like what’s gonna happen it’s a joke it’s a joke uh yeah you’re right um okay I think we’ve done as much as we can in terms of the Rumblings and the speculation can we take a moment and just look back at what was a brilliant Stanley Cup Final series and in seven the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions uh they don’t get reverse swept few on that point um your thoughts on the game seven that was and the everything just around it well I’m not a pleased like my sport guy but I must say it is gratifying to see the TV numbers both in US and Canada reflect you know what I on the ground thought was a fantastic final I know there were some lopsided scores in that series but it was compelling as hell um story lines belore the game seven from a hockey standpoint to me like that is that is like what makes our game great I know as much as we all might like a 65 game a 2-1 game seven is kind of what you expect right I mean Pittsburgh Detroit 2009 was a 2-1 game seven um those teams both like the players on both sides just battled their asses off nothing came easily obviously there weren’t many power plays in the game which you would kind of expect for that moment and you know it’s one bounce or one shot difference you know steuart Skinner might prefer to have the Sam Reinhardt goal back where he scores off the Brut kind of on a play that you know looked relatively Innocent but at the flip side you tip your cap you know Zack Heyman at the side of the goal Conor McDavid had chances you know in the third period and and the combination of bosski and A2 Le Stan and and you know the sprawling Panthers found a way to keep that out and and man it was just tight and tense the building was just like oh like I can still kind of feel it a couple days later in my my soul just the way that game felt I mean the the the stakes are so high and you know was pretty cool being on the ice afterwards and seeing the emotions spill out uh actually had a chance to to meet Paul Maurice’s son Luke who says he listens to our podcast he’s uh he’s in his studies at law school he’s in his studies at law school down there in Miami but said that that he’s a fan of the short Kings on the podcast so shout out if you’re you’re hearing this Luke I hope you had fun I actually told him to mix in a water which Julian you know is is a advice to you because I mean look at it was right at the start of and was like Wow Chris Johnson just told me to mix in a water but I do think it’s important advice right before you go into what I can only imagine the next uh 24 48 Hours of his life looked like after that uh it was pretty cool to see his dad too lift the Stanley Cup I mean if anyone might have been the most emotional scene is Paul Maurice the way the look on his face the interview he gave to Kyle bascus talking about his his own family his own history his own journey to win that cup uh you know Sacha barov the first Finn Captain got a call from The Finnish president after that that’s you know finland’s a real hockey country and and took a call from the president after to congratulate him and the other fins londell Lin and uh rout two on their coaching staff on the team uh it was you know it was a great final and and you know one of the coolest moments Julian quite honestly as people might not realize but Patrick warfist remains I think he’s called a consultant and Scout for the Panthers you know one two cups as a player with with the Penguins was part of Florida’s turnaround and and obviously sort of gets a third and the admin straight side I you know I stopped them on the ice and was was just kind of asking about the Panthers turn around he said I think losing last year made a big difference and then he on his own volition said and I think Conor McDavid is now going to win a Stanley Cup for having been through this he’s like you can’t really tell someone about this or teach them you can’t use words to describe but like once you feel this once you’ve been in the moment he’s like you just have a little bit extra to give you know in terms of wanting so badly to win it in the future and he was he was predicting on the ice while the Panthers celebrated around us that we would be seeing a caror McDavid cup down the road and so you know I think it’s a pretty it sets up a pretty compelling story in Edmonton is is you know now McDavid and dry sidles chase continues uh to try to get back to the top of the mountain after being so close so um you know I thought it was a great series I stand by my decision as one of 17 K Smite voters despite all the [ __ ] online about Conor McDavid selection as the number one k Smite pick damn okay was this a that a feist you you damn okay it’s feisty very feisty of you to go in that way I’ll say this any fans are a second guessing it I got no problem with you but a lot of our colleagues around the league are sitting at home on their couch second guessing I don’t know why I mean the guy LED he had 20 more points than any Panthers player he set an eclipse records by guys by the name of Gretzky and Lemieux there’s no chance to even get to game six and seven without him I recognize he did not score a point and either of those games but it’s a two-month award and I just have a hard time looking over that two months and saying that anyone was more valuable in the playoffs than than McDavid was end the story full stop and you can quivo with the second and third place votes the only thing I’ll say there is we’ve already highlighted a couple times on the Pod the votes go in before the final buzzer so it’s it’s a hard thing like I voted before I saw Bob make you know those those game saving stops in the third period there’s a chance maybe he gets my third place vote instead of gustaff foring I had arov second and McDavid first but all being said I still think we got the right winner I got no problem with Conor McDavid by the way if anyone cares not coming out to take the trophy I think that’s a picture you don’t want to exist forever I mean you look at the JS jagera and he just looks miserable from 2003 when he had to come back out um you know that was a time where obviously he was focused on the team you know we saw Conor McDavid stand on the ice and fist bump or tap each of his teammates as they went off he was the last Oiler to leave the ice and to come back on and accept in individual Award right before the Panthers got the cup just wouldn’t have felt right so anyway I’m just I just saw this [ __ ] online and it it bothered me it’s like from people who should know better I mean again there’s reasonable disagreement I’m not saying but I I I can’t believe how many people are like you shouldn’t have won like what are you what Universe are you on look at the step back and look at it um that was a pretty special playoffs I mean I’ve never to my knowledge that I I don’t think I’ve ever voted for a player on a losing team but this was a player on a losing team in game seven in a 2-1 game like his team the Oilers had five more goals in the series than the Panthers did which I realized doesn’t win you anything we’ve seen other Cup winners you know St Louis scored less goals in Boston the year they won Pittsburgh Less in Detroit in 2009 when they won like it’s unprecedented but I’m just saying the margins were pretty thin on this one and in that case I’m comfortable voting for a player on a losing team because he was that special you you sat on this you stood on this for a couple days that was there was it wasn’t like I’m not going to say it was genu slept in a and I and I’m just seeing all this [ __ ] and I’m like yeah I wish I was sitting at home the last two months and on my couch and just being like yo okay you know here’s the thing for the record I don’t disagree with uh Conor McDavid winning I I think if I was in the building I I would still lean that way I would strongly think about bar in bossk’s cases obviously just looking at how that game unfolded but you’re right like Conor McDavid was within a Stones Throw of establishing a new record for points in one single postseason and was one game away I get it he didn’t get points in game six or game seven but was one win away from accomplishing something that hadn’t been done in over 80 years like and and and you could and with the way Leon ddle the time it took for him to get into the series you could say that was him like I totally understand why went that way and let’s use the argument against the people and obviously we don’t want to I’m wasting too much time on this but he had four more points than any player on other team in the series in the final itself you know and you say okay well barov well barov didn’t produce a lot in the final I actually thought he played really well and especially in the losing effort in game six he was by far Panther’s best player to me bosski got pulled in a game in the series his his numbers is he actually had a negative goal Sav above expected Mark in that final series he was fantastic against the Rangers the previous round but he had some ups and downs in the playoffs like to to use only that McDavid didn’t have a point in game six and seven against him is ignoring the fact that the other players that you suggesting we should have voted over him all had perfect series or perfect playoffs or perfect game sixes and sevens it’s just not it’s not a fact um and so that’s that’s all I’ll say on the matter because people are here for rumors and trades they’re not here for my rants but I’m just I just was really surprised and annoyed by our colleagues coming at us again fans damn fans you got you got a clean slate but like some of the I know better sitting at home didn’t appreciate it sorry the I know betters the only way this the only way this rant would have been more fiery is if you just started name dropping people just be like you you think you know better that’s the and I know you’re not that type of guy you would never do that you would never do that but if you did do that you would be standing on business as we say that would be H that would I get exactly why you feel the way that you feel this is how the players this is how the players feel when the media second gets them right like I remember John Taris he has that um what’s it’s like the famous quote about like being on the playing field like you’re in the game and other people who aren’t in the game are second guessing you like that’s kind of how I feel like obviously I wasn’t in the Playing Field playing the cup final but I’m going through all that travel I’m working my butt off I’m I’m spending a tremendous amount of time thinking about that decision I’m calling people or texting with people who are with the teams to to gauge who they think their best players were like that’s and then someone who’s not in the playing field someone who’s not in the game someone who isn’t jet legged and not sleeping is just like should have been this instead I just that’s that’s where it got me the man in the arena I think it’s called do you know that quote I think it’s called The Man vaguely vaguely heard about that it’s really basically like you got to be in the game to really know and to understand and it is true because frankly some of our jobs as the second guest players and like obviously you or I couldn’t we we we have no place on the playing field with any of these athletes uh we’ve never done anything like them we’ve never been under the pressures they’ve been under we’ve never performed in 20 thou front of 20,000 people like it you know it is true so I get I get the irony that I’m bitching about this and and yet for a living it’s my job to second guess people doing something I could do okay uh let me take you to another topic uh any quick thoughts on the Hall of Fame class that was announced uh yesterday pavl datsuk Jeremy ronic Shay Weber Natalie darwitz Chrissy Wendel pole Colin Campbell and David P uh will be in the incoming class for the hockey Elan I don’t have a lot of thoughts let someone else drag that like it’s it’s a decision made by 18 people behind closed doors I don’t know really what goes into it I know that they have to get I think 14 out of 18 votes for each candidate to be confirmed uh I’ll just say this I’m surprised I’m a little surprised but but not shocked like I I didn’t know if the the the sort of Russia Ukraine situation would have the the committee of a mind to put a Russian in I’m not at all debating paval datsuk Hall of Fame credentials but I was you know just I found that interesting that that they didn’t and then that they put him in and didn’t put Alex mcgil in for the 15th straight year is beyond um but I don’t you know this doesn’t get me too fired up either way if you have any thoughts you can share them like I I think mcil should be in there man uh yeah that’s that’s a that’s a big one there’s there’s again I I’ve said it before on on to different friends but I’ll say it publicly here I’m pretty