And that's going to be it. All right, let's see if we can figure out what's going on. We've got to dance around this a little. Let's get into it, Jesse. You know, I've talked a lot about it this week in terms of what happens with this core. What do you think happens with this core in terms of moving on. Keith felt like a necessary domino to fall. I don't think it can be the only one. I was of the opinion, especially as they went a couple days without the announcement, that I was wondering and not that I would have been, I would have signed up for this necessarily. But I was wondering if the thought process was, hmm, if we trade Marner, let's just throw him in there, if we trade Marner and then pieces change and whether Tavares is here, maybe there's a change at captain, is that enough of a change with Sheldon Keefe? I wondered if that was the route there they took, obviously, not the case. So what do you think has to happen now, aside from Keith? Again, you know, you feel he had to go. You feel he didn't have to go. I think people have their mileage on that. I think even the people with the staunches defenders of him understood that it had kind of run its course. I'll loop myself in there. What has to happen now? Yeah, well, I think what has to happen and what will happen are two very different things. I think in a perfect world you can move on from Mitch Marner and John Tavares. But John Tavares is even if you have the looming threat of taking the COA, I think that is an immovable contract pretty much anyway, you slice it. I don't think there's anyone that will take that. Well, so here's the thing. I think a lot of people thought the same of 11 million bucks, but if you retain, and hey, you retain, you're still moving on from upwards of $4 or $5 million of that contract, potentially, all of a sudden, a team is acquiring a $60.4 million, $5 million center, and I do think that that's something, I don't think this is the John Tavares sweepstakes and you're getting an incredible return, but I don't think it's to a point where you're attaching assets to get rid of the player or it's just a, you know, throw us a late round pick and we'll kind of call it a day. I do think they could potential. I don't know how impossible that one will be to move. Yeah, so, okay, so say you try and do that. Is that going to be enough? Do you think it's adequate or reasonable to run back the core once again with yet another coach and try that there? And the answer, I believe, would be no. I think the marner conversation needs to be had. I think you do need to go in there and say, look, is this the best avenue for you? Is this the best thing for your future? We are not going to resign you at the number that you want. So I think it is best for both parties if we go our separate ways. I think that is a reality. But I do think what's going to happen is they're going to look at the free agent situation and say, look, marner's gone 25, 26, 24, 25 is next year. You have the four core guys making over $10 million. And I really do believe that there is a chance here where they just say, we're going to try it one more time. We know that those contracts are done in a year and maybe Tavares can resign on a $4 million deal or $5 million. And I really think there's a chance that they try once again and think that just with a new coach alone, with a new coach, a new voice, a new structure, a new process, that that will be the change that is needed. And I really think that is a decision that fans will look at and say that is not even close to enough. I do think marner and Tavares need to be approached and you need to have the conversation. Yeah, you need to. I think you need to. I think the reason why and you can do it. Neither order you want. You can go have your conversations and then not bring it to them until there's something worth bringing to them. But I think you just have to have the option to be flexible. You know, I've been someone who's been a believer that you could spend a bunch of money upfront. Now I have, I feel very differently about it when you're getting what you get out of John Tavares for that money now. I think that is what has most changed the equation for me. I also have my questions about, you know, what you get out of Mitch Marner at playoff time, just with the style of play there. But I think shooting the slot when you have the puck. Well, that but it's also it's just the he is a he is a creative player that loves to find time and space. And hey, if you can find it, that's great. But it just disappears in the playoffs. We see it when Nick Robertson, quite frankly, Nick Robertson is an elite player when he has the space to get a shot off. He just can't find the space. Can't find the time to get it off. So I think that that's why you you look at those two guys this way. I don't think it is a certainty that both of them or even one of them is gone to your point. I think the only way that the marner thing plays out that way, though, is if he just says, I'm not doing it. He goes full Leo from Wolf of Wall Street. I'm not leaving. They want to get rid of me and I'm not leaving. Now, there's been a lot of talk about you just have to move on. You have to move on. Is there any world where Mitch Marner and it would have to be him wanting to? I guess the question but ask is is there any world where Mitch Marner wants to be a leaf so bad he is able to or willing to offer them a deal that they look at and say, Well, okay, we can't we as much as frustrated as we can be like Mitch Marner's not signing eight times eight or something like that. But I think if he came to them with that, the Leafs would have to go. Oh my God. Okay. We kind of have to do this. This is way too good of value for the player again. That's that's not happening. But is there because that has been my long belief with the Marner thing is that is his ultimate way to get back in or cement his place with the fan bases to say, Hey, it's eight years on a team friendly deal. But I think people look at that is like the deal he's on now. If you just read up for 11, that ain't happening either. So I think that's the other thing that I keep coming