[MUSIC PLAYING] Fan Morning Show Sports at 5.90, the fan band, and it's Brent Gunning. So we're going to talk to Nick Kiproos in a couple of minutes. Great story, article on the Toronto Star website. Titled the one thing Connor McDavid brought, the oilers that leaves Austin Matthews's missing in quest for Stanley Cup. We outlined some of the key points earlier. And one of the ones that, to me, is the most intriguing is, hey, just taking the sea away from John Tavares and giving it to Austin Matthews makes some discernible impact on the mentality of the player. And we've heard a lot about Mitch Marner, and whether he's going to wave his no trade clause, and whether he's just going to play it out, and where the Maple Leafs are taking calls on him. We heard perilously little about the John Tavares of it all, because I think we all just assumed that that's a no-go, because he was more explicitly asked that by the media. So we've heard it straight from the horse's mouth. I mean, do you think, like, the Mitch Marner thing is interesting from this, like, the obvious perspective, because he has value in trade, and you could recoup something, John Tavares would be a pure addition by a subtraction, and then what you do with that $11 million in cap space. But yeah, do you think the Maple Leafs even have that conversation with John Tavares? And then the Mitch Marner part of it is also interesting from that same perspective. Like, do you seek out a trade first, and then bring it to Mitch Marner? Or do you only go down the path of looking at a potential trade if you have some indication that there is any scenario in which Mitch Marner agrees to wave his no move clause? I don't think you have to seek out a Mitch Marner trade. I think, given all the conversations that have been had around the league, I think anybody who has interest in the player is more than happy. And then I don't think you make a point of going to Marner before there's something. But I also don't think it needs to be something concrete. I think if four or five, six teams come and knock in at the door, then it's worth talking to the player. With Tavares, I think it's a completely different story. I think he's been asked this point blank. He's answered it. It seems like there's very little world where he is open to moving it. I also think there's a world where the idea of them eating part of the contract and actually maybe getting an asset, was it play for them? But if the player doesn't want a budge, I don't think it's going to matter. And I don't think the player wants to budge. Yeah, unless they wanted to make it super uncomfortable, which I don't think they want to do. Yeah, I don't see it happening for either player. But if you were going to make it uncomfortable for one guy over the other, it feels like the Marner one is more likely than the John Tavares one, considering the stature of the player, considering the way he arrived here, considering all of it. Like, yeah, that would be a weird one. To me, it's not even about that. It's the, it's not the stature of the player. It's not how they arrived here. For me, it's just about, there's one guy that you, I think you can get an asset for either player, but let's be honest. If you're trading one of those two guys, you're getting a much bigger haul for Mitch Marner. So I think if they were going to go that route, it would make more sense to do it with him. And that's not because the player deserves it or anything. It's because you would have more to gain from a potential trade, if that's the road they want. All right, this insider is brought to you by Don Valley, North Lexus, where you can expect excellence online and in the showroom, visit DonValleyNorthlexus.com. And today's insider, Nick Kiprios, a real Kipper and born. How's it going, Kipper? - Good guys, good morning. - Good morning, yeah. Thanks for writing that latest piece for the Toronto Star. - We've got like three blocks out of it and now a fourth 'cause we're talking to you. This is great, good job. - So good, I appreciate it, man. I really do. - You know, first of all, you know how hard it is to write on the Toronto Maple Leafs when they've been out for like three, four weeks. - As hard as it is to talk about the Kipper. - You know, and you know, you're doing both. So, okay, let's start with this then. How would you describe the difference in mentality between McDavid and Matthews? - Well, I think as far as intensity isn't concerned and you know, my piece yesterday in the Toronto Star really focused around a sense of urgency and it just hasn't been there, you know, for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their stars yet. And I made a point of, you know, saying that Austin Matthews is 27 years of age and it's not young anymore but there is time for him to still understand the scope of it all. And my point was that Connor McDavid has arrived and it arrived 13 months ago when he basically told everybody the moment they got knocked out last year was that it's about the Stanley Cup or bust. And to me, that's such a loud statement because there is no in between. It's either one or the other and bust could mean many things including whether or not he's got a future in the Edmonton Oiler Organization or not moving forward if they don't win the Stanley Cup. So to me, that's putting your neck on the line. That's understanding that it's not about total points. It's not about goals. It's not about individual awards. As Leon Dreycidal followed up, that cup or bust comment, it's just about winning a championship. And right now, it's still a learning process for Austin Matthews. - So how much of the, you know, lack of urgency or whatever way you want to phrase it and Ben brought this up to me earlier in the show is how much of it comes from the lack of urgency that's surrounded Austin Matthews? I mean, there have been changes in Edmonton. They've made, you know, fairly big swing and mistrades be it going out and getting Campbell