Grant and Danny
John Carlson Joins G&D To Preview The Caps Season
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue, and guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance too, with the name of your price tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance, and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, price and coverage match limited by state law. To talk about the Capitol's 16th year defenseman, John Carlson helps us kick off the beltway blitz. John, plenty of new faces. The first spending spree of an off season in years. Is there exciting times as you guys get ready to celebrate 50 years on Thursday night, and begin the year on Saturday evening at Capitol One Arena? Yeah, definitely a different type of year coming into the season than I've been accustomed to. I think ever since I've been here, we've kind of been a status quo team, maybe adding a guy or two here or there. But this was definitely the biggest change over, turn around, whatever you want to call it. I'm just real excited. I think we created a good foundation last year, and I hope with these new additions that I really feel like we're going to make a huge difference in our success on the ice. Play like they can. I think we're going to be a good team this year. What do you think is going to be the biggest difference this coming year, John, versus maybe the last couple of years? I think we're just a little, I don't want to say inexperienced, but a little younger guys just kind of trying to find their footing, trying to find more enhanced roles. I think guys did well with those roles, but obviously it's tough in this league to just come in as a young guy and all of a sudden be a first line center or second line center or a 30-40 goal scorer. I think now we've got a little bit more of an infusion of middle of the age gap kind of guys that have been through it a little bit, have had great years, have had years of success and kind of blending those with our young guys that are due for a big step forward as well. I think that's kind of, and also I think just starting out this way, I think the year last year kind of progressed in different ways than anyone kind of anticipated, per se. And so this year is more, I would say, normal from start to finish, hopefully. John, I won't make you go through all of the new faces. Frankly, we don't have enough time. And give us thoughts. But offensively, Manji Apani and Pierre-Luc Dubois and adding a guy like Taylor Radish on the back end, Brandon Duhaim in the fourth line, that's exciting. But defensively, the guys, you're going to be skating with at different points. Presumably Jacob Chickren, a good bit of the time. Matt Roy and Martin Farivari, another line. What do you make of the two veteran defensemen that have come in here? I'm really excited about the group that's been built on the blue line. Oh yeah, I think Chickren is going to be a great addition. I think he's got some real flash to his game, some speed, some nifty hands, and he'll make a lot of great plays this year. And Manji Roy is just like, you're the guy that you just wish you could be. He's just a great player all around. He can do everything really great. And one of those guys, maybe you're not going to be on the highlight reel every single night, but when you're in the arena watching him, you're like, he hasn't made a bad play in 10 games. He's like that type of player and quality guys as well them too. And I think they're going to add to it. I think, you know, and then like the guys who set up front, I think you're going to see a different game, a different style of play. I think we got a lot more Swiss army knife this year that can kind of mold into different lines and different combinations that will score us a lot more goals hopefully. John Carlson with us here on G and D. How about Jacob Rana coming back and making the team cool story, huh? Yeah, yeah, no, it's a crazy story. I'm proud of him. I know, you know, after the contract talk to him and talk to him today, it's it's great to see you. You always root for a guy like that that you have so much connection to and feel like, you know, obviously, I know I'm very well. And but you're just rooting for those kind of guys that get it back on the rails and are clearly still as talented as when they left and, you know, hungry to to prove people wrong. And I think that's where he is. He's a great kid. He brings, he brings a smile to the rink every single day. And I just love seeing him there. John Carlson of the capitals with us on Grant and Danny, they're getting ready to open their season Saturday night at Capitol One Arena. More urgently though, this week on Thursday, we're actually going to be out at Capitol One Arena for a really neat event that the team has put together. They're celebrating 50 years of caps hockey in the nation's capital, caps 50 fest. It starts on Thursday at five p.m. A lot of players past and president are going to be participating. There's events going on on stage and activations in the concourse. There's a third eye blind concert. It's going to be amazing. What do you make of the party that the caps are throwing here in a couple of days? I think