back to is I don't know that there's a world where Marner can say, Okay, I'm going to do this to get back in the good graces. The other thing is is that this is Mitch Marner's chance to ring the bell. You know, he can heal. He's 26. He'll be 27. He'll have a chance at one more. But this is the big contract. He wants to make his money for that. Yeah, there's no progress. I don't progress. No, yeah, there's no chance that he comes to the Leafs and says, Hey, I'll make even what I'm making right now. He is you know that he is going to try and get every single penny. And I think in the Leafs situation, even if Mitch Marner walks for nothing. No, that can't happen. That can't that you that you have to if that the only way that Mitch Marner should be walking for nothing is if he flat out refuses, he says, there's not one place on the God's green earth that I will. He has a no move clause. He can do that. Well, that's but then if that happens, the Leafs have to put that out there. And then this is where the how much hard ball do they want to play? Yes. Because the thing that Mitch Marner values the most about being a leaf is yes, being a leaf and how but it's the public perception. It's what he wants. He wants to be. He said it. I didn't even get mad at him like everybody else did, although I feel like we've all retro actually got unmeditive about this. The like God's comment. It's because he wants to be here. He wants to be like a God and I can easily see a world where he says, yeah, I don't I don't want to do it. I want to tough this thing out. I want to go put up 35 points in a deep playoff run next year. And then you got to give me eight times 100. I think that that's what he wants to do. But if that happens, I wonder how much hard ball do the Leafs want to play in terms of leaking that stuff out and saying, hey, this is a guy who doesn't want to. I mean, what's best for the team that's trying to trade him? So how much did he do for them? But that's that's the thing with that it would have to come down to is them saying, Hey, we tried. We wanted to. There's teams that have been knocking at the door offering us fair deals. Who knows if that'll be true or not, because the no move of it all. But that and I just wonder it goes back to Sheldon Keith. They didn't want to be hyper critical with the player. Are they going to want to be hyper critical in albeit a very different way? Is there a world? Okay. See, it seems like I feel like I know the answer to this. But so you don't think if Mishmar plays out the string this year, if they'd elect to keep the band together and Tavares and Marner are both expiring in here and that is $21 million or $22 million coming off the books. Is there no scenario where they leave for nothing that actually ends up being a decent thing where you have $22 million to spend on whatever you want and you're not then tied to whatever's coming back in a trade if you lose that trade. The two the getting the gaining of $22 million a cap space of course is a good thing. But this franchise and specifically the fan base has not got over losing Zach Hyman for nothing. And I know he's now like 50, 60 goal is that I've been never stopped scoring in the play off. But I I think I just do not think you can allow that player to walk for nothing. I think that this is all the cat most game that's going to happen is they're going to be teams that know, hey, how big is Marner's again, it all comes down to if he's asked to move, is it three teams that he's willing to go to? Is it five? Does it depend on what the financials look like? I think that is all the fascinating thing like the the cryptic reports and interviews with insiders between now and the the draft are going to be incredible to kind of follow yeah from from this team. It does it's so interesting to me like it does feel at this current point right now that the situation with Marner and the fan base is so toxic that even if he is traded for something that's not a great return, fans in the moment will be like, hey, you know what, at least Marner's gone. So I so I kind of was wondering about that. And I was looking at the teams that that, you know, did poorly this year ended up with top five top 10 picks in the draft because if you're going, if the idea of trading Marner is and you're not trading him for nothing let me get out of the way out of that. This is not a just clear them off the books. Let them go to wherever he wants. No, you're getting something in return for the 100 point, 100 point player. But I think that when you when you look at what you what you have from the player there, it just hasn't been enough to kind of get you into where you need to go. And I think that's where the frustrating part of this all all kind of lies. I can't wait to hear them get asked about again 10 30 will have it for you on the network today. Tra living, Shanahan and Pelly. Obviously they'll get asked about about a new head coach. We did we do have some other series on the go in the NHL kind of quickly quickly touch on him here. Hurricanes looked like they found life. Instead, they just found a very, very good goalie on the other end in Igor Shasturkin. He's back to his old self felt like he had a little blip this year where maybe he wasn't that guy. I've heard this before playoffs or all the matters who cares what you've what you've done in January. I feel like I've heard that said once or twice over time winner for them Rangers refused to lose have not lost yet. Does this change how you feel about the Rangers? I think we all looked at them as presidents trophy champs saying, Hey, that's no, no one's going to sit here and say the Rangers are a bad team. I think we all had respect for the Rangers. But we certainly had questions as well about what they were. They certainly didn't feel like last year's presidents trophy behemoth Boston Bruins had that go for them in the first round by by the way. But now seven and oh and the playoffs have a chance to sweep a second straight series a little different doing this against the hurricanes than it was against caps and round one. Yeah, I just think that the margins are so thin in the NHL that when