Jeff and Elliotte begin the show with an update on Elvis Merzlikins’ status in Columbus. Elliotte also expands on the status of Corey Perry right now and Elliotte’s use of the word “eligible”. That, and more, in this edition of 32 Thoughts!
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0:00 – An update on Elvis Merzlikins’ status in Columbus.
7:44 – Elliotte also expands on the status of Corey Perry right now and Elliotte’s use of the word “eligible”.
13:23 – The guys dive deep into the Cutter Gauthier trade between the Flyers and Ducks.
26:57 – Talking about Trevor Zegras’s unfortunate ankle injury.
30:49 – Jeff and Elliotte remark on how attractive a market Florida has become for NHL players
36:10 – Are the Winnipeg Jets a viable contender?
41:55 – Will the Vancouver Canucks push all their chips in this year?
45:41 – Jeff then asks Elliotte what the four nation best-on-best tournament in 2025 is going to be called.
1:10:55 – William Nylander’s agent, Lewis Gross, joins Jeff and Elliotte for a refreshingly candid interview about the process behind his client’s extension in Toronto.
53:09 – The guys answer your questions in the Montana’s Thought Line and
Audio Credit: The Jeff Marek Show
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William Nylander Contract Extension 32 Thoughts Podcast
#nhl #hockey #hockeypodcast #32thoughts #williamnylander
Oh my you know what you know what you just did okay first of all show business baby this is like no this is this is Brian Burke putting the Sedin together on the draft floor this is Showbiz baby come on this is the worst thing you’ve ever come up with on the
Podcast welcome once again to 32 thoughts the podcast for this Friday morning although Elliot I don’t know why I give it a Tim stamp people listen whenever they want nonetheless uh the GMC Sierra is our presenting sponsor as always we thank them for their continued support America alongside fredman and
Dom shatti playing the keyboards in the background coming up on today’s program it’s going to be a little bit long so you’re going to spend a little bit of extra time either on the treadmill or going for a walk or maybe circles around your block shoveling for a lot of people
If you’re in the Toronto area shoveling we in sou Southwestern Ontario you will be shoveling uh this one’s going to be a long one we had a chance to sit down with lwis gross on Thursday he’s the agent for amongst many nhlers uh William neander so we walk through with Lewis
Gross uh from his perspective how the negotiations went with neander and how they all came together uh in the meantime Elli and we have our normal Montana thought line as well some more juicy questions for you there uh but we’ll start off by talking about Elvis
And is he about to leave the building what is happening with Mur leans and Columbus well he’s expected to speak today uh Pascal Vincent spoke at length about it on Thursday and he’s about to speak today uh so we’ll get to hear his side of what’s going on there but I was
Really interested in what uh Vincent had to say number one uh as murans had not dressed there was a rumor going around that the Blue Jackets had made him their third goalie that he was going to be number three behind Daniel teraso who looks like he’s got a real bright future
And Spencer Martin who’s done a nice job for them uh since they they got him from the Canucks um but the Blue Jackets disputed that they said that there’s it’s not that he’s a guaranteed number three they disputed that and Pascal Vincent came out and said look we we’ve
Got to see what we’ve got here in teras of and on some level I I certainly understand that but the way this is going the number one thing I thought of is they don’t want this guy to get hurt you know m lean still has time on his
Contract after this year he’s got three more years at almost 5 A5 million and I I wondered if this was a situation where they’re either preparing to trade him or they are considering buying them out at the end of the season now let me stress this is purely my opinion
Columbus uh like I don’t have any hints from Columbus this are that this is what they’re thinking but you know when you look at something like like this it’s hard not to draw those kinds of conclusions because at worst you could have him as the backup the other thing
That I thought it was interesting that Vincent said was I I guess he was specifically asked if this tied into the Washington game where he Tom Wilson fight yes he got in the Skirmish with Tom Wilson that led to the winning goal because there had been a rumor going
Around that that was at the base of this um you know M leans did an interview on our podcast which I really do believe Jeff is one of the best interviews we’ve ever done um and so I I’ve always really enjoyed watching him since then I mean
Like a lot of people in the media you deal with someone you have a good experience you take an interest in that player but I had heard that um he’s an outgoing guy he’s a bold guy he’s definitely a presence in that room there’s no question about it but I had
Heard rumors that it had something to do with the players being upset and the organization being upset at his reaction during that game but again it’s probably a good thing we didn’t do this podcast till after Vincent spoke because I wouldn’t want Pascal Vincent to go all
John torella on me but uh Pascal vincon said that was not the case which like I said was interesting because that had been a rumor out there but the one thing I think is is pretty obvious and and we’ll see where what mle can has to say
About this is it definitely appears like it might just be time for the Blue Jackets and Elvis that maybe we get to a point here where everybody starts to look for um an alternate home for Elvis and you know a couple years ago honestly it would have been shocking and maybe
Everybody is better off if this does happen um everybody there can decide but I don’t think anybody would have believed this could happen a couple of of years ago he was really on the way up he’s got a really interesting story he’s overcome a lot to get here um he was a
Real long shot in a lot of ways and I think the fact that he’s achieved as much as he had is is is of you know great credit to him but you but when you get to this point it’s really hard to come back from it not impossible but
Really hard and I wonder if that’s where we’re going it looks like that’s where we’re Ed um you know the other thing is is I I do think some of the teams that have looked at goalies this year is you know what uh have talked to Columbus of
Boer’s leans but the salary is a is a difficult one to fit so I’m not surprised nothing happens yet but it seems like that’s where this is headed uh a couple of things on that um I think we should throw the name jet Greaves into that conversation long term for the
Columbus Blue Jackets um he’s going to the AHL allstar game uh has played a little bit with Columbus made his debut in Toronto last year he sure did great story that was and he’s had a wonderful season in in the American Hockey League so you know as Spencer Martin is on the
Expiring contract don’t know what’s going to happen there um but they do have a really good one coming up in in jet Greaves and the other thing Elliott because we just can’t leave it out there without acknowledging it Kelly mccrimon you know what to do okay you’ve got me here what are you
Talking about Elvis Vegas oh my Elliot you know what you know what you just did okay first of all business baby this is like no this is this is Brian Burke putting the Sedin together on the draft floor this is Showbiz baby come on this is the worst thing you’ve ever
Come up with on the podcast which is really saying something you know what’s going to happen now you know what you that’s not even close to truth you know you know what’s going to happen now Gary Lawless is going to call me and saying what rumors are is mer making up about
Vegas Gary laws ain’t gonna call you he’s gonna call me and I’m gonna have to deal with this I’ll get a that was interesting text from Gary and then he’ll call you and say what the hell is Merck doing yeah I I’ll I’ll carve out some time on my Friday for the Gary
Lawless call from the mayor of Vegas the real Mayor Gary Lawless he’s like the Senator I love him uh okay from uh from there we got a couple more things to get to and we are going to get to Cutter goce and I had Daniel Brier on the radio
Show on Thursday we’ll get to that in a couple of seconds but I want to mention Corey Perry and the language around this I think needs to be very careful um it’s not that Corey Perry’s been reinstated because he was never suspended how would you describe the
Status of Corey Perry right now well I was a little bit surprised in the aftermath I I was trying to be really careful and I guess not careful enough because uh there were some people who took real issue with my use of the word eligible and um you know so I think it’s
Important what you point out there look it’s it’s very clear and and I guess that’s what happens when the world is run by lawyers right I should have been more careful than I was because everybody parses words la in technology make our world better yes yes they yes
They do but basically what I was trying to say was that there’s team’s interested in Cory Perry I don’t think that surprises anybody um but I think they were worried you know what would you don’t want to sign them if bman or the league is not going to be happy with
You signing them and I think Perry knew that like this was a situation where Perry and his Representatives asked for the meeting with the commissioner they got it um and basically he was given the clear path nobody here is going to stand in your way um you know you’re you’re
Nobody’s going to have an issue if you sign with an NHL team now that obviously isn’t going to be isn’t going to stop teams from doing their due diligence you know it’s it’s never been clearly reported what’s what’s happened what happened in Chicago I think I as I’ve
Said before I think I have a decent idea but I free clearly admit I don’t know 100% um so that’s you know that’s part of it and I think the other thing that happens is in this situation the teams aren’t only looking at what happened in Chicago they’re checking you know
Previous destinations saying is there anything else here we should be worried about um but the key thing is is that you know Perry was told after he met with the league that nobody here is going to block you privately or publicly from signing with the team so I think
The teams are going through that uh right now um you know as as for the Perry situation and and Chicago again I’ve said this many times I I don’t want to minimize it because I don’t have the exact details I I I don’t want anyone to
Think that I’m saying it’s a it’s a bigger or lesser deal than it was uh the one thing I do know is that the Players Association feels that this is not something that um should result in a termination of a contract based on what we’ve seen in the past they have until
January 29th to appeal it and I believe they will um even if Perry isn’t crazy about the idea he might just want to move on I I believe the Players Association is looking at this very seriously as if we cannot allow this to stand as a precedent so can can we pause
On that for one second just so our listeners are clear about one thing I think a lot of people would hear what you just said and say to themselves well hold on a second this is Corey Perry this is his contract if he doesn’t want the appeal or doesn’t want the grievance
How does the NHL players Association not respect that that is a great question because I know it worked out that way with for example Patrick Bergland right Patrick Berlin The Players Association wanted to appeal on Bergin’s behalf and he said no and they just said and they
Said okay I just think in this particular case the feeling is they don’t want this to stand as the presedent and again we don’t know all the details but there is definitely a feeling and I don’t know if it’s right or wrong but there is definitely a feeling that whatever happened in this
Case is not comparable to the other reasons that contracts were terminated and I think everybody recognizes that the Chicago Blackhawks with what they went through with the Kyle Beach situation they have to make sure they have to be even more careful than other franchises that they cannot
Allow any behavior that is off the straight and narrow and there is definitely a feeling here and again reminder I don’t know all the details there’s definitely a feeling here that if this had happened on any other team it might not have led to a contract
Deter uh might not have led to a contract termination so that’s I think what the Players Association is looking at here and we’ll see um how this all plays out but there’s there’s definitely interest in Perry um people are doing their due diligence and you know we’ll see where this