on the free agent market or whatever they've done to retool the team. The coach has changed. The GM has changed and in Toronto, everything's been pretty similar throughout Matthews tenure here. How much of that lack of urgency do you think is a feature of the organization as opposed to something that manifests itself just in Austin Matthews? - Yeah, Gunnar, it's a valid point for sure. And, you know, if we go back 10 years ago and they announced Brendan Shanahan coming in as president, it was about just having a calming influence. It's about, Brendan Shanahan 10 years ago was really about, you know, let's take a deep breath here and let's not think that we have to race to win the Stanley Cup next year or the year after and they made it abundantly clear that there was gonna be pain involved, you know, in the build towards the Stanley Cup. So all of that kind of set a tone in itself. And it wasn't necessarily the wrong thing to say, but here we are 10 years later and the first sign of urgency that we've seen in 10 years is the fact that when they brought up Marner's contractor, Tavares's contract, they didn't support them. They didn't come out and say, "They're a big part of our team. "We'd love to have them back." And, you know, we're gonna do everything we can to sign them. No, they said we're looking at everything from top to bottom to do whatever it takes to win. That's, to me, is the first sense of urgency that we've seen out of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, where does it follow up to your point, Gunner? Does it go to Austin now and say, okay, well, if I'm excluded from that, we'll look at everything, comment, and we know he is, and Kneelander would be in that same boat, then where's the sense of urgency to understand that, yeah, you may get a pass on having your name being explored out there, but it doesn't give you a pass to say, you gotta get this job done real soon here, or else you'll be the next one in conversations on we'll do anything it takes to win. What about the sea? Would it make a difference if Austin Matthews were wearing it? - That's a really good question. And again, you better really know Austin Matthews well to make that adjustment, but it's coming. One way or another, we believe that it's coming towards him. And this will either be the summer it changes over, or it's gonna happen the following year, but with the new commitment to the contract and where he is right now as the face of the organization, there's no doubt my mind is coming. And now it's a question of where's the next level of development for him to really give the team, the fan base, the community a sense of this is my team. I'm in charge now, the buck stops here as far as the product on the ice. And if he can develop that, which Connor McDavid did especially this year in so many ways, he was just like the alpha dog to get them to a Stanley Cup final. Whether it's enough to win it remains to be seen and we've seen some great players in the past get real close, Eric Lindross comes to mind, Pavel Burry, Camille, those type of players have come close, but we're never able to get their team over the hump. But that's the sense that Lee fans are waiting for out of Boston in the coming year or two, is that you gotta really make us feel like this is your team, like we feel like it is Connor McDavid is going into this final. - This is an impossible question to answer, or at least know the true answer to it, but that's why it's such a fun sports radio topic, is how different would that have been if they wouldn't, let's say they do make a change, be it this off season, be it next off season, as Matthew's are wearing the seat. How different would this all have been if he would have been named the captain from the jump? 'Cause I mean, we all remember when they were getting ready to roll out that leadership group, we all knew the four guys who were gonna be a part of it. It was just a matter of who was gonna be wearing which letters, if they would have just given Austin Matthews the sea from the jump when they named Tavares the captain and instead given it to Matthews, do you think there would be some different level of ownership having taken hold throughout this? - Yeah, that's again, a good question. And I mean, you gotta know the dynamics of the dressing room and you gotta know the dynamics behind the scenes and what we see out of John Tavares from afar compared to what is the reality in that dressing room? When they walk in that room, does John take over? Does Austin feel like he's underneath him? I don't know the answer to that question. And there's no way that we can sit from afar here and I've been in dressing rooms and there's perception and there's reality behind the scenes. And I'm not privileged enough to know what's going on in that dressing room when the doors are shut and who talks and who listens and who follows. So we'll just have to wait and see if we see a dramatic difference in the next year or two when Austin eventually gets the sea on his jersey, whether or not he's, it was something that maybe held them back a little bit knowing that he didn't wanna step on John's toes. But there's no guarantee either that if you put a sea on Austin Matthews jersey that he turns into something much different than we've seen in the last few years, only time will tell us whether that happens or not. - Yeah, the results can't be any worse though. So like, I don't know, give it a whirl. Is there a way to transition it without awkwardness? Like, can you do it this upcoming season with John Devar still making $11 million and on this team without like taking it from him? - Yeah, the real fast and quick answer to that is no, no, there's no way. He's got the last year of his deal. He's still making $11 million. He just came off a world championship where he, you know, it was perceived that he was the leader and the captain and he was able to, you know, produce, you know, with I think 11 points, if I'm not mistaken, three goals, eight assists or something than that ballpark. So he's coming back still feeling like he's a go-to guy. So as early as this summer, you wanna make that switch, it's gonna be awkward and it's gonna be a tough conversation. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't have to happen. It can very well have to happen, but that's up to the leaf management, that's tree living, that's Brendan Shannon, and that's now Keith Pelly saying, boys, what are we doing? We're delaying another year of the inevitable or let's grab this thing by the throat and like, you know, make the changes that people expect. So that's their call right now. - If you really do want, and I'm not saying this is you, but you out there listening, if you really do want Oz to Matthews to be captain, you wish Keith Pelly was in this to sell jerseys. He said he's not, but it's like, you'd start selling a lot more if you need to sell him with the sea on there for number 34. - Yeah, Keith, listen. If Keith needed to go back and make one comment different on the podium, it was like, we're not only in it to sell jerseys. - Still want to sell a lot of those things. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, Keith, Keith, you still want to sell him buddy, okay? - Yeah, very, very true. We have made it 15 minutes into a conversation surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and barely mentioned Mitch Marner's name. Mitch Marner, where are we at, Kipper? I mean, we've had the conversation about Tavares. There's the scuttle bud of Will He Wave, Won't He Wave? It seems like every day the wind is blowing another direction. How many more times is the wind gonna blow on this before we get something close to concrete? 'Cause it feels to me like we're gonna be doing a lot of this until the draft, when things can actually start to kind of heat up. What's your way down where we're at now? - It may go further than the draft. I'll tell you where we're at, that we're not at that place where the moment they got knocked out of game seven, it was a foregone conclusion. He was gone and traded. And we're not at the place where he will play out his contract and stay in Toronto. So I'm telling you that we're somewhere in between and there will be talk and there will be conversations and there will be rumors and there will be names brought up through various media outlets because everybody likes to get the first scoop in and it will take a life of its own on and there's no guarantees on which way it'll go. But it's not inevitable and it's not nothing either. They will explore Mitch Marner and a trade but there's so many dominoes that have to fall in the place to make a deal happen and it will not happen overnight. Who's interested? Who's aggressive? Who's willing to rent him? Who's willing to trade for him and then give him an extension? How many teams are out there? Right now willing to commit a trade and sign that could cost them up to $100 million. You know how many back and forths you have to go with your owner to get the green light for a GM to trade for Mitch and then offer him $100 million. Like this one's a beast, guys. And it will take some time but it's out there and it hasn't really started yet to be honest with ya. It hasn't, not to the degree that we will see in the coming weeks or the coming months. That's good 'cause we need content for the summer. (laughing) What is the biggest motivating factor for Mitch Marner in agreeing to waive his no move clause? Is it the contract getting the number that he wants or is it like a specific destination? Like-- - Yeah, it's all okay. - Listen, it's Ben, it's all of the above. It's, hey, like if, you know, and his agent Darren Ferris has gone on record many times that, you know, he doesn't understand sometimes why people race into signing before a UFA situation. So if you're gonna ask me to move or be traded, then I get to act as if I'm a UFA now. Meaning that I get to shop my services and all of it comes into play. Term, right? The money involved, the city, the destination, the scenario, how close am I to winning a Stanley Cup here? Do I wanna go and just continue to stack my stats? Or do I need to now win a championship in the next two or three years? So all of those questions need to be answered. And of course, you know, he's got a wife and a family here. Where do I envision raising them during the winter months if I'm not back in Toronto during the summer? So many of those questions that need to be answered, no different if he was a UFA this summer. So again, time, lots of time here to weigh all of this out moving forward. - Yeah, this isn't certainly anything he has to worry about right now. And you know, I know people talk about Mitch as though he is potentially like more subjected to these things or he's more sensitive to them. It's like, we're all human. We would all understand the public pressures that go with being a leaf. If it is seen that he is not willing to play ball and waving his no move, which hey, he negotiated it in good faith. He shouldn't have to wave it just because, but how much of a stomach do you think he has for if there is a bit of a turn public perception wise? And the cards are in his hands, right? Like he has another hundred point season and they actually do something in the playoffs. No one's going to remember that he wouldn't wave his no move. But how much do you think the player has the stomach for the possibility of there being a bit of, at least at the beginning of the season, a negative turn in perception? - Let me ask you something. How much worse can it get from already what he's been through? - Honestly, Capra, that's a great point. I have asked this question a lot. I've not heard it phrased back to me that way. That's a great point. - Right, so like, come on, he's taking a ton of shots here. A ton, you know, whether or not you can't stomach another two months, four months, trade deadline, you know. So, and here's the other