you look at the series and you're like, Oh, goodness, like if you're just if you haven't tuned into the games and you see the Rangers are up three now, they're going to Carolina Hurricanes. They're like, Oh, my goodness. Rangers are wagging. And yes, they are seven and no in the playoffs. So it is really impressive. But it just underscores how thin the margins are in the National Hockey League playoffs. Like the hurricanes and Rangers are so close that this series could be two one either way, three nothing. And it's just it. I'm not sure I feel any better about the Rangers necessarily. It just shows how close the Hurricanes and Rangers are to me like even in the West, the Dallas stars and the Colorado Radlands, the abs are coming back the game busters in every single game year. It's always close. Every game is close. And it's it's just related back to the Leafs. Everything does. That is why you sort of you gave it so many opportunities to try and get over the hump with this team. It's because like, oh, bounce here, bounce there. Things can happen. There's the butterfly effect. Things can change. And yet. After a certain amount of time, you finally have to do break up the band. But in this situation, it's like, man, these games are so close. Yeah, incredibly, incredibly tight. I mean, yeah, you got, I mean, you got Ottinger and Dallas. You got Shrister can do him what he's doing for the Rangers. I think that's that was my kind of biggest takeaway is that. And again, to make everything about the Leafs and they were just a goalie away. But I don't know the have that guy make him 54 saves a night. It certainly goes your way. And look, the Leafs didn't lose because Joe Wall or Samson over no good. But a couple goals here or there certainly are talking about a different series. But, you know, they also haven't swept away their opponents now. I think a first round series against the caps might have gone a little differently for the Leafs than the one against Boston did. The games we the games are going to see tonight, Oilers and Canucks. That is a that's fun series. We love a little panic setting in in Edmonton there. We talk a lot about the marner contract what's going on there now. Obviously very different scenario in that there is a clear one to in Edmonton where it seems in Toronto there's a one. And then usually marners the two, but now Neelander's passed him and what's going to happen. Dry saddle, if he wants his money there, he's going to get it. But he's doing a massive race. This is a guy that makes eight million bucks or eight and a half whatever it is on the last year of his deal or it's about to be the last year of his deal just like marner. He's due for an extension. As long as dry saddle and McDavid have skates on and there were no other uniforms. This is when now time for them, but I don't know how much longer dry saddles going to be there. I mean, you cannot guarantee it. The team's going to look differently when you have to pay him basically a middle six wingers more. You're going to have to give him like a five million dollar raise. The team's just going to look different once his next deal kicks in. I love me a little panic in Edmonton. Yeah, there's no doubt. This I think it's really interesting about Leon dry saddles that yes, he's he's a phenomenal hockey player and the goal totals are insane. But if you look at the even strength goals, this season, he's not even close. He's like 56. Yeah, it's unbelievable. Power play merchant he is. He is. Well, at least this year, he's been a power play merchant just the McDavid having no shots in that hockey game in a game where, you know, they have the lead. They have the four one lead and you start to wonder like, is that a game that you would like to see Conor McDavid be the one who just finally seals it and there was just nothing he could do in that game. And I think the status. He's had three games in his career in the postseason where he's gone without a shot and two of them have come in this postseason. And that is a little bit of a worrying trend, I don't think for the Edmonton Oilers when you want to have the best player in the world being the best player in the world, especially in a going up against a really deep Vancouver Canucks team and the others might be without Leon dry saddle again tonight, which would be just a really tough blow coming off of that loss. I thought it was signed steel delivered at four one and what a scene in those problems. Oh my God. Like an unbelievable atmosphere in Vancouver and it's it's painful to have the lack of Canadian franchise success that we've had. Think back to what the Canadians of the last team to make the Stanley Cup final and then what 4,000 fans allowed in the building at that time. Fake final. Yeah. And you know, it's great to have them in the second round, the Canucks and the Oilers. It guarantees at least one in the conference final. But man, what a what a dearth of results for Canadian teams. I'm just going to clarify where I stand on the issue because I'm sensing a troubling thing for you. I just want to get you on the record here. You're not like you don't want you're not like cheering for a Canadian team to win the cup. Are you? You're like wanting like, Hey, these are our guys. Okay, like I can have them in the cup final. I gladly see one of those fan bases have their hearts ripped out in the cup final. I just I cannot live in a world where I have to watch Conor McDavid, the Hoistung Lord Stanley's mark. And I actually more importantly. Is that like a hot take so much more? No, it's not. We just like this is like a tenant of the show that you could take that take over to the CHFI studio for Canada's team in two weeks or whatever. So yeah, like I don't I don't think it's a hot take. I just think it's a it's actually like very lukewarm. I think there are certain I think certain fan bases that I wouldn't love to see when would you like to name them by chance fan base you're pretty in. Yeah, okay. Good job. Yeah, I'll say I'll say it louder. I do not want the Canucks to win. And if they get upset, maybe they could avoid burning their city to the ground this time. Sure. I'll