it's fantastic. I think that, you know, looking back on my career and how long I've been here and how long the team has been, it's pretty cool. And this event seems like the first class all the way around. I think it'll be exciting. I think as fans, you know, the type of conversations that will happen, the interviews and whatnot will be fantastic. Hopefully some good jokes, some good stories from players past and present and just, you know, seeing the Stanley Cup again, having a great concert and having a lot of, you know, kids activities for the younger ones too. I think it'll be all the way around a fantastic event. You're good. Got to ask about this because I'm doing some rough back in the napkin math here. Just under a third of all cap seasons included John Carlson, right? If you go to 50 and this will be your 16th year. So you've seen a lot of change in a lot of different things. Just reflect on, you know, where this organization was when you first got here, where it is now, you can, you know, weave in something about Ovechkin trying to break the unbreakable record here with Gretzky. It's just kind of cool that this is a nice milestone moment and it's fun to look back. I definitely think it is. And I kind of go back to like maybe I was a young buck at the time. A few years then, everyone was like, Oh my God, the caps are coming out with all this different, you know, stuff, you know, with 74 on it, sweatshirts and wearing just jerseys and stuff. I was like, now the team was, you know, founded in 1974. That's not has nothing to do with me. But yeah, it's 50 years a long time. I think since I've been here, obviously the ownership has been rock solid and committed to winning. And that's why you've seen such a great product on the ice and the players that they've picked over the years, obviously from management have been spectacular and brought a Stanley Cup to DC, which was fantastic. And yeah, I think just it starts at the top and kind of trickles down. And we've had a lot of camaraderie, a lot of continuity over the years within the organization. And you see that with like events like this and who the guys that are coming back and how much, how much it means to them to be a part of something like this to celebrate the organization and specifically, Ovi, how much he's meant to, you know, not just the organization, but the greater DC area and how, you know, he made non hockey fans, you know, crazy for hockey and kids that just love the game now and are playing at that record highs. I think it's all the way around a fantastic time to celebrate 50 years of hockey in DC. Speaking of Ovi, he needs 42 goals, Carly. You're going to get it this year? I always, I always try to pick a different number every time I get at this question. I usually try to go with like, you know, kind of one before, you know, maybe 41, 42, tie it up. I'm going to go with 43, I think. If anything I've learned from this guy is to never count him out and certainly he's going to need a good start to get there. But I'm just like everyone else rooting for that to happen this year. John Carlson with us on G and D, you were also talking about your work in the community. What's so with the league that you started? I believe you got some youngsters playing hockey before they even get out on the ice now. Yeah, so it's John Carlson Street hockey league. It's just the, you know, right now it's just in DC, but we're going to be looking to move it into different places for kids that either have the hockey bug or learning hockey. I think it's a great way, like I did, living in New Jersey when there's not not that many ranks available at any time and how close they are to people that just start outside. And I think it's a fantastic exercise. I think kids love it. My kids do it. It's fantastic for, you know, just grabbing a few buddies and making your own team kind of intermurely in terms of the commitment level, which in a world of crazy sports for young kids, it's nice to have something that's kind of freewheeling and fun for them. And I'm just excited to have another thing in the community to deal with the kids and have some fun and hopefully make some more hockey fans. Johnny got a sneak one in here over your 16 years. It hadn't happened real often where the football team is any good. And they're off to kind of a roaring start, which is really unusual for us. We kind of don't know what to do with our hands. What do you make of it? Well, yeah, it's kind of ironic. You guys know I'm a Patriots fan. So I've been through our whole relationship been really high on my team and in rooting for obviously I've always rooted for the football team in Washington as well. So, yeah, it's fantastic start to the season. I think it looks like the division is not as strong maybe as the anticipated two and what's not to love about the commanders right now. Yeah, it's good vibes. Good times in town as you guys start your season Saturday night at home against the doubles. John, we appreciate you, man. Thanks so much. It's great having you back on the show and looking forward to another fun and entertaining season of of caps hockey. Thank you guys, it's nice to be back with you.