Goes should we assume that it is only playoff teams or not I would think so that the answer would be yes but and again I don’t know if this is right or wrong again I this is all secondhand in this particular case but there was someone who said to me they thought
There might be one team that’s not making the playoffs this year that might have interest in him but I don’t know that for sure okay um to a Whopper of a story this week um the Philadelphia Anaheim trade cutter goce goes to the Anaheim Ducks Jamie dresdale and a
Second go the other way now uh so cter goce spoke in a couple of different places this week he spoke with Alexis Downey uh of light the lamp uh Duck’s podcast and you know talked about it being a A Private Matter as to why he wanted out of Philadelphia uh he also
Gave um quotes to Derek Lee uh from the sporting Tribune where he talked about um he needed to make a decision that was best for his future um here’s the the main takeaway quote from the piece it wasn’t one specific reason why I asked for a trade it was multiple reoccurring
Issues that I’d seen over the past year and a half two years of being under the Flyers organization it kind of hit me all at once thinking I can’t move forward with this now Elliot before you weigh in on this one I had Flyers general manager Daniel Brier on the
Radio show on Thursday and asked him how that now famous Zoom call meeting went with the Flyers and cutter goce let’s have a listen yeah yeah it was a zoom call his agent requested a zoom call okay um we thought that he was GNA tell
Us that he wanted to turn pro um that he would he was changing his mind um as far as because he had told us that he wanted to go back to to college for another another year to develop um but he had a really good world championship and uh
And even ourselves we uh we thought okay he might be more ready than anybody thought and uh so we we were ready to to move in that direction you know had a contract ready um and when yeah the zoom started and it was uh we were told that
He wanted to uh he was changing his mind but not to turn pro rather than uh you just didn’t want to play for the Flyers and um requested to be traded okay so that’s Daniel Brier Elliott as we all know general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers a couple of other things in that
Uh interview we talked about a couple of other teams being close uh to a trade or engaged with a couple of other teams um in uh in a trade for cutter goce talked about I asked them about the timing of the trade and was it coincidental that that was you know he
Pulled the trigger on the deal right after the world juniors when cutter goce’s value was at his highest and he said yes absolutely that went into it and also he didn’t want it to to to linger out there and you know I don’t think Anaheim did either was worried
Would I I don’t think Anaheim wanted Dale’s name to get out either just in case I I very very much believe that as well um how do you what what have your takeaways been from this this has been a a topsy interview week with this with
This story well first of all I I the fact that uh I was happy to hear Brier confirm to you that about the zoom meeting because it means that one thing I reported on this story at least is correct so you know well those those are the victories I take um here’s your
Cookie thank you so I mean obviously it’s it’s a huge story it’s it’s a big story and um you know before we get to the the meat of the situation here Jeff just a couple things I’d like to say about what unfolded number one you know
As a as a human being I get to decide where I work if I don’t want to work at Sports Net anymore it’s my decision to quit Sports Net and go somewhere else and as a result I generally from a philosophical point of view I don’t have
A problem with what cutter goce decided just like I didn’t have a problem with what Adam Fox did or what Blake wheeler did or Jimmy vasy did like you know you have a choice the CBA says if you want to sit out four years or because of
Where those guys were drafted from you have that option so I don’t have an issue with go saying uh I don’t want to play there if you truly don’t that is your choice um I felt he as I said several times I felt he owed them a
Better explanation um because as I would only judge someone as I judge myself and uh you know I think you should have clearly like Philadelphia shouldn’t be as surprised about this as they were you know the other thing too is I just think some of the reaction was way over the
Top like Kevin Hayes does not deserve the treatment that he got cutter goce doesn’t deserve death threats or anything like that it’s it’s just insane and is someone who has received death threats on Twitter before I generally roll my eyes at it and don’t pay any attention to it but I understand how
It’s unnerving like I I think this went too far the other way and I would bet you too that one of the reasons that Philadelphia is so upset about this is because this kid looks like he’s going to be a hell of a player like a a really
Good player and I think Philly’s disappointed that he’s not going to begin his career as a flyer because he could really help them you know is as cutter goce said it was not one thing but the one thing I really do believe is what I have reported this
Week is that it all went sour and I mean really sour after his season ended last year if you go back to last uh March Chuck Fletcher is fired on March the 10th cutter goce’s season ends on March the 11th when they lose in the hockey East quarter finals and sometime after
That there’s a meeting I don’t know if it was a zoom call or they met in person it just went really sideways there and I really do believe that cutter goce I don’t know if he was promised anything I don’t know the answer to that um but I um but I think
He was under the impression he was going to the Flyers and you’ll remember how chaotic the end of last year was and I think the Flyers really believe D that bringing him in there in that crazy situation where the room was not United and everything that was going on they
Really thought it was a bad idea and I don’t know if that wasn’t communicated well to goce I don’t know if he just was saying you know what I thought I was coming here and now I’m not but you will never convince me uh that that wasn’t
Either the kindling or the final straw that sent their relationship sideways and I don’t believe the Flyers realized how upset goce was about it until they had that Zoom call after the world championships and I also know this I know that um they were told the Flyers were
That this predated the hiring of the new regime which was May 11 11 so I think it was that in it was right after his season and when he talks about the all the things that kind of happened I just think that that one incident was the
Trigger to okay I’m not happy with this I I I think he really thought he was going to finish the year there and burn the first year of his contract and then they started thinking about everything else and uh The more I’ve collected this week the more I really believe that I
Don’t even think Philly intended to upset him I just think it was a complete breakdown in Communications you know from a philosophical point of view let me ask you this because in this situation we had one team shocked and one player shocked to me this kind of
Feels like a wash go stunned the Philadelphia Flyers with the trade request and saying I’m not going to play for the Philadelphia Flyers and Jamie Dale who had always believed and he’s very he’s a young defense 21 years old he always believed he was part of this rebuild for the Anaheim Ducks and
Was going to be a key piece of it he was stunned shocked surprised all of it that this happened one is player to team one is team to player to me it feels like a wash does it to you well like I said I have I have no problem with go deciding
That he didn’t want to play there you know again like Jeff like I have that choice in life so why would I say somebody else can’t have that choice in life and so um yeah I I I totally get it um I don’t I don’t disagree with you at
All um you know the other teams basically Philly was targeting D you know if if you’re a flyer fan you know what Daniel Brier said that that we’re building from the defense out can I add one thing quickly here sure in in that interview I asked beer did it have
To be a defenseman he said the two boxes for us were defense and a center right defense and a center okay so I had heard more D but you I’m not going to call I’m not going to call Daniel Brier a liar after he was gracious enough to come on
Your show like if Daniel Brier hears this he’s gonna say Freeman’s calling me a liar I’m never talking americ again so but so what I was kind of going through is I was kind of going through teams and says who has the Young D who
Has the Young D and you I’ll tell you this teams teams were looking at at me as I was reaching out like this is radioactive like we are not talking about this now the one the two teams I really thought about though were LA and Colorado and I was to because La has
Good Young D but I had people really push back on the LA idea like fers have done deals with them plenty and has somebody somebody said to me you’re barking up the wrong tree there the other team that actually more than one person said that the other team I really
Wondered about and I’ll say this uh I think it I I think Philly did ask about bow and Byrum and I just think Colorado wasn’t going there and as a matter of fact I suspect but I don’t know because nobody would uh talk to me about this I
Suspect that Colorado’s answer was we’re not doing this one for one like it’s it it’s got to be more than go for byra and I don’t know that from the Avalanche they they shut me down and would not talk about it but just someone else said to me that they thought they really
Believe that something like that occurred and if I was Philly and I was going for a young d bow and Byron would be absolutely the kind of guy I’d be asking about it’s it’s almost manager malpractice if you’re not doing that just on dale dale is going to get the Seth Jones zaransky
Treatment Columbus like like go play like you heard you heard him call him a Rover um you know torella you know like like I said on your show I remember the All-Star Game in Florida I think it was can’t remember it was Florida or Tampa
But uh no it had to be Tampa but Jones and wensky are down there at least one of them is from Colorado I Jones was there for sure I think all the Blue Jackets fans will tell me how wrong I’m all about this but I remember at least
One of them was there and uh I remember Jones was saying like there would be times he’d look up and they’d be in the offensive zone and wensky and him would be on top of the goalie and he’d look up and he’d say oh my God there’s two
Forwards playing defense they’re at the Blue Line like we’re going to get killed and torella would say to them no no no no you guys that’s your talent you do that it’s up on them to cover for you and uh you know like like torella you know like I thought he
Really handled it well this week like he said Dale’s going to come in here we’ll put him in the off offensive situation we’ll worry about the D later like this is a player as you said who was completely shell shocked and the way they used him and the way they talked
About him you know they put him in position to succeed and uh I think I think torella is going to be really good for Dale in the same way he was good for Jones and wensy when does I think this this is what I’m curious about when does the torella test come
For Jamie Dale like it came for cam York Early you know last season when he got cut at a training camp down to the American Hockey League I’m still firmly convinced that that was a test by torella to see what his reaction would be and how he would be in the American
Hockey League and the kid passed with flying colors and the minute he came back up torella could not stop talking about cam York like he puts we know this about John torella the torella tests that he puts players through you knew it wasn’t going to happen right away with
Dale right now he needs he needs the full encouragement of John tarella but Elliott you know it’s coming one day the first time he doesn’t do something that torella wants him to do that’s when it’s coming um okay back to Anaheim quickly here um not about goce not about Dale
But about Trevor zis broken ankor 6 to eight weeks and tons tons of noise around his name Elliot yeah so I’m not surprised that there’s a lot of noise around his name um you know I just think it was normal that after he traded Dale uh people were going to