just put it like that. But I like to see them right to the edge to where it might after. Sure. I don't want to see it happen again. And then I hope break in the final. Yeah, like civil unrest, generally speaking, not my thing. But I I kind of would like to see McDavid win. I would know like I do think hockey it is such a thing that the guys have to get one. But I and this is this is the worst of Brent Gunning coming out of me. But you know, we talk about the Leafs potentially open up like a lot of cap space and Conor McDavid's deal being up and I don't think he's ever going to leave Edmonton. But if he wins now, I have not been planted. I ever know I'm up two minds because I think if he wins there, it does allow him to leave. But I also think if he wins there, it means he never leaves. Yes, because I would decide with the latter. The other thing too is that if the Leafs were to win, he could never come home because he would never want to be seen. And hockey doesn't like work this way, but he would never want to be hockey's Kevin Durant. I think McDavid's enough of a sports fan to see. But I should probably say this before everyone everyone on the tech slide makes the jokes. The Leafs ain't winning the company time soon. So we don't need to worry about that. But yeah, that is the that's the thing I always think about is like, yeah, just all kind of falls apart and it never happens there. I don't know. Wing Gretsky never came. Maybe one day Connor does. But yeah, I don't know. It never it never leaves my mind when I'm watching. That's why you're so good at what you do. I don't know. That's like three that's like three level thinking. Yeah. Well, I have I definitely the second John Tavares signed his contract put two and two together that it was you'd need one more year of a placeholder. 12ish million dollar deal after Tavares to hold the whole McDavid spot there. But I don't know. I I tend to believe and I and I will say I, you know, I just obviously the best thing and I do think this the best thing for the game would be Connor McDavid to come home and be part of a dynasty that wins, you know, it's like a sit-esque run or something like that. That actually would be the best thing for the game. But if you can't have that, him being a great oiler and you have the linear grads game, blah, blah, blah, blah. That makes me sick. Two more years left on this deal after this year. I know. I can't I can't stop talking about it. Jay's there back in action tonight. Of course, as always, you can hear the game right here. Sportsnet 590 the fan starting up a series with the Twinkies. Not not much to mention out there. I think the one thing to be to be on a high alert for though is this fan base loves to get a ordinary about a trade that didn't go right. If one goes right, they're like, yeah, okay, fine. You trade it for Jose Barrios. Good for you. You almost don't get credit for that. Austin Martin, who is part of the Jose Barrios trade, he stinks, so you don't need to worry about him. Simeon Woods Richardson, who is the other part of that trade has been good. He's getting the ball. I think Saturday in this series. So that is something to watch for. If the Blue Jays have any of the juju that the Leafs have, Simeon Woods Richardson's going seven scoreless with like one hit and seven Ks or or something like that. And if this series doesn't go well, I could just see a little irksome fan base for that. Yeah, sure. Please. What percentage of the fan base do you think currently is aware that the watching Woods Richardson was part of that trade? They entered that smaller than you'd like to think. What? What percentage of the fan base do you think is hate watching the Blue Jays in the sense that they want things to be so bad that there are significant changes and what percentage is just a fan and rooting on their team? I think it's like 90 percent fan. Baseball is every day. You can you can be a football fan and go, all right, once a week, I am going to sit here and boo. I can't even say the Detroit Lions anymore. They're good. The Cleveland Brett. They're good too. What happened to our sad, sad franchises? I'm going to boo the New England Patriots because that's what I do. I think there is some element of that. But baseball, it's just it's it's every day. I don't have to deal a dose of pain. Yeah, you have to love it. At least a little. You have to hope. Maybe when we get to like when we get to August post deadline, I can easily see people going, no, make sure this is really bad. So there's no way to reverse course. I can totally see that too long. It's too arduous of of a of a grind. Yeah, it's interesting because I think once you get into like July and August, and the team is really bad, there's an apathy that sets in and you start, you're like, no, whatever. There's always next year. But it's still so early that I think there's an element of, well, you can still make the changes that need to happen to try and salvage the season. So I really do think there's like this level of urgency for now where people are tuning in to see like, hey, they can either turn it around here or things can get so bad so quickly that there will be significant changes must win game from Jesse Rubinoff at least. I think that's what I what I heard. I did want to did want to get the similar and talk to Anthony Petrelle. You get back to the Leafs. Talk about the Sheldon Keefe of it all, but some big news this morning. CBC with the report. So Kilmer Sports Group. This is the group that's headed by Larry Tanenbaum. Obviously, we understand his dealings with MLSE there. It looks like they will proceed to go ahead with a WNBA team starting play in 2026. There was some belief that this is why, you know, maybe Tanenbaum was looking and moving some of the MLSE shares. There was also a high profile Raptors exec that was kind of, you know, poached and I don't know if that's like has a negative connotation and they hired somebody from the Raptors. Theresa Raish, I believe, is a highly pronounced her name. She joined that and the belief was that somebody that important to the Raptors, you know, she's her own person. She can do what she