sure I probably said on on the podcast too there should be no limit on the amount of women who get in uh so to not see people like Jennifer poo and Julie Chu uh make it or have them wait longer to get in that’s ridiculous too uh the seeing the discourse around Coen Campbell getting in uh all I’ll just say about that is uh that is very fascinating and interesting to me that’s as much as I’m willing to say on that uh man there was so much stuff this week we didn’t even get to I mean I could say this as a cross cheack if you if you think that’s appropriate to do we didn’t even talk about the Phoenix sorry the Arizona coyote situation devolving as it did with uh Alex Mel literally moments after the Stanley final is done it’s announced that he’s stepping away from his ownership uh of the team just I’m sorry this is such a ridiculous situation and the fact that it ended as it did it’s just like I’m sorry like we asked I asked the questions about it when we first talked about that situation it seemed weird to me in the light and now we’re at this situation I just think it’s embarrassing that it’s got to that point I guess he got his money though so like like this is that that’s why it’s embarrassing that’s exactly why it’s embarrassing he got his money at the end of all of this I’ll just say though that like it’s entirely predictable this would fall apart I’m not saying I predicted it would fall apart in a couple months I thought it might I thought there might be a some I mean I let’s face it I thought it was going to go to that land auction which was originally scheduled for the 27th which is what tomorrow and I thought he wouldn’t win the land auction and then it would fall apart so I guess I did think it would be on something like this timeline I mean it the whole thing was a ruse whatever let’s move on the good news is is that now it clears the way hopefully for you know something to be built properly there um the NHL I’ll say is really lucky that Ryan Smith was there in the offing that that he offered such a great and appealing opportunity for them in Utah you know it shows I mentioned Li O’Brien signing he was a fan favorite with the coyotes in fact he’s you know the spicy tuna remember he gave the gave a pretty good speech when they went and visited uh Utah for the first time the players and and he the fact he’s signing on I mean I think that the players are energized by the new opportunity with the Utah Hockey Club and and I do think we’ll see NHL hockey in Arizona in the future but the building’s got to get built and owners got to emerge and all that that’s going to take time and Alex Mel will just go down is another name that we almost forgot we ever knew within well I don’t know six hours from now because I’m done with that story yeah do you have a stick tap before we wrap up I’ll take K I have one Ian oh no nice I like that one and I say this respectfully because I’m older than him but he’s the old guy without a cup that got his cup um you know it was pretty cool seeing him and his son on the ice uh you know had a chance to chat with him a little bit like just what a grateful guy for his career I thought he had really kind of a wise answer to a question I asked him you know talking he was saying that he’s as appreciative of the hard moments where he was a long way from winning cup as he is of that moment of sort of ultimate Redemption Jubilation uh finally winning a cup you know after all those seasons in Buffalo where he was nowhere close to it and you know believed in himself found a way to contribute um you know as a depth player on the Panthers and you know he’s going to make a decision here about his future but whether he decides to retire or come back uh he goes out on top and I thought you know what a just a class guy for a lot of years in the NHL 17 NHL seasons and was really happy to as I am every year I mean as you know I’m not cheering for teams at these things but there’s always individuals that you’re happy to see get the cup as I mentioned earlier happy to see Paul Maurice raise a cup happy to see Alman arson and other guys always just been great to deal with over the years and then KY Boo as well awesome I like that stick tap for him I’m going to give M to paval datsuk uh one of the uh members I mentioned who will be going into the Hockey Hall of Fame uh we remember him for the Stanley Cups he won we remember him for his defensive play three Sky trophies uh what I do hope the people should do if you have if you don’t already do it just type in pavl datsuk on YouTube and just watch him break all the ankles possible friend of the show Demitri filipovich actually a couple years ago did like a little like mixtape you get a little watch on on Twitter with all the times he’s made all these incredible moves it’s just to see a player like him be recognized and be uh entered into the Hall of Fame I like that I I think he was one of the coolest players to watch from the 2000s and to see him be a part of that Hall of Fame class I have no problem with that uh so I will give him uh my stick tap for this week yeah bud well say What episode can’t wait for the next one all happen I was about to say yeah seriously if it’s going to be uh anywhere near as Fier as this one is you know you’re in for a good one get your questions in now whether on Discord or Twitter uh no episode Monday expect Tuesday to be the next time you hear from the CJ I don’t know I’m get I think I think we might have an emergency and then yeah I just think something’s going to happen that might even if it’s a quickie or something well we’re not going to forget about you out there we’re going to do as much much as we can well if it comes to that it probably means it will come at you from Vegas when we will both be in Vegas anyway uh thanks so much for listening we’ll be back when we’ll be back the Chris Johnson show inside the game twice a week Follow Chris on Twitter reporter Chris and follow junian Mackenzie at jka McKenzie

On This episode of The Chris Johnston show Julian McKenzie and Chris Johnston go over a variety of topics including:

0:00 Latest on Leon & Oilers
10:00 Other UFAs in Edmonton
11:45 Panthers & Reinhart
16:00 Jake Guentzel
18:00 Red Wings ready for big moves
21:30 Linus Ullmark
24:00 Jeff Skinner buyout
26:00 Oliver Kylington
28:30 What CJ is hearing out there
33:00 Leafs corner
38:30 Game 7 of the Cup & more
53:00 Stick Taps

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