Start wondering about zis um you know like zis a really interesting guy we’ve talked about this on the Pod before I’ve had some people who think he’s getting a little bit of a bad r app here what amazes me is is everybody knows what Pat verbi was like as a player and everybody
Knows what Greg Cronin values as a coach and people just look at it and say there’s no way that this is going to last like this and like I’m astonished at the amount of people who believe there’s no chance that this can work and
You know I I know I know Jeff I’m just you know I’m just I’m just putting it out there um you know I don’t like betting against talent I think he’s a really talented guy I understand that he’s got flaws to his game that he’s
Going to have to work on to be the kind of player that Anaheim believes they can depend on but I will just never bet against a player with Zeus’s Talent it’s just counterintuitive to me I’m surprised though at how many people think it’s it’s just guaranteed to
Happen the one thing I’ll say about zeris is I I there are some people out there who really believe that verbi was mulling over something in particular that there was something that God presented to him about zis that he was thinking about and obviously it it didn’t happen before he was injured and
I had some people telling me that nothing was close but I believe there was something on his table or on his tablet because I don’t know if people actually sit at tables anymore um that that he was mulling over and uh you know we’ll see we we’ll see where this goes
Um he scored two goals in one of his last games and I thought he looked good that night um you know we’ll see where it plays out but I’m really surprised at the reaction of a lot of people I actually do think by the way that of all
The Anaheim guys Jeff the one who’s going to get maybe the most traction this year is going to be Adam Henrik oh yeah well it would make some players players players looking for a veteran center for the playoffs that makes a ton of sense Elliot c c can I
Swing back on on one thing with uh with zis there yeah I like I like your line I like your line about um don’t bet against talent and I want to give you one scenario we just talked about the Philadelphia Flyers let me give you an example from the Philadelphia Flyers
What did we all think when the Flyers acquired Owen tippet from Florida there’s no way that that player is going to work with that coach what is Philadelphia thinking I think we had this conversation on the podcast like could you could you imagine a player who you just The Stereotype of both sides
Right like how can these two coexist the relationship’s been great the relationship’s been incredible like I don’t think for one second anyone ever looked at Owen tippet and said torella kind of guy right there but he is that’s why I like your line about I don’t want
To bet against Talent CU despite some people may look at zus and say that can’t be a pat Forbe kind of guy or Pat for be kind of player don’t bet against talent I really like that line don’t bet against talent I I I am with you I am
With you on that by the way while we’re just talking here did you see Florida did I see the Florida Panthers game Florida the end of the Florida game yeah 3 overtime win yeah Reinhardt scored with one something seconds left 30th of the year for Sam Reinhardt I’ll tell you something about
Florida Florida has three games the rest of the year that start as late as 8 o’cl now in the Eastern Conference Florida and Tampa have the worst travel because they’re kind of the remote Outpost of Florida um but the Panthers only have three games the rest of the year that
Start as late as 8 o00 there’s been a lot of talk about Reinhardt lately um I I would be surprised if he doesn’t sign there I I really would um state discount you he let well well the thing is too is that the Tampa discount comes to the
Panthers well that’s the thing like I I really like like last year when they made the Stanley Cup Final I remember someone told me it was and I and I think it was really good like they just did their new practice facility which I which I heard is is fantastic and I love
That the players are driving golf carts there it’s like it’s like the Panthers players are they live in a retirement community people are driving golf carts everywhere but I heard it’s beautiful it’s it’s a fantastic facility um but someone there last year told me with the
Panthers that they want to turn it into Tampa East and that is that like you look at all the advantages that Tampa’s built players want to play there the good tax situation the weather’s great it’s a tremendous place to raise a family easier on your body
Easier on your body yes the travel in the Eastern Conference is not great but it’s still not terrible and you know I think the Panthers look at this and they say why can’t we be the same like there’s no reason we can’t be the same and you know Reinhardt left Buffalo
Because they weren’t winning and like I think the thing about Sam Reinhardt is he knows what it’s like when the grass is not always greener and you know everybody fights about the taxes but it matters it absolutely matters and you know like I think when you’ve come from
A situation where you’re not winning to last year you go to the Stanley Cup Final and if any of us had any doubts about how good Florida is they are being erased they are they’re they look really good um there’s no reason they can’t win their division again and set themselves
Up for a good playoff run um like I would be surprised if unless they low balled Sam Reinhardt to the extreme which I don’t think they would do I I would be surprised that that couldn’t work out like I like people are talking about now that neander signed
Reinhardt’s number one guy I would unless Florida is is being ridiculous and Bill Zito is a tough negotiator but I can’t imagine he’s being ridiculous I I would be surprised if this one can’t get done and I I can tell you I’m not the only person who feels that way they’re
Um I I would be surprised if they couldn’t make it work two things on that one about uh the team for a long time we’ve heard players say I want to play for Florida but we haven’t necessarily heard players say I want to play for the Panthers there’s that distinction but
Now they’re good now they’re winning things change the other question interestingly you mentioned neander and the contract starting next year is for 11.5 million per season what is is that in Florida currency yeah it’s it you know it’s always different because it goes by principal residents and there’s other
Things you can do you know what I thought was really interesting is that remember last year there was the story in Canada about that one tax shelter that players could use in Revenue Canada like someone said to me player someone said to me people started getting too
Pish with it and Revenue Canada went after it well now I see there’s people in California talking about otani’s deferred salary yeah don’t so don’t brag about this stuff people don’t brag it’s funny it always depends on your primary residence and things like that but yes at its base
Florida’s taxes are much better than Canada’s yeah I uh lusi that’s who I’ve referenced before on this program from report on business television when we worked together he always gave me this one bit of advice about the market uh the market can sustain a bear the market
Can sustainable but if you see a pig in the market get out and I think that goes to what you’re talking about there okay let me ask don’t brag about your tax shelters people not a good idea um let me ask you a question here oh by the way
I had someone also say to me this week up you know who’s not getting enough love in the heart trophy conversation does he play on the Florida Panthers yes does his name rhyme with Alexander barov it doesn’t just rhyme with Alexander barov it is Alexander barov I
You know I think you know when you got Reinhardt scoring 30 goals got Matthew K who takes a lot of the air there I think it’s hard but you know somebody did say to me that that guy should be getting some some heart love
So I I wanted to throw it out there this week it’s a good one Elliot let’s Wonder a little bit here about the wi of Peg Jets and we hope that things end up okay for Mark shley who left the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday
Nights Thursday was a body count night around the NHL not good unbelievable Kevin Chev day off though yeah I know just it’s like every time you flip the channnel look to another game here’s another player being being let off and down the hallway Uh Kevin Chev Kevin
Cheval off spoke on Thursday um what are your main questions about this team I like the fact that he said that we haven’t proven anything yet um I think that’s what good teams say um in my history when it when a manager comes out and says things like that they
Really think they have a good team because that’s the kind of goal or example you set for yourself you you don’t rest on your laurels because you think you can accomplish so much more and you want your players to hear that that we haven’t accomplished anything
Yet so you it keeps them hungry and and and moving forward you know some of these uh his previous um media conference Cheval deav comes out like he’s getting like a a root canal or a prostate exam he looks really thrilled to be there oh my um but he was you know
He was much lighter in his mood I thought in this one cuz the team’s been going uh really well you know I’ve heard that they do want to keep Dylan Dello and he said that they have started at least reaching out to Dylan Dello and and Brendan Dylan um and we’ll go there
But you know the one thing about the Jets is when I start to look and and and think about you know the kinds of players that they might uh be interested in I always look for guys with term cuz I know know he likes to acquire term um
But you know the one thing I really feel is the Jets have proven they can keep players when when things are going well right and they signed two big ones this year so I don’t know if he feels as strongly about that now um you know they’re they’re a really good team and
And people notice that you know so I look around and and you know one of the guys I really thought about I thought he would be a really good jet the kind of player whose game fits in with what they do is a guy like Matthew Joseph now the
Thing about that is they’ve already got a really good third line right so where do you see Joseph in your lineup he’s he’s making too much money to play lower than that I think and he’s probably also a better player than a than a fourth liner but you know I I’ve been looking
Around I look at a guy like that and I say that to me like is a guy who could fit in perfectly with the Jets but they’ve already got one of the best third lines in the league so um you know that’s the thing about him is that it’s
I just really liked his message of we haven’t accomplished anything yet because their fans are happy they had another sellout on Thursday night and you can talk about game presentation all you want but nothing sells better than winning and I I I just thought that was
A really good message he gave and and Jeff speaking of Ottawa um you know I watched them on Thursday I can’t believe what I’m seeing with them right now I that was really bad look yeah you know like Jeff like I thought they’d be better in the year of terrible
Predictions for me I don’t think that I was the only one but I I never thought we’d see this I I’m shocked at what I’m seeing right now and you know Norris he didn’t play on Thursday and he’s going to get checked out on on Friday this is
A really big deal for a lot of different reasons but the main one is when they came through Toronto I had a chance to talk to him for a bit and I and I also talked to jacqu marttin about him and and jacqu marttin like I said to marttin
Like it really looks like that you’re that you are determined to put him in big roles like he was I think he was I have to remember I had some notes I think he was killing penalties more I think he was doing some things he hadn’t done before and jacqu martinz said like
This is a guy who basically didn’t play last year so he’s behind and we’ve got to get him up to and in situations where he can kind of get caught up and and be what he is and you know I thought that was really important to martan the way
He talked about it so if this is anything serious and you hope it isn’t for a lot of reasons like it derails him too if this costs him a good chunk and so I hope it doesn’t but I really thought about that you know Jeff I’ve
Said how the Senators are one of those teams that they’ve said some things this year and then you plan God laughs and you have to go in a different direction I really believe they do not want to fool around with their Court yet because they think it’s too soon but the longer