wants, but wasn't going to leave for nothing. So I think a lot of people kind of connecting the dots there. The Caitlin Clark of it all. I wonder how much, you know, not that the league is built on one person, but I think the public perception of it kind of is right now. I wonder how much buzz there will still be around her in a couple of years time. So not next year, but May in 2026. I think that's the that's obviously the big name. You know, the league's hope would be that the interest in her kind of spurns others. But yeah, I think I think a lot of people would have would love the chance to go down and catch them some Caitlin Clark on a on a nice week. No doubt I would and you think that, you know, the impact that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese had on the women's NCAA tournament, like this, I think for the league, you're hoping this is just a start. Yeah. And you wonder, you know, the how all these things work with connections, be it in the city, be it in orgs, you know, the PWHL obviously having a home here as well, just, you know, to borrow a term from somebody else. Women's sports having a moment right now. So hey, good for Tana mom and good for the yet to be named because they haven't announced it so hard to name it. Well, I don't know. Maybe you could have a team name. I don't know. It's hard these days. Utah said we can't do it. Just can't do it. I'm curious to see what happens there. That announcement expected officially later this month, but CBC with the report today yesterday, not a report because the Leafs broke their own news. They didn't get scooped. Sheldon Keefe out as Leafs coach. What is next? What should they prioritize there? What went wrong for the Leafs? Maybe one last look back with that with Anthony Petreli may believe hot stove. He joins us next. We're halfway through fan morning show on sports net five nine of the fan. Unrivaled insight, analysis, and opinions on all things Blue Jays. Blair and Barker. Be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Fan morning, Sheldon. Frank Gunning, Jesse Rubenoff. Very, very rude to follow you to interrupt me and Jesse talking about buying golf clubs with making us do our job. I don't know. Like it's Friday. We're just trying to relax. I was talking about my grip change earlier on. Good job scheduling by our boss, Ryan Fabro. Ben was in here as he is, you know, like every day because it's his show. His name's like even first on it. And again, he sits in the power chair according to Francesa, but he listens to me opine on golf every day. And then when he's not here, you're here and you love to listen to me. Yabaran about golf as well. Yeah. We were just talking about, you know, everyone has an issue with their golf swing. And then you go and get new clubs and, you know, if you get fitted or whatever, you have some compensation with that club. And then I don't know, I'm nuts. I go out there every day. Every time I go golf, I look, my swing changes, like five different times throughout the round. You know, how am I going to get fitted for something? You're not. I'm overcompensating with something. And then my swing changes by the third hole of that day. It's like, what am I doing? So it just gives me anxiety buying new clubs. Basically is a point. I have anxiety hearing all that. But again, I'm an open sounding board happy to hear it at all times. The jokes right themselves. Yes. We're talking about golf and now we're going to transition to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Didn't even do it on purpose. It's just I am who I am. Very, very happy to welcome in our first guest of the day, Anthony Petreli writer of Leafs notebook every Monday on Maple Leafs hot stove. Anthony, have love get you on all season long. Thanks so much for jumping in with us today. How you doing, man? I'm good. Thanks for having me on. I really appreciate it. So again, I will plug it one more time because I love it so much every Monday Leafs notebook. It is one of my one of my favorite pieces of the week. Before we look too far ahead, let's take a little time to to look back. What is the kind of biggest takeaway for you from this leaf season? I mean, you can make it as big or as small as you want. What's kind of your biggest biggest takeaway now that the year is complete here? That's that's a tough question actually. On the positive side, I would say I do think that they had some guys start to develop this year, which was a big positive. I think I think Matthew Knives was excellent in the playoffs. I think he's a one to be legitimately excited about and he looks like a future power forward, top six forward type player. That's great news. Obviously Simon Benoit and Bobby McMahon were great stories. It's unfortunate Bobby McMahon never had to play in the playoffs. But you know, they're both guys and they're mid to late 20s. They signed both to really cheap extensions. It's an exciting thing, you know, to have in place. Even Nick Robertson kind of took his opportunity and ran with it offensively, which was nice to see. You know, you finally started to make good, you know, going into this year and he had like three goals. It was three goals and something like 31 games or somewhere around there. So, you know, to see him pop 14 and, you know, be like a point five point for game player. That was kind of nice to see that development and start to take some steps. Pontus Holmberg took some steps that his rookie year was. He was actually quite good that year. And if you remember, he kind of just hit like a rookie wall. I think Sheldon Keith called him perfect at one point in time. He had never seen a make a mistake or whatever it was. Yeah. Yeah, which that that was wild. But, you know, the general premise of him not falling off and kind of seeing the season through and looking like a contributor, I think all very positive. So, you know, I think there was that second layer of some support starting to kind of take shape on, you know, the negative side. I think the thing that stands out is ultimately they're looking at these top four guys to carry the mail and kind of push them through and overcome any other sort