thing too, okay? How bad do you think they're going to be next year that he's going to take a ton of heat? - Well, that's the thing. No, there's still going to be a good team. There's still going to be a top team in the Atlantic. There's still going to look at a hundred points. Austin's still going to look at 50 or 60 goals. Mitchell still find a way to get his 90, a hundred, maybe a hundred and 10 points. So, you know, he has a bad week and they're all over him and what they're still, you know, in a position to win the Atlantic division. So, you know, I wouldn't put too much stock. I wouldn't put too much stock in Mitch, like, you know, looking for a rock to hide under in the next season. I can't wait to see what you got cooked up for next week's column on the ground. - No, no, no, no. I need a break, buddy. I need a break. - You got the whole weekend, take the weekend, and then by Thursday I want some good on my desk. - Yeah. - You guys are putting away too much pressure on me. (laughing) - Welcome to Toronto, Oprah. You know how it is. It was like that as a player and it's twofold. Now that you're a multi-ponged media machine. - Oh my gosh. - Yeah, we got to find different ways to talk about this, like, barely 500 or 500-ish Blue Jays team, all right? You come up with the Leafs talking points for us, okay? - Yeah. - Hey, hey, hey, hey. Is there just that, like, a final goin' on or what? - Whatever. - You guys, remember. - 20 minutes on your show. We didn't even do it. - Well, you know, like, because we're safe. - They're Canada's team. Are we buying that or what? - Not at all. - I'm gonna kick you. - I feel scared to do this, but I almost want to kick you off the show for even joking with that kind of kid. (laughing) - Hey, those Leafs fans, man. They want the cup first. Forget it. - Of course. - Obviously. - Hey, we'll talk to Cup Final with Luke Fox next. He's in the race, Florida. - Go get 'em. Go get 'em. - Thanks, Kipper. - All right, have a great day, guys. - You too, Nick Kipperos. Real Kipper and Born are Insider brought to you by Don Valley, North Lexus, where you can expect excellence online and in the show room, visit donvalleynorthlexus.com. My biggest thing on the Matthew C-thing is-- - Oh, okay, yeah. - Why not? - Right. - Like, again, like, hey, to the Mitch Marner point, how much worse could it get? Oh, how much worse could it get? Like, oh, John Tavares is gonna be in his feels and, like, not try next season? - He-- - Does he have feelings? - Yeah. - Are we positive? - No, like, I'm asking him. - Like, I believe he can be a motive towards a hockey game and I'm sure he loves his children and all that. - No, it's what you want out of your leader, too. - But does he, like, robot man? - Does he have feelings regarding that? - Good question. - Really good question. Also, I think for all the consternation we have done will do about Marner. It's like a point that Kipper brings up. That it would have to get pretty dark early in the year for it to be, like, Kyrie Irving in Boston. He's got a boot every time he touches the puck. That's not gonna happen. It's gonna be, yeah, Mitch, come on, and then he'll have a 3.9, and we'll all forget it, 'cause that's how things work. That is a good point by Kipper, how much worse can it get? - Home opener might be a little awkward. - Yeah, of course, of course. There will be a couple of flashpoint moments, but still, I actually disagree. You think it's gonna be unequivocal? Yeah! - I think if they announced him in, if they said, "Hey, we're doing Maple Leaf Square "before the home opener," and you've trotted him out there, thousand percent. But the people that have paid Lord knows what to be in the building for the home opener, they're clapping for Matt Murray. - Jurbie. - End of point. - He's in street clothes. - Yeah, I know, I'm looking there. - Look, sicker, try to look sicker. Can you hunch over for us? - Yeah, the 29-year-old, I think he's 30 now, but he was 29 then. - It's a 29 going on 65. - Reverse vampire. - And who would question him landing somewhere this off-season and winning a Vesna? Sure, why not? All right, when we come back, we will talk about the Stanley Cup final, 'cause hey, it's not happening yet. - There were a game yesterday, be our lead item, and seeing a game between the Panthers and the Oilers. - One day. - Tomorrow, that all changes. Luke Fox is in Sunrise, Florida, or is it appropriately dressed, I imagine? - I was gonna make the same joke. - Yeah. - Short, so plenty for this, man. - We'll talk to him next. As the fan morning show continues, Ben Anisbrand, Gunning Sportsnet 590, the fan. - Covering the Blue Jays from an analytical perspective. Jay's talk plus with Blake Murphy. Be sure to subscribe and download Jay's talk on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. - Fan morning show Sportsnet 590, fan Ben Anisbrand, Gunning, Stanley Cup final game won tomorrow from Sunrise, Florida's listening, reading some of the pre-series media and availability, and hey, do you think we shoehorn in the Toronto Maple Leafs? Apparently one of the local media members in talking about the different markets and the fan expectation, how loud it's gonna be in Edmonton. - Sure. - By the way, this is the furthest distance to locations have ever been in Stanley Cup final history, Sunrise, Florida, Edmonton, Alberta. But some local Panthers reporter asked Paul Murray, "Hey, how loud would it be in Toronto?" He's like, "What are we doing here?" "Okay, you're not even in Toronto." Why are you asking me that? - If I were Luke Fox and at that availability, I would have gone full Will Smith with "Keep my team's name out your mouth!" Just slap right across the face. I would have loved it. - Multiple slabs you got there. - Well, I didn't like the acoustics of any of them, to be perfectly honest. Didn't like it. So I figured... There you go. - That's the good one. - That's the good one. I was too excited to make my joke. - That's a clutch. Hand