This goes on the more like we’ve already seen they’ve change their path So you you’re foolish if you don’t think it can happen I don’t think they want to do it but I’m really starting to wonder you know what do the Senators think here what do they think and the
Other thing too is um I the the coach thing I I some people sent me some Dave pin interviews where he talked about Craig baru I again I can always be surprised I would just be I would be very surprised if they Rush this without a full process
Because I think they know that this is something they cannot they cannot get wrong and and buub is a a good coach don’t get me wrong here but I I really wonder if they’re determined not to rush this meanwhile while at the other end of the winning spectrum and the other end
Of the country elliotts the Vancouver Canucks will they push in all the chips this year they’re starting to talk like it there’s no question like that you know what I think one of the real interesting things is like I’m honestly tired of talking about Pon like
I really am I just want to appreciate the way they’re playing um but again I had I was I was talking to someone on Thursday and I thought they made a really good point to me and that is if you have any reason to believe that you can’t get Pon signed
Long term you probably have to go for it this year and I do think the Canucks will take one more run at least asking him about are we ready to talk and and I think it’s very possible that Pon punts it it’s just the way he’s kind of gone
Um um but again I want to stress I think Vancouver is is is very confident they’re going to put themselves in position to get this done but if there’s any chance that you think you don’t does that not and I’m just throwing this out there you tell me what you think does
That not mean you have to go for it they’ve got a really good team a really good team I kind of look at this season and to me the pon question isn’t even one at least not to me I just look at this season and with everybody healthy
And what they’re doing like I don’t know maybe I’m putting too much on those those three games uh in New York you know the the the Jersey game the kings of New York and the and and the island like like everybody like were only too happy to see Vancouver leave in that
Area now they left with six points kickstand in everybody’s face and took their pum and and hustled off but like that looks like a team like we always wonder like he a team hitting their stride team hitting their stride this Vancouver con team hit their stride early in the season and haven’t left
It and it’s just I think that you know the the pson piece of this conversation hasn’t even enter my mind it’s just okay you know what find one more forward one more defenseman at trade deadline and go for it you have to this team is this is the Rubik’s Cube
That’s all clicking together I think you have to go for it if you’re Vancouver what are you waiting for I think you do it you’re Patrick gine did your raford I think you do it fre each Dom how quickly are you throwing this uh this last 10 seconds on
650 on Friday it’s already up it’s already up um okay uh a couple more did you ever see King of New York with Christopher walin by the way I I never saw King of New York no that is a great movie right now the Canucks are a bigger
King of New York than Christopher walin and I don’t say that lightly Christopher walin is an alltime God you know how far behind I am on movies you know what I watched on the flight back from Seattle finally that I’ve always wanted to watch Wizard of Oz no I have seen that I’ll
Miss you most of all scarecrow I’ll miss you most of all no um uh all the president Titanic All the President’s Men Titanic All the President’s Men yeah what year is that like 1977 yeah next week you’re going to watch ET I know I’m so out of touch so bad
Star Wars it’s so impr it’s so embarrassing it’s so embarrassing that is that is terrible okay let me ask you a question about a name um this International event that the NHL will be staging it’s not going to be called the World Cup of Hockey do
We we have any idea what this thing is going to be called Elliott well first of all I expect uh I I expect that they’re going to announce this at the All-Star Game this year because it’s going to erase Allstar next year right this uh four team uh event
And you know I I was and someone actually said to me are they going to call it the World Cup and I was under the impression they weren’t because it’s not a true world event the next year is only going to be four teams Canada US Finland Sweden so I had heard they
Didn’t want to call it the World Cup and so this this person said to me what do you think they’re going to call it then I was like I don’t know like I I don’t have a good answer so I so I said we could have like a fun segment as part of
The show and crowdfund what the name of this tournament should be so he said what would you call it what would you call it and I I’m terrible at this like in my days as a student newspaper reporter at the University of Wasington Ontario I was the worst at the headlines my
Headlines always sucked we had an internal newsletter and one of the things would be like best lead of the week worst lead of the week best headline worst headline I would always get worst headline by a mile and so I was thinking so I I I was talking to
This guy I go how about best on best 25 and there was this long pause and the guy goes no that sucks we’re no nobody’s going to call it that uh so I was like I thought best on best 25 was not bad he’s like no that sucks
Like he says to me like nobody’s going to call it that and and uh and if I was in charge I would never allow it to be called that so I was just curious like what what are they going to call this thing and I I I just wanted to hear if
There were any good ideas because that was mine and it was stomped on well crowdsourcing this one send in your ideas for this name because like Elliott I’m horrible with names I’m horrible with things like this like I I can’t even pretend to roast you about this cuz
I’m I’m equally as bad at it um okay and by the way I’m not a wagerer but now that the Leafs has sent out a note that Justin Bieber is going to be there I will bet you that Jordan bennington’s going to be there this is going to happen this is GNA
Happen that’s my prediction it’s about it would have been nice to see it in in Central Park though yeah I understand but this this will be big uh because um you know that you know if if Bieber is 0 for nine Matthews is going to jump
Out on the 10th one and do something to make sure he scores oh that would be awesome um and then Bieber and then bennington’s gonna fight Matthews at Center ice in Toronto that just it all Matthew’s got to bring some muscle man he’s got to bring Ryan Reeves uh former
St Louis blue um okay let’s let’s finish up with this one uh this one’s sort of uh a tricky one I think probably for both of us since it involves you know you know uh someone that we’ve known and worked for um previously uh I was hired
By Scott Moore uh to come over from CBC to sportset and in a lower key as well um Keith P was part of that and Keith p is now taking over as CEO of mlsc um just your your your thoughts on this one and and what are some of the
The questions that you have now that listen Keith p is a legendary Sports executive uh now that P’s taken over the Reigns at mlsc well it’s it’s a big story there it’s it was a really long process a really long process and I think it took a lot longer
Than a lot of people um a lot of people thought it was going to take and you’re right Jeff there’s a lot of us in the broadcasting business who know Keith p and have worked for Keith p and I think most people really really like him you
Know to me what I’m more interested in is um is uh how what this is going to mean mean for the organization because if you go back Keith p is is a hiring more in the Tim liwi mold like Tim liwi was bold um he he loved being a public figure he
Wanted things to happen he was constantly saying we’re going to shake things up here and we’re going to do things differently and I’m not going to be afraid to be face front and if anyone’s going to have a problem they’re going to have a problem with me and he
He acted as a a shield in a lot of ways for other people and when he left that really changed at mlsc you know Michael freeall who replaced him he was simply there for the business he was not like brandan Shanahan became the number one person uh for the Maple Leafs and he
Reported directly to the board Messi Jeri became the number one person for the Raptors he didn’t have to go through the business side or president he was the person who reported to the board and when freestyle was out uh Cynthia Divine took over and you know I don’t really
Know Cynthia Divine uh very well but there’s a lot of people there who really uh speak highly of her but she was quiet she didn’t want the attention she didn’t crave the attention and uh I believe she’s going to retire now after a short uh period of of
Turnover Keith p is not like that he is not afraid to be a public figure here um he likes being out in the public and I think that’s the number one thing that people are kind of wondering about here this is going to be the first time in a
Decade that the person in that position is going to be more out front and I think everybody is wondering how is that going to change the dynamic uh of the organization and I just don’t think we have the answer yet but eventually we will Elliot before we wrap up uh this
Block uh a really sad day in Edmonson yes I didn’t know JN short well but I knew of him obviously I knew Robin brownley a little bit better um and Jason Gregor wrote a beautiful tribute to uh Robin brownley and if you were a sports fan in Edmonton you knew both of
Them and uh they were major presences in the market so I just wanted to send our best uh to their families and you know we have a lot of listeners in Edmonton who also grew up listening and reading to John short and Robin brownley so I know that they’re probably feeling a
Really sad loss of connection uh to people that they have uh dealt with for a long time so we wanted to send out the best to their families and recognize their terrific impact on Sports in that area of Alberta well said uh peace to both of their families and all hockey
Fans in Edmonson we’ll be back in a moment listen to the 32 thoughts podcast add free on Amazon music included with Prime okay Elliot time now once again for the Montana’s thought line warm up your vocal cords your big moment is coming Montana’s barbecue and bar Canada’s home for barbecue try the ribs 32ths sportsnet.ca is the email 1 1833 311 3232 32ths sportsnet.ca and the phone number 1833 311
3232 let’s start Elliott with a phone call by the way hold on I got I remember we talked about favorite numbers or numbers that we liked I I got a text from someone uh today saying a couple other number related ones for you uh apparently when Tom baraso the now Hall
Of Famer Tom baraso uh joined the Sabers as a rookie he asked for double zero but the Sabers said no you’re not wearing that no way okay and they turned him down because because Marty Marty Baron was able to wear the the the zero with the Buffalo
Sabers well that was also that was what 25 years later or something like that 20 years later maybe things had just changed right but uh apparently baraso uh baraso was told no uh they pointed out Mark Napier wore 65 for the cystic fibrosis charity uh for those of
You who are familiar with cystic fibroses there is a charity tied into it called 65 roses and the reason they call it 65 roses is for people especially young people who can’t pronounce cystic fibrosis properly it’s called 65 Ros I actually heard that a few years ago andp
Tied into that and uh so those were a couple that were mentioned to me that I just wanted to add to the list I love that uh and if anyone has any more number related stories please um I love collecting stories like that I’m sure you’re the same way Elliot so please
Send them along uh let’s begin with a phone call shall we hey guys it’s Mel grabovski calling I hear you guys to talk about me about number 84 I have a good story about it it’s a story when I play in Montreal I won that number so
Bad and the Gil wear this number so I just decided to leave this team I want to play Tron and wear my number 84 and I hear you want to have like a cold plune so anytime guys you can come my backyard I have a lake if you don’t scare eles Okay
Bye so that is indeed uh the real Mel grabovski um I’m pretty sure and he sent the the video out on social media on his Instagram which I should mention is official grabo g a Bo o uh that’s his Instagram handle check him out there he’s got some great stuff including some