of, you know, areas of the roster that are not necessarily up to snuff. And I just, you can't say it anymore. You can't try. You know, I think when it happened against Montreal and Columbus, there were a lot of excuses or whatever you want to call it, you know, and it, you know, at that point they obviously ran it back multiple times. They played, you know, great Tampa team. They actually scored them in a series they lost in seven. It's a tight one. I just, at at this point, what more is there to say, especially as John Tavares starts to hit the downslide of his career, it's, you know, the way that that roster is constructed is, I don't think he can sit there anymore and say, yeah, you know, we can, we can go cheap on defense and we can, you know, not necessarily build center depth and our goal-tending can be not high-end, but we have these guys who are going to drive us through much, much to what Colorado does. You know, what Colorado does is kind of what the Leafs are supposed to be built on. They barely play half their forward group, but McKinnon and Randon and Nkushkin, you know, when they won the Cup, Landis Kog and Kadri were just so good. They, they overcome it. But what Colorado has, the Leafs don't, is they have Kjelbakar and Devin Taves, you know, the best D-Man in the world, the best defense pairing in the league, and the Leafs obviously don't have that. So, you know, just some point, I guess, if you want to support the, you know, inability of the top four guys on the Leafs to get it done. Yeah, a classy move by Sheldon Keith yesterday to release the video and, you know, assume responsibility for the Leafs' failures over the years. Is there a chance that because he's the one who's saying, hey, you know, put this, put this all on me, and I think he's doing it to sort of, you know, I believe him that he thinks that he was the one that's responsible ultimately, because he was the head coach. But is there a chance that, you know, this is it, this is the move that the, the management goes up there today during this press conference and says, you know, we, we have relieved the head coach of his duties and that has a significant change for this organization. Is there a chance that you think they say that is the move that we're going to make this off season and we're just going to continue to move forward here? In terms of the major move, I assume you're alluding to the top guys not moving. So if that's the only other option, then I mean, it's possible. I think no matter what about, you know, two to three defensemen are going to change. They're not running back that that group of six. And I don't think Ilya Samsonoff is going to be one of the two goalies. And, you know, the situation with Wall is probably the most frustrating part because he legitimately is a really good goalie. He, he has the goods to be the guy. Can't stay healthy. You can't trust them. So they got to bring in someone, you know, this was a team that their, their team saved percentage was somewhere around 24th or something along those lines for the season. If they were just respectable, it's probably, you know, eight to 10 more points on the season. Maybe you're not blowing a bunch of games to teams that weren't relevant from like January onward. Just so Anthony, let me jump in there. Like, I realized there were bigger fish to fry with this, with this team this year. But in, I guess it's a little bit of hindsight. And I don't know, maybe it's hard to do a deal with Montreal or harder, but doesn't Jake Allen feel like he would have been kind of the perfect guy in that he is totally good enough to be a okay starter for you if you need him. He could even be better than that on occasion, but he's never going to feel like you. Oh, Jake Allen, the opportunity to steal the net from Joe Wall, if he's healthy, and then you had him for one more year to kind of figure it out. Does that not feel like, and again, like I, I realize there were a million what, what ifs from this past year, but kind of, uh, if they were doing the almost Jake McCabe move in net of like solve your problem now and help you down the road, he feels to me, and maybe I'm just enamored because I saw him on TV and he was so good, but, uh, it does feel like that would, that, that, a guy of that ilk is kind of the, the perfect compliment for Wall. Yeah, I would agree back, that kind of guy. I mean, I believe that draft pick was a conditional second, right? Would any of you don't have a second for three years, and I could only imagine tree living was kind of, you know, shopping on a budget, which you ended up doing, because he probably go, yeah, he was probably looking around going, we're all the picks, but how are there listening to holes on the team? And I have zero draft picks to address it. And so, I think that bleeds into the original question too, of, you know, what could they do? And I think a large part of that is, what's, what's the deal with Mitch Marner? And I know, I mean, obviously, to some degree, getting run out of talent at the moment, I think put all of that aside and just look at it for what it is. He has a pending contract negotiation coming up. And how is that going to go? And do the Leafs want to pay them? And that's really the only question of note. And if they don't want to pay him, and I don't know the answer, I don't know what the situation is, but if they don't want to pay him, and they all come to that conclusion, and then they look to move him, you know, they have a draft class coming up in 2025. They don't have a pick until the fifth round. Yeah, so you're okay. So, okay, let's just, we've been talking about it. Let's just get there now. Let's say they want to move Mitch Marner, and that's something the players amenable to. What does that ideal return look like? Because I don't think you you want to do the like, ah, million draft picks. We got somebody's whole draft. I'm not saying that that's a bad way to go about it, but I think when you're trading a player who, yes, he's getting run out of town, but I think we all understand what he is at the same point in time, that you'd like to have something to hold up and say, look at this, look