slapped by me, by the way. - It was. I haven't heard a hand slapped that acoustic since I dapped up Adam Stanley at the RBC Canadian Open last week. That was a very acoustic dap. - Yeah. - It was a good job by you. - Yeah, okay. Yeah, no, I'm clutch. - Anyways, game one is Tomorrow Panthers and Oilers in a matchup that, I mean, maybe was not the favorite by Vegas going into this thing. But I think if we predicted it would be the Panthers and Oilers before the postseason, I don't think anybody would have fought you too hard on that bad boy. No, I think there would be certainly a couple other teams that people might have held up. But what about... Yeah, I think I would have held up Vegas, for example. I mean, look at me. I've been not very smart since they've been out of this thing for a long time. But yeah, certainly among the favorites in the East, certainly the Panthers, Oilers, I think maybe a little bit more of a surprise for some people. - Okay. So that being said, take the Leafs out of it. Again, it's hard. Because everything does revolve around the Toronto Maple Leafs. If you had your pick of a litter, it's like, hey, of the entire playoff field, who are the two teams that you think would provide us with the most entertaining series and two like the most interesting plot lines headed into a Stanley Cup final? - I think you have to have McDavid. I think that he is just so one of one. I don't think it would have made the most aesthetic series, but from an NHL perspective, and like this is a little bit of recency bias because they were in the conference final as well. I would have loved a world where it's McDavid going in MSG four times potentially and just getting the chance to do the thing on that stage. And he either gets to lift the cup at home or in the world's most famous arena. I think there's an element to that again, like take the Leafs out of it for sure. I don't know that there's an overly sexy team in the Eastern Conference, quite honestly. I don't see a group in there or a team in there. I mean, of course, the Leafs. Of course, like forget my Leafs bias aside. There's no doubt about it that Euler's Leafs would have from a storyline perspective been as sexy as we could possibly get. But I don't know. Like is there a team in the East that you think of that we really missed out on seeing in the final? I'm not sitting here clamoring for the Panthers. They're very deserving and I think it's who should be there. But I'm also not ecstatic to watch seven games possibly of the Panthers. If that makes sense. Yeah, I mean, they can lock it down and, boy, a large portion of that Rangers Panther series was not all that watchable. And I think the Panthers are the most deserving team out of the Eastern Conference, even in that series that went six games and believed the Rangers had a 2-1 series lead in that. I think so. In that series. Like, the Panthers just, like, sort of finished. Looked like the better group and it looked like it was only a matter of time before they asserted themselves as the better group. But yeah, you're right. There's no other team in the Eastern Conference that is like, oh, that hurricanes would have got your juices flowing? Certainly not. Yeah. I actually, I can promise you not. Yeah. I can go as far as, it'd have to be teams from the West. Like, again, I know they got bounced early, but an Euler's Knights final, again, couldn't happen. An Euler's Avalanche final, again, couldn't happen. Those two are the most compelling matchups. This, honestly, the more you think about it, because I think unequivocally the Euler's are the most interesting team coming out of the West. Like, Connor McDavid in the final is the most interesting team. I could have very, I'll throw Vegas away because I think they're, I enjoy watching them play, but I don't think storylines other than back-to-back. I think Avalanche, you could make pretty similar arguments, throw in the fact that it's them doing it again, as opposed to for the first time. But yeah, Euler's are, I think, Avalanche are a pretty close 1-B to me. No, I think this is the best cup final we could have gotten. Outside the least. Yeah, no, no, but that's not, that's not my bias. It's not. You're right. Okay, thank you. Outside the least. That was the first thing I said. Take the Leafs out of it. Panthers, Euler's has everything. You got the star power. I mean, we're not that far removed from, I think you're doing that star turn thing where he was, like, actually making a transition to, like, normal media. Remember, he was doing, like, talk shows. He was all over the place. He went on TNT. Yeah. He's on inside the NBA. And they said, what do you want to say? I don't know. I don't have any questions for you guys. I'm happy to be here. One of the great moments in television history. And Jack going, I love it. I love a good man. It was so good. They have star power. Again, like, it's not when they're at their best. It's not maybe the most aesthetically pleasing unless you, you know, you're like, um, guys getting suplex behind the net and, uh, in concosting the rest of the series. Honestly, it's not the Leafs, like I do like that. I think you got the contrasting styles, right? The lock it down Panthers. Yeah. Well, also have, like, pretty good special teams as well. Yeah. I mean, the guy that, uh, the most power by goals and all the NHL on their team. Mm-hmm. But they're number two in penalty kill to the Oilers. Number one, you got the contrasting styles, the physicality, the fact that they've already been there a season ago. Mm-hmm. The star power against the guy that's in his first ever finals who is unquestionably the best player in the sport on the team that plays this more fire wagon brand of hockey, although, like, late in the stars series. They did kind of figure out how to lock it down. And I know everybody looks at the shot totals in game six and how they were outplayed. They were. But, like, look at that third period. And the