Great uh video and pictures of his backyard rink which is spectacular I think he recorded that one at Main Street Bak house in in downtown stoval so you can see that video there and as people have pointed out it’s a nice tribute to you Elliot because you can
Hear plates in the background and Cs and talking and noise uh your thoughts on the uh voicemail from Mel grabovski former NH I loved it it was very funny I I would like to say this I I am not scared of too many things but I do not like
Leeches when I was a a kid at summer camp at what what is what is Camp Timberlane where I went to a couple different summer camps but one year at Camp Suber Lane I was swimming underneath the dock and somehow I got a like I leaned against the dock or I I
Held one of the poles and there was a cut on my leg and a leech got onto it and it was uh I I it like it hurt I’ll tell you I was I was I had to be about 10 or 11 years old not only did it hurt
But you could see it kind of and you have to understand this was 40 years old so I may be exaggerating this a little bit but you could see it growing as it was sucking all of my impure blood out of me like there’s a reason they used to
Use leeches in medical treatment right because they would suck the impure blood out of you but you know I had to walk to the infirmary which really wasn’t that close and it began to hurt after a while and they had to burn it off me oh jeez
Um I think they tried salt first CU yeah because I think they tried salt first because somebody said said that salt could do it but it didn’t work so they had to burn it off me that’s the way you get rid of leeches and uh so I will say
M that there very few things really scare me but I’m not crazy about the leeches uh I think the last time I talked to him about his uh his his Lake that he has his property is gorgeous um he was going to put he has an island on
The lake and he’s going to put a sauna uh on it too I’m not sure what that status is but um he’s an awesome guy I mean he lives in town he lives 5 minutes away from me uh been to his place a bunch did I ever tell you my my favorite
Story about his house have ever mentioned this one to you Elliot so the first so so gra grabo moves to stov a number of years ago him and his wife Kate and their family and so invites me over and I show up and you know grabo
Had a um let’s just say healthy contract with the tronto m police I think it was a neighborhood of $28 million y so I I go up knock on the door door and grabo answers and the first thing he says is Jeff welcome to the house bery built and
I cracked up and to this day I still laugh thinking about Jeff welcome to the house that berky builts uh again follow grabo on Instagram it’s a great follow official grabo uh is the handle there there’s one story about him that I wish I could tell but I can’t you’ll remember
There was a game between Toronto and Montreal where the Canadians got really angry at him Saku kivu in particular gave it to grabovski and he got back to the bench and Ron Wilson was coaching and apparently Ron Wilson was said what did you do to all those guys that they’re
Acting like this right now and apparently the back and forth it’s not something that can be repeated but I heard it was absolutely hilarious that other players were laughing on the bench listening to this conversation between gski and Wilson I will never forgive those officials that kept him and castit
And apart because I think everybody wanted to see that one nonetheless uh grabo thanks for the call man uh Matt from the Bay Area emails this in hello Jeff Elliot and the rest of the 32 thoughts crew greetings from sharks territory in Northern California as I watch my Sharks play this season
Your prayers to the hockey or Lottery odds for mlin celebrini to come home or welcomed I’ve noticed that David Quinn would dress Jacob McDonald is a forward though he’s been listed on rosters as a defenseman but has seen games in recent Seasons as a Winger considering all the
Shohi Otani free agency news in recent months my question for the two of you is have we ever seen this kind of two-way player in the NHL being a sharks fan I’ve seen Brent Burns play both forward and defense d Dustin buffin is another
Who may have done the same he did uh but never both positions in the same season thoughts on that one that is Matt in the Bay Area Elliott you know the player that uh I think of the most and he’s not a player that young people will know but
He was one of the most uh versatile guys around there and it’s before my time too was a player Jeff by the name of Jimmy Roberts and uh he was a guy that played for Scotty Bowman with the St Louis Blues he loved him he took Roberts everywhere
Bowman loved Jimmy Roberts oh and then he went to him with the Canadians and he won a few Stanley Cups there y um they like it was just as I was really growing up and getting into hockey but he was a guy who could play everywhere uh he
Would and and I guess and and people will tell me if I’m wrong about this but I think sometimes even in the same game and he was a shadow he was Scotty Bowman’s defensive specialist and people would talk about him for a long time as the most versatile player who was out
There you I I speaking of Scotty I think that he used this would have been in the Canada Cup 76 I think he used Larry Robinson as a Winger for a few shifts uh in that tournament as well so that listen it totally screamed Scotty Bowman
The one that comes to mind for me uh is the answer to one of my favorite trivia questions of all time and that is name the player who’s won the most Stanley Cups with eight but has never played for the Oilers or the Habs or the Islanders
And that is red Kelly who won four Stanley Cups playing defense with the det Tre Red Wings and then won four Stanley Cups in the 60s playing center for the tronto maple leaf so whenever we talk about players that you know do it all on on the ice and play a number of
Different positions my head and my heart CU he’s such a gentleman I mean I’m sure you had plenty of uh encounters with with red Kelly growing up in Toronto as well such a nice man uh my that’s where my thoughts always go but there have
Been others and I think like you know we talked about this a couple of different times here on the podcast the idea where the game is evolving to you just have your position when the puck drops and after that everybody sort of knows how to play every position and we’re
Evolving towards position hockey in hockey and specifically in the NHL so um great question and anytime we get a chance to mention Jim Roberts and red Kelly in a podcast we’re happy guys um here’s an interesting one and I actually did something that I’m not used to doing
Some work around this one listen I know listen to this Sasha from Victoria hey Jeff Dom and Merrick hope you guys have lots of fun in Victoria I second the recommendation of tacofino but I hope you also get a chance to visit Canada’s oldest Chinatown and sample some of the
Delicious barbecue pork buns from one of our many Fantastic Chinese bakeries my question for you is about a goal tending record I saw this on Twitter this morning that Connor heluk now holds a franchise record for longest season opening point streak by a goalie by points this refers to points in the team
Standings obtained by wins are pushing the game past regulation this has me wondering what’s the NHL record for longest personal point streak by a goalie as in points obtained by assists and goals how many consecutive games and how many points love the show enjoy our city so this one is interesting the NHL
Definition is you have to play consecutive games for it to be a consecutive point streak in that sense the streaks are only two and there’s a number of goenda bunch at two but the interesting point for Sasha’s question is there are a number of goendale Point streaks five
Goenda did it twice Ed BFF for did it once Rick dpet did it once and Henrik Lundquist did it once the problem is they weren’t in consecutive games but the really interesting point about this one is Rick D Petro’s three-game assist streak Elliot span two years December 26 2000 DEC because of
All his injuries I assume right yes correct December 26 2008 January 2 in 2009 and then January 8th 2010 that is a sneaky good question from Sasha Victoria I absolutely love that um and this one is interesting as well and it involves goenda and Sanderson BC Lads the Gordy
How hattrick a goal an assist and a fight in a game is a fun accomplishment that gets full mention by hockey journalists when it happens that’s because it captures the quintessential mixo skill and grit that almost defines the sport of hockey my two grandsons are goalies one of them Lewis recently had a
Great game getting a shut out which also included stopping a breakaway and aggress conratulations yeah and aggressively diving with his stick into the forward skates to chop away the rebound he was assessed a penalty which got me to thinking there should be a goalie equivalent for
The Gordy how hatrik well this needs a name and has it actually ever been accomplished in NHL play he says I searched with stathead and discovered it’s only occurred six times in the past first two were by Tom baraso in 93 when he actually had two assists in the game
And again in 1998 and the other goal tenders were Marty turko twice Mark Andre flurry Michael telk fist also besides baraso so that seals it has to be the Tom baraso hattrick a thought to add to your 32 how about that for a goalie Gordy how hattrick what would it
Have to be for you I would think a shut out an assist and a penalty how’s that for a goalie Gord hat no no no no no no no no shout out yeah point of any kind because these guys are scoring goals now so shout out point of
Any any kind and a fight a Gordy how hatrick has to include a fight there has to be a fight in this 100% I am unyielding on this unseizing even you won’t just take like a minor slashing penalty no no okay we can have a a an adjudication panel to
Decide if the penalty is severe enough that it qualifies if it’s not a fight I was going to say like there’s some pretty r unctious things it because because then you know what’s going to happen is if there’s an official Gordy how hatrick all these guys are going to
Be handling the puck outside the trapazoid to get the penalty and that should not count okay so maybe it’s it that’s not Fierce enough so it has to be an aggression violation it has to be a high stick it has to be a slash does roughing count Elliots in your definition
Roughing counts okay so so it has to be it has to be a penalty of aggression penalty of aggression so none of this trapezoid viol ation none of that Ron hexall has to decide if it is a serious enough penalty okay very good H and then
We’ll we’ll Co up me in in this case here uh the person that emailed in Dave submits it should be the Tom barasso hatrick but we will put it out to you fine people listening to the podcast right now what is your definition of the goalie Cordy how hatrick and what should
It be called the thought line 32 thoughts at sportsnet.ca 1833 oh what would you call it I mean the the default has always been you know Ron hexall although I would accept uh Billy Smith I would also accept Ray Emery hatrick yeah um yeah that’s a good one I would also
Accept uh the Emy the Smith the hexall those are all good I’ll accept Shawn Burk hatrick as well I would even take Felix podan because o you know he he fought hexall and did very very well there it’s funny too because there were only two people in the rink that knew that Felix
Pfan was going to win that fight one was Felix poan do you know who the other was I remember I talked to a Quebec police officer about it a couple years later and he said that when they all saw it they knew poan was gonna win you know
Who else was a Quebec police officer pat burns his coach knew that poan was gonna do right maybe maybe Ron hexal had bit off maybe a little bit too much in that fight uh 32ths at sportsnet.ca 1 1833 311 3232 the Montana’s thought line Montana’s barbecue and bar Canada’s home
For barbecue stay tuned coming up next agent Lewis gross on the William neand contract how it came to be and everything that falls after that’s Next Okay welcome back to the podcast uh I think you’re really going to enjoy this on Thursday Elliot and I had a chance to sit down with Lis gross now Lewis gross has represented a number of hockey players uh over a number of years you may have heard of martan St Louie before
That’s just one of them uh currently he represents players like Johnny gdo and Tory Krug and Jeremy Swan you’ll hear all these names come up in this interview but the purpose of this podcast was to get from an agent’s point of view how the William neander contract