what we got. And I don't know that a, you know, 18th first store, you know, an 18th overall first round selection. Hey, guys, we could take Timothy Lillegrine again. Like, I don't know that that's going to be enough to excite people, and you shouldn't make a trade to excite people. You should make a trade because it's the right one. But what, but I think they have such a tough balance here of, you want to make this trade to open up cap space. Of course, if you could trade them for a number one defense, when you do that, but they would have done that during the season. I imagine they're trying to envision that. So I think that's where they're in a tough spot, is that you want to have a bit of a cheap acquisition and that you want to open up space. But you also need something of note if you're moving on from Mitch Marner. Yeah, I think, you know, I mean, I wouldn't expect a top defense then for a winger under any circumstances. But for sure, I do think it's reasonable to think about a top four defense. I mean, that the rest of the trade hasn't really worked out. Or we also don't know what some of the things are going to become. But if we, you know, the Matthew Kachuk trade, he did bring in Mackenzie Weir, a legitimate top four defensemen. People would love him if he was here. He can, he's right handed, he can play defense properly. He, you know, he has a good shot. I think, you know, he was one of the leaders and goals this year for defense, but he is legitimately good. But I think the other part to that is, can they bring in a center? I mean, this is not a team devoid of lawyers. And big time. Right. If you kind of look at it, oh, yeah. If anything, you'd be fine to sign a winger here and there. But the center market is just to bear this summer, you know, Chandler Stevenson, it's a live home. They're good players. It's not a knock on them, but that's basically the list of anyone that's credible for the top six kind of spot. And the Tavars decline is real. Big time. They have to prepare for that. And thinking that, you know, Eastern Cowan's name comes up a lot. He's 19. It's really hard for rookies to come in. Well, they just tried that. They just they just tried that with Frazier Minton who say what you will about his ceiling. But the whole point is is like he's more ready. The floor is higher and it didn't work with him. Yeah. I would even point to someone like Matthew Knives who came in in his early 20s, a man already, physically. And, you know, we just we just he prays on him. So this isn't to contradict anything. At the end of the day, you know, you had 35 points this year and he told largely played on a top line with Matthews and Martin. That was the first time I was a decent moat. You know, he started on the third line for Tuesday wasn't doing much. It didn't last very long. And then he probably had about a 40 game chunk there playing beside the guy who led the league in goals. And, you know, an elite winger who was playing up to an almost 100 point pace in terms of what his projections would have panned out over an 82 game season. So, you know, that's about as ideal as it gets in terms of having an opportunity to put up numbers and he didn't. So now you're going to look at someone who's younger than Knives was, who's smaller than Knives was. Probably not physically as ready as Knives was. It's just not saying you can't do it. I'm just saying keep your expectations and check if that's the road. It's going to go. So if you could find a center of any capacity, you know, the UFA market is there. It really takes a really long time to develop centers. They have no real young centers in the lineup unless you're really gun hoe on Pontus Holmberg. But I don't think anyone would make that argument. Yeah, they fired as big as fan, yeah. Yeah, it's that's a clear need. Like that, you know, and then again, Tavares is the client's real. We, you know, TJ Brody, they didn't prepare for it. He wasn't good last year in the playoffs. It was clear as day. And they didn't, you know, they brought in John Klingberg. I understood why they did it. It was an offensive option. But that was not, let's get ready for the decline of TJ Brody. Consideration. Do you think that the marner thing is unsavageable? Like, I know I get the time heals a lot of wounds. And as it stands right now, I think there's even Leaf fans that, you know, if they traded marner tomorrow and didn't get much in return, I think there are some Leaf fans that in the moment wouldn't even care. As long as he's out of town, that's the thing. But is it a disaster to you if Mitch Marner is in the lineup on night one and they haven't made some sort of effort to deal him? I think it would be a disservice to the organization if they don't at least understand what he wants contractually and potentially what they could get in return for him. But no, I don't think it's a disaster if he's back to start next year. I mean, what's the, what's the saying? If you use it, that one? That and if you're doing what the fans say, then you're going to be in the stands with them. Yeah, yeah, you're sitting with them the old Berke. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. And I'm not saying it to be different, but, you know, just some of the, it's a heated market right now. And, you know, you're having people run out of, he is a 100-point winger or 99-point winger. And that is insanely difficult to find. You do not, it's very, very rare. And the idea that you can just lose him and you don't feel it is, it is last night. I mean, in February, they were one of the best teams in the league and him and Matthews were 1-2 and scoring. And it feels like an eternity from ago, but you look at it and go, like, you can't just replace that. Mm-hmm. And they can't just get crushed on a trade or they can't just open up a bunch of cap room and then go to free agency and overpay guys who are probably either 29 or 30 contracts that are, you know, what happens in free agency. It's a year too long and it's a million too much. You know what it is? It's TJ Brody. We just saw it. So that was as good as, that's as good of value as you could possibly find on the UFA