way they killed off a bunch of penalties in that series. That was a team that did kind of figure it out defensively. The more I think about it, this is about as good, again, taking the Leafs out of it as good a final as we could have possibly expected. This also isn't an on the ice thing. And this goes back to where you kind of started the conversation. I think the other part that makes this so fun. And I know that this is rich coming from me. But it being a non-traditional hockey market. Like, I don't know. You've mentioned the, the Levittard show before on here. I don't know if you've seen this thing with Greg Cody going around if he, like, took some swipes at McDavid. It was a little tongue-in-cheek, but because he's a, I'm going to use air quotes here. He is a journalist, but he was not acting as a journalist in this podcasting capacity. Yeah. One's like, these guys don't owe their hockey in South Florida, which agreed they don't. I think he knows Conor McDavid's very good. Yeah. But now this is my favorite thing. If we get the side swipes of this and the sideshow of a completely, let's be honest, unserious hockey market. Yeah. And that's fine. You're allowed to have fun with it. And they know it. They lean into it. It's part of the schtick of everything down there. And I think that that is the other hilarious part of this is, and again, it's rich coming from me, I know, because I am the one who loads these easy markets to play in and them having all this success. But we are going to go from games in South Florida, where it's like guys wearing puka shells and Hawaiian shirts saying, "Hey, Paul, how'd it go out there tonight?" To, "Connor, how could you have done this to us? The Oilers are down in the Stanley Cup final. What are you going to do to fix it?" The complete chasm of the feel in the two markets. And again, I'm not saying they don't care. Everyone that's in that building wants the Panthers to win. And dare I say, just as much that everyone in the Oilers building wants the Oilers to win. But there's just a, yeah, it is what it is. Let's have some fun with that element about it that I think is going to lead into this being such a fun series to watch, like, from a distance. And it's been, like, I know Connor McDavid said, Stanley Cup or bust. He didn't mean Stanley Cup final or bust. He meant, like, winning the old damn thing or bust. Oh, yeah. Don't tell him he's playing with house money now. I don't think he'd like to hear that. Well, he's not. That's the thing. Like, so it's been a successful Euler season, especially if you go back to, like, two-seven in one or whatever it was, two-nine in one I think it was, when they lost that Sharks game. Can't confirm. And J. Woodcroft lasted one more game. Went out a winner, though, as they beat the Seattle Kraken. You'll always have that. So it's been a successful season, especially against the backdrop of that horrible start, which was also precipitated by the fact that Connor McDavid didn't start the season healthy. Yeah. Which is important context there. Jack Campbell is here, too. Also the Jack Campbell of it all. Potential Stanley Cup champion Jack Campbell. Have you thought about the, like, the, obviously, 50/50 possibility of the Edmonton Oilers getting to this place that they've never been before, but then losing? Because I think, like, if we're talking about some of the unserious hockey media and, like, none of it should be all that serious, because it's just sports. But, like, you know, I've heard it bandied about that, like, "I, Connor McDavid hasn't won. He hasn't done the thing yet. Like, how great could he be if he doesn't have a championship?" And this is not like the NBA, where one individual superstar can single-handedly change the fortunes of a team. And Luca Donch, despite the fact that the Mavericks are inferior, I think everybody would agree to the Boston Celtics. The reason that the series isn't over is because he's the best player in it. That doesn't happen in the NHL. But generally, like, the best players do ultimately get a Stanley Cup championship. But the fact that we're, like, four Edmonton Oilers losses away from that being a realistic talking point, as unfair as it is, I mean, it is an interesting possibility to think about. The Oilers feel like it's, like, it's almost preordained that this is the season for them, that they could run up against a team that has its own bona fides, making their second straight trip to the Stanley Cup final, and lose. And then we're having another heartbreaking, like, what is Nick Kiprios' next column with whatever, quote, Connor McDavid gives us at the conclusion of the series if it doesn't result in a victory. Yeah, I'm sure the quote will just be, I'm sorry, it was all my fault. I'm sure it's what the quote will be after all. Jack Campbell's there to coach him up through this. So if anyone knows how to hoist blame upon himself, it's anyone in the immediate vicinity of Jack Campbell. It's such a weird spot for the Oilers to be in, right? Because we remember, we remember back to the Red Wings and the Penguins of the back-to-back Cup finals against each other. And, you know, the bulk of the Oilers' team, or at least they should say the guys that matter the most. They got one year left, at least, and I include Bouchard in that, who's going to be in RFA when he's done. Drysidal, obviously, in there. But there is an element, normally when you have a team with just looking at the ages of these guys, McDavid, 27, Drysidal, 28, Bouchard, as young as he is, you'd say, "This is the start of a window." And it very well may be. But just because of the raise that Drysidal and Bouchard do, either this summer, kicking in next year or just flat out, kicking in next year, there is an element that this is the best chance he's going to have in the immediate future. And I think you bring up the NBA of it all, and we would hold this against an NBA player that wasn't able to get it done so much more. I