Came to be I think you’ll find Lewis gross engaging and thoughtful and probably maybe even more giving than he thought he was going to be when the interview started here’s Lewis gross and the William nander contract and how it came to be on 32 thoughts of the podcast
Lewis the William neander contract first of all congratulations uh I don’t know what it must feel like when you finally put something like that to bed but uh before we get into the the specifics of everything what did it feel like when it was all done you know uh first thanks
For the congratulations uh it felt obviously very good um Willie always wanted to stay in Toronto and uh that was his Focus right from the start from when all these discussions began it uh so it became a reality for him that he gets to play the
Next eight years in a place he really wanted to be and really did not want to go anywhere else so there was happiness for him there was relief that uh we came to an agreement and that we could all just you know move forward now is this
True or false that right from the beginning in the summer you you and William and Michael neander basically said if Willie’s is going to resign here this is the area that the numbers got to be and you never really moved a lot from there is that accurate
Um I don’t know if the way you put it is accurate I think that you put through the research you know as a group in terms of what you think is the fair number for Willie um and for as long as I’ve been doing this I always feel that
If we’re coming to a number we’re going to support it because we believe in it and uh after speaking with Willie and speaking with Michael and everybody else and you know his entire family we really felt that this seemed to be the right number um you can never project what the
Open market is going to bring you you know come July 1 it’s it’s a complete unknown but that didn’t really factor in because Willie’s Focus was to remain in Toronto and our Focus was to come up with a number that we felt made sense for him to remain in
Toronto and uh we expressed that to the least on numerous occasions because Lewis what people say about you cuz I you I asked other people what’s it like to negotiate in with you and they say that generally you come in and you say this is what we feel is
Right and you don’t budge from there too often do you think that’s a fair way to describe you I would say it is to be honest um you know I have a really good staff here in the office and we spend a lot of time you know trying to come up with
What we believe is the right number we don’t look look at this and say if somebody’s worth 10 million we’ll ask for 12 and because we’re going to settle it on 10 um that’s just not the way I’ve ever done it um and I think that as a
Group here that’s what we really try to do we try to look at things and say we need to be taken seriously by the other side and if we’re asking for something that’s ridiculous then we’re we’re not going to be taken seriously so we really need to support our number and support
What we believe in and and uh when we sit down with the player that’s our approach as well listen this is your contract I’ve done hundreds and hundreds of them over my career but you need to be comfortable with this number and this is why we think it’s the right number
And we hope you agree with us if you don’t you need to tell us and if you get to a point in negotiation and they’re not getting there but you want to take it we’re going to do that um we’re not going to it’s you know you know be
Stubborn to the extent that we’re going to hurt you and we’re going to do we work for you guys the players so we’re going to do what you really have instructed us to do you know you um you mentioned you’ve done hundreds uh of these contracts
Before um some of the ones that hockey fans will know um for players in the NHL right now most immediately Johnny gdo Tory Krug uh I am curious what if anything I know they’re all a little bit different but what was for from your point of view what was most unique about
This negotiation between neander and the Maple Leafs you know there were so many things I thought were unique I think going into it there was this perception that Brad and I didn’t like each other um that we were never going to be able to make a
Deal together and that was just you know as far from the truth as possible um and then there was the fact that well look what Willie did last time um but what Willie did last time there’s not many people I’ve encountered in my life could do um you know Willie has that
Personality and Willie has that inner confidence that’s you know very few people possess and he was able to take it till December 1st and I think that his performance on the ice from the start of the season was not at all surprising to me the contract was not
Going to get to him he was just going to play and he really many times throughout it said I don’t really want to talk about it let me play you just do your thing and let me go play and he trusted his dad 100% his dad and I were in
Constant communication and his dad’s a very smart guy and you know Willie knew that it would take care of itself let me just take care of what I can control I I have a lot of follow-ups out of this answer so let’s start here first of all
Just a a purely procedural question when you’re negotiating this kind of a contract and Willie says leave me alone when do you say okay I have to call him now when does it come to the point where you have to involve the player I don’t think Willie ever really quote unquote
Said leave me alone I think that there wasn’t the need for the phone calls you know we spoke you know we didn’t hear from them today you know a lot of players like to be updated all the time okay did you hear from them did you not
Hear from from now um I think Willie knew that if there was going to be a phone call from us there was something important to talk about so that’s really where I think Willie wanted to focus on playing hockey because that’s really what he could control and he believed
This would obviously take care of itself and it did when did do you remember when did you call him and say I think this is going to happen because there’s always you get the Breakthrough and then you’ve got all the small things you’ve got to
Do but when in your mind was going to happen um Sunday night I thought that it was really going to happen and we signed it up like not not until the night before no I don’t think you ever can things can change in this business Anything Can Happen we’ve we’ve all gone
Through this stuff um as agents and things can change at the last minute so until you can’t really mislead your client until it’s done it’s not done I firmly believe that who is the most stubborn you Michael neander or William neander what a great question Elliot uh I would
Say equally probably um you know I think we all believe in what we believe okay and it’s not easy to convince me to change my mind and I don’t think it’s easy to convince Michael to change his mind or Willie to change his mind if that’s means that we’re stubborn um then I
Guess we’re all equally stubborn but I think we’re all really just believe in what we believe in and I think that’s a I think it’s a good trait to have I really do I think you have to have your beliefs and you have to stick to them Michael
Michael NE covered him a little bit as a player he was towards the end of his career when I really started uh at hockey KN but there’s a lot of talk about his role and what he what he does during these negotiations and whether or not it’s him who’s making
The final call to people who don’t know him how would you describe him and does he make the final decision no uh he doesn’t make the final decision will he makes the final decision um that’s like saying any agent makes the final decision and that’s not what we do
Either at least you know it’s not our job is not to make the final decision so Michael does not make the final decision you know Michael was not just an inredible player um he’s actually an Incredible family man um he has three daughters who are all tremendous tennis
Players two have played in college and and there’s a third one who you know is going to play as well he has two sons who were top 10 picks in the first round in the NHL draft um not many parents can say that um especially one who you know
Did very well in his own career and and the pressure that that obviously goes to a child as well so I have tremendous respect for Michael um I think he’s incredibly intelligent um I think he’s thinks things through very very carefully and um he’s been a big asset
To me um and uh I just think he’s very misunderstood by people who just absolutely do not know him at all and the perception of him is is not the reality so tell us like go go more into that lisis how do you feel he’s misunderstood I think that even the
Question that you know he makes the final decision um you know he would never do that it would never ever be his way to make that final decision because it’s not his decision to make and he’s smart enough to know that um things are very open dialogue and you know it’s um
He’s a parent um you know anyone who’s a parent would say you can’t tell your kids what to do you can try to guide them and you can give them your best advice but ultimately it’s their life and they have to make those decisions and they’re not
Going to be comfortable with it and I don’t think you have five children who have the success they have if you’re telling each one of these kids what to do the the last one I have with you on this topic is William himself one of his teammates said that they didn’t like the
Idea AA that that William was kind of portrayed as other people are making his decisions for him or other people are deciding like even going back to the last one you mentioned that ended on December 1st a few years ago that that he very much has a big say in this and
Like I said this player didn’t like the idea being floated that Willie’s just this rube who’s told what to do can you go into a bit more about him Willie is the exact opposite of that Willie is very involved um Willie is incredibly intelligent and has I mean
Imagine going to 10 minutes before five if you’re lucky in this league you can play 10 years he was willing to risk 10% of that one full season for what he believed in and if you think anybody would risk 10% of their career because some agent told them what to do or his
Father told him what to do Willie has a lot of intelligence and Willie understands this stuff you know if I speak to him about taxation he understands it if I speak to him about different costs of living or the cap and percentage of cap he completely grasps
Those Concepts and he actually makes my job much easier because he really does understand it he takes it in and then he makes the decision willly person is you know a cool easygoing look you know easygoing guy and he is but he’s also very sharp and very smart and one hell
Of a hockey player too so six years ago how close did he come to not playing the season pretty damn close okay pretty close it was really down to the wire and I remember saying to Willie and this is almost an exact quote I know you might be one of the
Coolest guys I know but if I send this contract over you sign it and get it back right away okay do not hesitate we’re really under the gun here okay um it was close it was nerve-wracking and it was close on both sides it was it was
The same for the Leafs I know that one final thing on this contract Lewis this most recent neander contract um there’s a lot of of elements to every deal which part of this contract the number the term the no move the bonuses everything if there was one thing that you could
Point at and say this is the most important part of this contract for William neander what would it be he wanted to be a leaf for the next eight years okay so term was if that’s if that’s the most important then everything flows from that the term the no move
All of it flows from that okay because he wants to be a Lea he loves Toronto he loves the organization he loves wearing that sweater he loves it all okay um he that everything stemmed from that because a lot of players and you you can look at any player obviously his
Teammate chose four years every player can make that decision and what is really you know goes into those decisions to you know is the cap going up and hopefully your salary is going to continue to rise But ultimately it’s there’s no right answer to any of this
It’s really what’s you think is the right answer for you you know is four years the right answer for Austin it probably is okay because it was his decision this was the right decision for Willie um last one for me you mentioned earlier that uh there’s a perception and
You’re right there’s a perception out there that okay this is Lewis gross and Brad for living and we all remember uh the Johnny GD situation and how that ended up and you wanted to put that to bed and say there’s no animosity uh from both sides what was it like re-engaging