market. And it was a year and a half too long. And nobody, nobody would sit here and say they did not enjoy the TJ Brody tenure. But I think that is the perfect, perfect example of what you get. It's a deal that is good at moments, but definitely imperfect. We do have to run. So I'll get this last one for you. Okay, Sheldon Keith is out. Craig Baroube seems to be the front runner. I have made my opinion very clear. It's not necessarily the wrong choice. If they were going to do it, they should have let them do what he's best at. And that's take over a team in the middle of the season. If I'm telling you, you get to make the decision, and I will include in this having not fired Sheldon Keith, you can have him back if you want. Who is, you're the one in charge. Who is the Leafs head coach starting in September? I don't know. I don't know if he'll be ultimately available, but given that Carolina is down 0-3. No, no, you can't have him. No, no, no. Every insider says, "Bring the more ain't happening." So I want him to. That's my guy too, but you can't have him. I should have thrown in that caveat because I agree that is the guy we all want, but every insider is poo-poo in that idea. So you can't have him. Yeah, I mean, at that point, it's probably a conversation between Craig Baroube and if he's reinstated, Joel Clendo, I'm not entirely sure what that situation is, but I think on paper, he would be, he has the third most playoff wins of all time. He's two behind Oliver for second. I think everyone understands the cup pedigree. And then failing that, I think the dark horse I'll give you that I would snip around is Claude Julian. Yeah. So, you know, he's good at structure and accountability. He also has some cup winning pedigree. I think he's built a more successful program. Like that's, I think the flag with Baroube. It's, he hasn't really done it from training camp on. Yeah, no, I, uh, the Julian, the Julian one is a, is a good name to bring up. He's definitely been someone mentioned, but I do think he's like, even it feels like Gerard Galant's name gets kind of bandied about more, more than his. So I, uh, I really like that. Anthony, I have enjoyed reading your stuff all year long, have loved our chats. I'm sure the Leafs will do a little something every now and then. So we can bug you. Thanks so much for jumping on. I always appreciate it, man. Thanks for having me on guys. Have a good weekend. There he goes. Same to him. We love a good weekend here. Love saying good morning. Uh, when we say goodbye to people as well. Anthony Petreli, writer of the Leafs Notebook every Monday, Maple Leafs hot stove there, uh, follow it at Leafs News on Twitter. Uh, Julian, definitely an interesting name there. I think that is somebody that has a kind of mix of pedigree. He's also like, beat the Leafs in playoff series. So there's some element of, hey, I looked across. Well, it really is just Morgan Riley. But I looked across and I know how to beat you. I think that is a name that has been kind of flying under the radar. And I don't excite people. It's probably too strong a term with any of these coaches outside of Quenville, quite honestly. But I think that's an interesting name for sure. I do think it's funny that because they elected to go from Babcock to Sheldon Keith as a new guy, you sort of go back into the realm of recycled head coaches. And you've seen them come and go into different markets. Uh, we hear the recycle. Oh, it's a retread. It's a retread. We hear this all the time. They just tried rookie head coach in Toronto. I love, I think it's Matt Carlos's name, the Denver head coach. And one back-to-back championship, just world junior coach for the States. I'd love the idea of that. Can't happen here. That is the guy you go let be the Utah head coach. And then when he does a good job there, you, uh, you coach him. There's plenty more to be talked about in terms of Leafs head coaching. Uh, my pal and yours, we're talking golf. Maybe we'll sneak in a golf quest. Actually, I, I lie, he's just going to yell at me about Rory. So there will be no sneaking anything. And McKee's going to join us next. But before we do that, time for the wake and rake presented by sports interaction. Your homegrown sports book, 19 plus bet responsibly looking ahead to hockey night in Canada, marquee games, a couple of them for you. First one, Rangers looking for the sweep against the hurricanes. Tight, tight, tight, money line there. Uh, Rangers minus 105 hurricanes minus 115. Uh, I'm just going to take the hurricanes there on the money line. Sweeping teams is hard. Sweeping two teams in a row, even harder and sweeping a great team like the hurricanes. That should be damn near impossible. Uh, so give me the hurricanes on the money line at minus 115. I don't know if you have a lean on that one. Roops. Yeah, I, I think I got to go with the hurricanes as well. I just think when you're, you're playing for Rod the bod and that guy's a master motivator. You know, he's going to be just hammering home. The fact that this series has been so close and you could have had it either way. You could have had it too one for sure in Carolina's favor. And I do think he's going to have them ready to go for game four to stave off elimination, the old cliche. But man, there are, there are some good, good hockey teams going on, on Saturday night for sure. Yeah. And the late game, you got the stars and avalanche there. Stars are underdogs there plus 110. That series is, is knotted up at once as it shifts back to Colorado. The total in that game is full goal higher than the Rangers and hurricanes. You get it at six and a half. I am going to take the over there. I know what is great, but it just seems like those teams, I can't stop finding ways to score. So over six and a half in these stars in the avalanche. And then we're both taking the hurricanes on the money line there. That was the wake and rate presented to you by sports interaction. Your homegrown sports book 19 plus bet responsibly fan morning show continues right after this. We're going to talk to our buddy Sam McKee. It's cutting and Ruben off on sports net five night of the fan.