think by so long as he doesn't like an egg in this series, I don't think anyone expects him to. I think by getting his team to this point, Conor McDavid has kind of absolved himself of that. Not say there won't be some people that keep that on him if he's not able to get it done. But it's at this point in his career that he's supposed to have had his looks, have had his chances. No one says you have to win your cup by the time you're 28. We say you have to win your cup. And that's why I think that getting his team to this point is enough for a, like a stay of execution for lack of a better term of those McDavid takes. Some people will have them because, hey, it's the business. We got to do what we got to do. It's not going to be me. But I think that because they've got to this point, it'd be very different if even it was another conference final. You'd be saying, okay, conference finals one thing, but when can you get to a final? Now that he's been here, I think that, again, presuming he doesn't lay an egg gives him much more of a leg to stand on. Yeah, baby steps. Um, so there's obviously, I think, despite the fact that you did add the caveat of the people in the building feel the same way in sunrise form as they do in Edmonton when they, they had there for game three. It probably think that's not necessarily 100% correct. But yeah, I get that. There's an extra layer. Oh, my McDaniel doesn't care as much. But everybody else in the building. There's an extra layer, though, when it comes to Oilers fans outside of the like them being, you know, hockey fans in their bones, like in their DNA, it's part of being a Canadian and obviously in Edmonton. Yeah, it's a long cold winter where that's like the number one preoccupation is watching the Edmonton Oilers. There's also the secondary thing. And I know you love to talk about how all the, the no tax good weather franchises in the NHL attract all the free agents. Yeah. So it's, this is not a concern for the Panthers that like, yeah, I'll also contractulate that they're not at a situation. You know, the guy that scored the most goals for them. They have the room to sign to me wants to be back. Sure. There's some guys. Yeah. I think they're going to be fine, though, generally. Like I, I can't imagine that's entering the equation too much for Panthers fans. They're like, we got to get it done because we're going to lose Reinhardt and Montour. Like maybe. Well, I know I'm talking about, so it's my mouth, but they would have to realize those guys contractual status for them to have that thought. I don't, I think for most of them, they're like, Hey, sick, you know, give me my Chuck E Jersey and let me put my rat head on. But what it, the bath, consume bath salts or something like, I think that's a lot of what's going on down there. But yeah, I just, I think there is a, I think there's a thing with that fan base that you're right, the pieces that are there. It is more set. You can see it continue kind of in the future. But yeah, there are questions to be, to be had with that. But yeah, you're, I, I, my ultimate thing now that I do talk about is, yeah, I don't know that they even know that those guys are probably not, and even if they do, like again, all you have to say is like, yeah, what about the taxes and like the weather and the fact that we're going to be good again next year. Like the taxes is honestly, I know like the taxes is the least of it all. It's the no pressure and it's driving golf carts to your practice. Yeah, yeah. So if it's not them, it'll be some other amazing player. Yep. That they said that. Yes. Exactly. For six bucks. Anyways, for Euler's fans, there's this added level of, of complication. That's like, like on dry side is not a pending free agent, but like we're staring down the barrel of maybe an extension or maybe not. Yes. Like how much does, hey, you're just in the, in the moment when the game starts. Of course. It's just about the game. How much of an added complication is it for Euler's fans that are staring down the barrel maybe of this thing, like not the McDavid of it all because there's a just factually more contract runway there and it just feel like a harder, harder place to put your mind him actively and voluntarily departing Edmonton. But the dry side of love it all feels like, yeah, there's a real interesting conversation one way or the other with him. This off season. Yeah, it's tough because if he, if McDavid was up before dry side, you don't for one second worry about dry side will not reciting. I think because McDavid signs for his 14 or whatever the number ends up being. And then dry side slots in just a little under that or whatever. And you move on. But dry side, even if he waits until the very end, he has to go first before McDavid does in terms of an extension or anything like that. And that's where I think it complicates things. I ultimately believe that they will build themselves around a core of dry side. Oh, McDavid, Bouchard and Hyman. And Hyman maybe isn't a core core piece, but he's under contract for a while. So and nudge as well. So I think that's what they're going to do and they'll do what they need to do to surround that. But teams are lining up for Leon dry side. This isn't quite Kevin Durant and he's two years out of free agency, but go read all the columns out of Boston of them already salivating over him there. Or I don't know any other team that needs a marquee center in the prime of their NHL life, which is what he'll be. The dry side of contract is such a tough one to do. And it's because you have to save room for McDavid to eclipse him. And that's why it's complicated. But I ultimately think that, yeah, it feels fraught and it feels like this could be as close to one of the final runs with this core. But I think that ultimately these guys are occupiers. Man, he's just going to sign. Maybe it's not the like eight year banger or whatever, but he's going to sign in Edmonton and he's going to be paired