With Brad TR living on a deal you know uh I think I told this to somebody the first time I saw Brad since gdo left was at the draft in Nashville this year and I walked into the conference area of his hotel and he came out of the room and we
Looked at each other we each put out our hand and we gave each other a hug um that’s just how it is um you you just in this business you’re going to negotiate with everybody time and time and time again okay you can’t let the past affect the current and everyone knows
Everybody’s got a job to do and there really is mutual respect usually on both sides um you can’t hold the grudge if you do you’ll never get anywhere in this business okay um you always have to work with the other side I remember when Marty St Louis wanted to leave Tampa
Took a lot of work between Steve Eiserman and myself to make that a reality okay um that was a tough situation for Steve Eiserman tough situation for Marty but we worked together to make that happen there was no animosity and bad feelings we were both trying to accomplish me for Marty
And him for the lightning and you move on and you go to the next one it’s just the way it has to be in this business was that the toughest one you ever had to do oh there’s been plenty of tough ones um you know um each one is so unique uh
I remember going to arbitration for John L Clair saying I can’t believe here’s this superstar in the league and we have to go to arbitration um I remember Tory crew holding out that was tough Brandon inside um there were so many different every contract is tough I thought Swan’s
Arbitration this year was tough because he’s a young kid and it’s his first deal coming really out of an entrylevel system and he’s going into arbitration um every one of these is tough in a different way okay um it was tough for Kyle DUIs to not resign Brian dumin
Who’s been a tremendous penguin forever and for me to tell Brian that he was going to have to move on you know those are tough conversations so every one of them is tough in their own way they really are so so has there ever been one that turned so personal that you
Couldn’t fix the relationship no there is not I mean I don’t think I am the top favorite agent of every general manager in this league um and on the other side maybe they’re not my favorite general manager to work with either but ultimately we do have a job to do and
You know agents who have been around as long as I do remember the Glenn sther and the Bobby Clarks and the Harry sens these were tough guys and negotiating with these guys was not easy I I mean I I had my battles with Bobby Clark that’s
For sure um but you gotta you know you got to move on to the next one there’s just you can’t you can’t do that or you’re not helping your client at all okay so I’m coming in what was the toughest negotiation with Bobby Clark what was said um there was nothing ever
Said but Bobby was tough the way he played was the way he was a manager and you know if he lost his if he got upset with you you knew it um and that was never fun okay so you know you would walk into his office and sometimes you
Just didn’t know what was going to happen so those are that can be nerve-wracking he is he’s tough um Glenn sther I I have so much respect for Glenn sther and we had our battles um I had Todd marshan in Edmonton I remember going to arbitration against Glenn and I
Was I was pretty young at the time but again so much respect for Glenn Sader um I really do and I mean l amarell most people think he’s as tough as can be I think I I look at Lou as a friend and know that if I ever really needed
Something in life I know that if I picked up the phone and called Lou he would he would be there for me so it’s hard to answer what was the toughest because each one on its own they have different different parts of it this is a wide brush question here but like
These are a lot of great historical Hall of Fame names that we’re talking about here Bobby Clark Glenn sather lul amarello there’s a lot of hockey history in those names um how has the representation business changed since since you were sitting across from Glenn sather and sitting across from Bobby
Clark how’s it different now Lewis you know it’s that’s a great question I think because of the cap it’s become more numerical maybe that a better understanding of numbers now is even more important than it was before because of the different information available on taxation in different
Locals um it’s become much more of a statistical Financial numerical negotiation other factors are going into this okay and I think that you need to understand the cap you need to understand percentage of the cap where the cap might be going what are the net dollars a player might receive based on
The Taxation and where he’s going to play and how are we going to fit him within the cap and you know it’s um when there was no cap they pay what they want to pay so it made it a little bit easier and now both sides really need to
Work within the framework of what the CBA tells us we can do listen you know Johnny gdo people forget had to sit out you know on his first big contract coming after his his entry level deal because he was a 102c and 102 C’s are tough because they don’t have any rights
And the team would want to obviously take advantage of that but you know you also want to present to the team listen he left school that helped you so he left to help your organization and had he stayed you know he could have maybe stayed four years
And been a unrestricted free agent so yes he’s a 102c but why are we holding that against him he actually helped you by leaving school so those are still part of these negotiations but so much more of it is more statistic base I mean the people here in my office like Jamie
Who I know you know Elliot she spends a lot of her days doing statistical analysis for me and who’s our comp where does our comps fit in and things along those lines um to that end you know you you know one of the conversations here in Toronto nobody takes a discount and
That’s one of the things that you know the CBA is a divisive thing if one player gets a dollar another player can’t get a dollar so you know how do you manage all of that with all your different clients and the pressures that star players especially have to take to
Take less for the team you know it’s always fine to take less for the team if there’s going to be a complete no move in that contract you can’t ask someone to take less and then he finds he’s traded because that doesn’t seem to really make sense to me okay so why a
Player take less um why is it the players you know responsibility to manage the team’s cap okay I’m not sure I really have ever bought into that argument that someone should take less for the better of the team it’s I just I don’t I don’t agree
With that argument at all to be honest with you and I’m not saying that the player should get more than he’s worth but why should he take less he should get what he’s worth how often how often have you had that conversation with players because we’ve heard you know uh other
Players say look I’m happy to shave a little bit off my deal because it’s going to leave some flexibility for the general manager I’m making a good number I’m still happy with this like how often do you have the these types of conversations with your clients uh quite
A bit I mean I can name at least a dozen times recently to have those conversations and usually what it comes down to are two factors the player wants to win so he wants to be with an organization where he can win a Stanley Cup or second because he’s in
A place he really is Happy playing they win his family’s happy he wants to remain where he is he’ll take less to stay where he is and there’s nothing wrong with that whatsoever and that’s a family decision I support it 100% do you think leis I’ve been told that hockey
Players are changing that this generation is different do you see that yes and I think a big part of it is asan’s faults to tell you the truth um when I started doing this we were our Focus was always College hockey and we recruited players in college most of
Which were drafted or were sophomores maybe Juniors or seniors okay and you’re talking about a 19 20 21 year old hockey player when you start to recruit players who were 15 16 14 um I don’t think that’s healthy I don’t think it’s I don’t think the kid
Realizes that you’re so far from playing and just because you have an agent that doesn’t mean anything or an advisor or whatever you want to call us um get better you know mature grow up as a person you know a lot can change here and I think one of the problems is where
These players are being told at a very young age how good they are and I think that’s not always the healthiest thing so the the challenge there is you know you want you’re in a competitive business I honestly believe in sports agenting is the most competitive business and more than
Anything else and so you want to build up your Client List you want your business to do well do you do you talk to those 14 15 year olds or do you avoid it well I don’t think we have a choice Elliot um I did try to avoid it for a
While um and you know you can stand on your soap box and not get clients but that’s doesn’t usually lend itself to a business growing so you don’t have really much of a choice okay you know it’s it’s just the nature of the business today and if we don’t get in on
Those meetings someone else is going to get the player and that’s the only product we have here it’s the only way our firm can grow and get revenue is to get more players so we have to enter that Arena and go after those players because we don’t really have a choice do
I think it’s the best thing no I do not think it’s the best thing and the other thing that goes along with recruiting someone so young and listen I have three kids of my own you take on a 15-year-old you need to take on their parents as well because
It’s it’s only 15 so now you’ve introduced the family into this business as well at a very young age and it’s competitive enough for these kids you know remember there’s what 650 jobs in the NHL you know it’s not easy to play in that league and it’s I just think that’s
Become a little bit of an issue in this hockey right now give us a sense are all of our listeners a sense of outside of the money like you mentioned and we all know this is a this is a cap system there’s a a Max that a player can make
20% uh rookies are capped as well and this is a multicap league as we know outside of the money the contract all of that what do you find is most important to players I mean certainly Stanley Cup is a given but outside of those things what’s most important to players well
You you said most important is winning okay I mean that’s number one I mean any player sees the money he can make he can’t spend that in his lifetime he just can’t okay so he wants to win he also wants to be in an environment where his
Family if he’s married will be happy you know where the families are treated well the kids are in a good place maybe there’s hockey for the kids that’s important the organization is very important the coaching the general manager all that does Factor in and the team itself the interaction with the
Teammates is the the wives get along all of that really does go into it obviously the coaching a huge part of it okay so there’s a lot of factors that come into play here cost of housing um just there’s a tremendous amount of factors that can can go into this list of what’s
Important to a player what is why once said to me you wouldn’t believe some of the calls I get what is the I don’t know if craziest or wildest or strangest but what is one call that you got that you looked at your phone and said I can’t
Believe I’m dealing with this right now I would have to think about that one because there’s been plenty um you know I I get a kick out of to tell you the truth what I get a kick out of now is the call where somebody got cut could be
From the AHL to the east coast League the East Coast League out and they say I don’t understand this I was the best guy in Camp and I always say to myself if you’re the best guy in Camp you would have gotten cut because the coach wants
To move ahead the team wants to win put people in the stands if you really believe that you got to rethink re change your thinking here a little bit because you were not the best guy because if you were you would still be there okay we’ll find you somewhere else
To go I promise you we’ll get you on a different team but you can’t really think you were the best guy in Camp how are those conversations received leis Now That I’m Older um I probably don’t care as much okay because I have to stay what I feel um sure they’re not always