with McDavid for the bulk of their natural lives. I wish it wasn't the way it would be more exciting unless he goes to Boston than I don't want any part of this. I mean, maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe not like a 90% of his core being. But isn't the. Like. I think it's. It's silly to discount the possibility that there's a part of Leon Drey settled only being three points back of Connor McDavid in this postseason and having five more goals than Connor McDavid this postseason and starting the postseason off with the incredible point streak, right? All that. Yeah. All of that. And he. And understands that the headline item is Connor McDavid in his first stand like a final understands it. Yep. But doesn't think man. Like I'm going to get my money anywhere. And it's like. At some point, wouldn't it be nice to be out from under the shadow of maybe the greatest player in the history of the sport when it's all said and done that I could maybe create my own path somewhere like obviously in a place like Edmonton, you just give both of those guys blank checks and whatever. Yeah. The eight years. With all the money for both of you who cares. Oh, I know the Blackhawks never won anything after giving the dual contracts to Jonathan Taves and Patrick Kane who cares. Even if we don't win. Yes. We got there and yeah, we have no choice but to do that. But is there not like a. A percentage chance that Leon dries idols not like yeah. Can I can I try it? Like you've seen it. Yeah. Any smart person can also say that. We have proof of concept with this with factually no Connor McDavid that I'm just as not just as good. But like I can be a heart trophy winner without Connor McDavid. But still like it. It would be nice to have my own team. Yeah. There. I'm sure there's times he thinks that and I'm sure there's a lot of times he'd be right to think that. You say he casts a shadow. You know what the thing about a shadow is especially on a hot day. Or when there's heat in the media provides a lot of shade. Dry side. It's not to say he never wears any of this or anything along those lines. But if he moves to Boston or whatever. I don't know why I keep saying that God forgive me for putting that in the ether. I mean his wife is from Ontario. Yeah. I know it's just there's no way that would be a cruel twist of fate of like dry side will come in here but not make it anyway. I mean do you take it? Of course. Of course. I think though there's an element where you leave there and there is no shield of McDavid. Well if McDavid you can't get it done with McDavid how is the dry side. There's none of that. And I don't think the best players in the world operate in that light. I also think if they win this is very much a moot point and that they both are like okay great. Good job by us. Really? Can't you see the opposite? I can. I can't see the opposite but I think I think more than any other athletes on the planet NHL players are believers of proof of concept and yes there's the school of thought of hey, mission accomplished. I did it. Check the box. I'm free to go do whatever I want but I bet what they want is to continue playing hockey with like one of the other three or four best players in the world. If your economy David or the best player in the world if you're really on dry side. How critical do you think the Edmonton media will be if they lose the series? I guess it all depends on how it looks. If it looks like McDavid did for parts of the Star series. Fairly critical. Yeah. They're not going to sit here and say you can't win with him. We're not going to be doing that. But if it's a quiet series where McDavid is held pointless in let's say it's a six game series and he's held pointless in three of the games. Yeah. I can easily see a world where he's getting criticized and guess what? You're allowed to. You're allowed to. Yeah, you are allowed to. I wonder, you know, the idea that their power play is unbelievable and it's not just like they score goals and you're like, how do they do that? It looks unbelievable every time they step on the ice for two minutes. They're like, oh, when a goal doesn't go in, you're like, how did that happen? But like it's also not unreasonable to think about it. Not perhaps clicking along at 40% in a series. There's only a bad time for it. Yeah. And the Panthers kill off penalties at a pretty good rate and they have a pretty good goal time. Like if that happens, yeah, I don't think you like wash away what happened in the previous three rounds. But yeah, the possibility still exists as successful a season as this was for the Edmonton Oilers. Yeah, I think they're being a big time sour taste in their mouth. That's it. I think it would be twofold. I think you would still have the overall sentiment of wow, what a good year, what great strides made. But oh my God, how could this team have gone 13% in the final on the power play or whatever the detrimental number is? Like you'll be very critical of what happened, but you won't look at it as a critical flaw of either player. I think by getting here, they've kind of at the very least checked that box and got over that element of it all. By the way, the possibility exists that Austin Matthews is not going to finish the year with the most goals. Regular season. Oh, season combined. Because he's at 70. It scored once during the postseason. He's at 70. Zach Hyman, of course, 54 regular season goals. He's got 14 in the playoffs. That'd be 68. So he's two away from matching. Austin Matthews, Sam Reinhardt, 57 plus eight. He's at 65. So like those guys still alive in the chase of Austin Matthews. Yeah, in the chase of Austin Matthews. Seven former Leafs playing in the cup final. Yeah, good time. Fun with that. One of them, Jack Campbell though, so does it count? Yeah, he's not playing. Game on tomorrow. We will be back on Monday with another edition of the Fan Morning Show, Ben Annes, Brent Gunning, SportsF5.9 and Fan. Good morning. [MUSIC]