Perceived very well okay um but it’s you know listen part of your job is an agent is hopefully to help these players you know learn to mature and take advantage of this small window but I say it all the time there is life after hockey this
Ends at 35 you’re lucky maybe a few years longer what are we do what are you doing next because there’s not many guys who sit home doing nothing so so who are the after hockey success stories well there’s so many I me look at Craig Conway now I’m so happy for him as
General manager represented Craig throughout his career I mean Marty St Louie I mean I said it aund times I am so blessed to be a part of Marty St Louis career um you know it’s an agent dream you know I remember seeing him at the University of Vermont I remember
Nobody would even offer him a try out and now he’s coaching the Montreal Canadians I mean it’s just it’s the ride of a lifetime Aaron Miller who was a great defenseman in the NHL for a long time I think he owns close to 10 Buffalo Wild Wings right now okay um I’m you
Know I couldn’t be any happier for Aaron do you get free wings out of that does he does he send you free wings no you don’t obviously you don’t know Aaron um you know someone like Mike Keane who I represented that he gets to live in
Winnipeg which he loves and work for the Jets who he loves um how great is that and he’s so happy doing that so some of guys do stuff in hockey some guys do stuff you know outside of hockey but at the end of the day they’re just doing
Things that they love and you know we don’t lose touch with them uh it’s it’s just it’s great to see it it really is great to see it leis I I’m curious about a um ethics question um we’ve seen players leave agents before um you know that that that continues
Um but I’m always curious about players actions and is there anything that a player could do that would lead you to drop him as a client I think I have to say yes to that um and I would never give names but we have had experiences here like that and
Uh I don’t think anyone in life should work for free and I think that if you’re not going to pay us that’s not going to last here for me okay um so listen I’m you don’t have the respect for this firm and what we do for
You and the way we try to battle for you and you’re going to not want to pay us or pay us what we charge our players then you should find somebody else to represent you my time’s too valuable okay so um and and on the other hand you
Know there’s been players of ours who have gotten in trouble and we will stand right by them okay we will fight for them and we don’t just fight for them on their contract we we fight for them in anything that we they have are involved in and they need our support we’re we’re
Going to be right there for them and that’s my personality and I think it’s everybody here’s personality as well you know it’s um Mark to works for me here he’s a certified agent and and Mark really fights hard for his players on a sometimes he’ll do an AHL contract
He’s really fighting for that player to get every last dollar that he thinks is right for that player or to make convince the team to give him an opportunity and you know listen the guy in the minor leagues is not paying us a ton of money we just fight equally as
Hard for those players and that’s that’s what I believe in and I it’s great to watch people here doing it tell you the truth uh I did want to ask you about a couple of your NHL situations first of all Shane Pinto very unique situation this year 41 game suspension for
Gambling in the middle of or in the middle of everything um I know there’s a limit on what you’re allowed to say about this but how much can you walk us through this situation when you get informed um who you get advice from I I I can’t imagine this was something you
Really were an expert about and just basically how you had to go through it with the NHL The Players Association and the Senators well you’re right Elliot there’s there’s a lot of confidentiality here so I’m really not at Liberty to say very much but um you know knowing Shane and obviously
Lord knows I’ve gotten to no Shane a hell of a lot better through all of this um supporting him was the most important thing okay and letting him know because as tough as this was you know for everyone to read imagine his age what he’s dealing with okay and you know he
Needed to know that he people were there for him and believed in him and we’ve all done things in our life you know I’m not going to say they were mistakes or whatever but life does go on okay and things you learn from things and um we’ll get through this and it’s almost
Over here thank God and he’ll have a long career because he’s a hell of a hockey player and he’ll learn from it and um he’ll learn the business side of this thing and he got a chance to sit down with the NHL and he got to see the
Workings of the nhlpa and he got to see his agency being by his side and you know um it was a rough summer for this kid okay as rough as I’ve seen in a lot of instances it started because the Senators had no cap space and you know
The Senators couldn’t sign him because there was no space it wasn’t as if we were millions and millions of dollars apart there was literally no space to sign him and to have signed him and used the 10% cushion that they could have would have made it difficult for them to
Make a trade they would have felt handcuffed okay and we respected that and we talked about it and we kept waiting for the trade to happen waiting for the trade to happen but it went from that to the gambling it was a long summer and he’s very young and there’s not you know
Willie went through to this December 1st and the respect I have for Willie is enormous the respect I have for Shane Pinto because this has been one hell of a summer for this kid and fall and winter did you ever worry that his career was over no I did that he wasn’t
Going to be able to play in the NHL okay it never got to that it never crossed my mind once okay because there were some rumors that he could be hit with a significant suspension once this started to break before the season that never That Never Was A worry never was a
Worry to me okay okay um mhm um is there any contract update that you can give on him well he’s hopefully all things knock on wood he’s going to be playing on the 21st so between now and the 21st the contract will be worked out okay I want to ask
You about San another strong season I have heard and mentioned on this podcast I believe the Bruins want to get a long-term extension done I know how much teams love it when you negotiate on podcasts where does that stand right now so why even asked the question
Ell because my because the Bruins fans are going to kill me if I don’t okay uh Jeremy loves Boston Jeremy loves being a bruin it’s a great organization um he’s a great young Goenda and um he’s equally as good off the ice he has time for everybody we went to watch uh main play beu and I think it took us almost 30 minutes to get out of the building stopping not just signing autographs talking to people okay he actually is such an incredible young man
And I know the Bruins know that um and we’re going to hopefully work out a deal that everybody’s going to be happy with well listen we appreciate this conversation lisis thanks so much for being so candid we appreciate it all right thanks for having me guys I
Appreciate it how great was that uh really want to thank LS gross for stopping by the podcast a really thorough interview uh I thought that as as much as an agent can give in an interview about one of his clients Lewis gross certainly did so we thank him for
That uh and that’s it for the podcast for this week uh we re join you again at your regularly scheduled Monday morning morning drop enjoy the hockey on the weekend we’ll talk early next week
23 Comments
The process behind Nylander's Extension:
Leafs: How much you want?
Nylander: How about 11.5M x 8? No move clause too.
Leafs: Done.
until you prove your worth 11.5 m
you are worth 5.75 m
Re: Ottawa, I knew they wouldn't be as good as pundits and insiders were saying. I didn't realize they'd be this level of bad. Sure, they have 4-5 games in hand on most of the league, but they're 30th out of 32, and that's not something I foresaw in September.
wade belak
Wtf has Nylander ever done ?? Win a cup? Win scoring title ?? Leave it to the bums in Toronto to over pay the biggest bum on earth smh !! City is nasty cesspool of immigrants !! Change the city and maybe you will win cuz who ever runs the Leafs is a joke of a man !! Shannahan is bum , keef couldn't coach a jail team , threliving is as stupid as the come !! Toronto cesspool is the teams new name !! We over pay bums
Player/outside fans can't criticize the flailing teams for having recognized the talented/skilled players, especially for drafting them. If players don't want to play for team, sure thats their, that's THEIR choice, but that team recognized the skill/ability of players. When the loss of that high end talent/skill and suddenly year-after-year of dog team, without recognizing why/how they became dog team. Now, with rule changes, dog team drafts high end talent 5 years in a row, and none of the high end talent want to play for dog-team. Players, even though its their choice, can cause it, and now its year 6. Too bad?
maybe that 5 year rule, s/b changed so as to accommodate those teams who do draft high end talent in 5 years, can sign those high end talent within that 5 years.
How can you beleive anything an agent says? Ruthless blood-sucking self-interested money sniffing fiends
Why would someone take less, that means the agent takes less. STFU Louis
as a flyers fan sure I'm more than disappointed that William (aka, Quitter Gauthier) is not coming to the Flyers — especially after he told the Flyers before the draft and at the draft how he was, "born to be a Flyer". That said, Gauthier certainly entitled to renege on his word but Gauthier absolutely owed the Flyers the decency of sitting down and talking with them face -to-face, especially given this was a new management team. Not acknowledging or responding to the Flyers shows an incredible lack of decency. Think the kid is just a wee bit spoiled and immature and in desperate need of some growing up – even for someone his age. All that said, sure he will be an incredible talent but as echoed by the Flyers, especially after they got their "room" cleaned up, if someone doesn't want to be a Flyer then, "see ya!" Getting Jamie Drysdale and a second rounder was a job well done y Briere.
He managed to convince the Leaf's management that he's worth more than Pastrnak LMAO a 61g/113 PTS player. Leaf's keep getting hosed over and over. Nylander was worth 9.5 to 10.5m MAX.
I think the Leafs have destroyed all possible chances of competing in the postseason.
The process is simple, continue to overpay players and keep your team starved of depth for the next 100 years.
Why would he have gone anywhere else when Toronto was always going to give him the most money?
i'd love to see the research to support a career well under a point per game, 1 time 80p (in 8 seasons) winger being worth 11.5M.
leafs fans going into that negotiation: this is a 9M winger, if the apocalypse hits he might get 10.5 cuz they overpay everyone. he got 11.5….
so the leafs are going to be icing literal pylons on defence and the 4th line here on out.
If you're listening to this right now and are not directly involved with Nylander or receiving paychecks from the NHL, please find something meaningful to do with your life
4 Nations Challenge Cup
It all started with dubas. Cap going up or not, he knew the calibre of forward prospects the leafs had up front, and he knew their future was in good hands. Then his ego got in the way, and he took a franchise altering swing at winning before their entry level contracts ran out and signed Tavares to 11m. Unfortunately they didn’t win, and over time he became their 4th best player behind Matthews, marner ,and nylander. who all use the 11m and Tavares’s value as their benchmark in negotiation. It’s a massive mismanagement of elite homegrown prospects that should be studied as an example of what not to do when building a team in the modern nhl.
1 thought….. he is home and it is what it is. you two dummies get your estates plowed
Fantastic interview with agent Gross. Really a nice eye opener
My God the interruptions with commercials every few minutes is over the top
Leafs dads can pay for their own trip next ye at they keep costing the leafs
“I think we all just believe in what we believe in” they believe in getting paid 💸💸💸
Nylander doesn't want to go anywhere else but if Leafs didn't give him $11.5 x 8 he'd have no choice but to leave? Whenever we hear about other players wanting to stay in a team the deal is always much more team friendly. On the Leafs, nothing makes sense.