(upbeat music) - Oh my goodness. That doesn't get you fired up on a Canada Day. I'm not sure what will. Fan Morning Show Sportsnet 5.9 to the fan. Ben Ennis, Brent Gunning. What better place to be on Canada Day than at the Royal Canadian Legion. That's where we are, Branch 344 1395, Lakeshore Boulevard West. It's right at Lakeshore and Jameson. We've got a beautiful view, a lake Ontario. It's the opening of NHL Free Agency at noon today. Broadcast on Sportsnet starts at 1130. What a glorious Canada Day. - A couple of hosers down by the water talking about NHL Free Agency and Max don't be being bad. What's not to like and you know, the line of, it'll take a wreck and ball to drag me out of here for 3.75 times four to keep me here. - The longest deal he's ever received since his entry-level contract. Let's knock it back down in specific and ruin the good moment. God, what a clip he put out. Good job, Sam, name cooking that up for us this morning. I'm fired up. I love this day. I'm wearing my hockey, Canada, it's hard. I'm just, I'm feeling the love. - You're well-tired. - I just, I feel wonderful today, Ben. - Yeah. We're here for the entire show obviously at the Royal Canadian Legion. Breakfast is just now being served until 9 a.m. here. Great spread. They've got live band between one and six on this Canada Day. Come check us out. I'm in the process despite being number of kilometers away. I'm in the process of cooking a brisket as we speak. - You're waving around your phone. - Telling me, look at this. Look at the smoked meat on my phone. I'm like, just a phone. I know. What was it? The NSEats machine is right. - You called it? - Yeah. - You were very excited. You gave me my favorite answer. I would, I love hearing this when your dinner has nothing to do with my dinner. I'd feel very differently if it might have been my dinner. I'm like, so when's that brisket gonna be done? - I don't know. - Yeah. - Well, we'll see. - When the phone yells at me. - It's done when it's done, Brent. Okay. - Yeah, you can't force these things. - No, I very much understand that. I just, I know how I would feel if I asked someone, hey, when am I gonna eat dinner? And they go, nah, what are they? - Today. - How about today? - Okay. - Is that good enough? - It honestly is way better than what you gave me. You were going through several step processes of wrapping it in towels and putting it in coolers. - No, you gotta, you gotta talk sweetly to it. - Yeah. - I understand. - A lot of steps. - I'm not begrudging it. It's just, I'm so happy I'm not the one doing it. So cool. Congrats to you and good job. Thank you. I'm a real man. Today's, you know, like, today, at least today you're a real man. - For some people, it's their bar mitzvah. - Yeah. - For me, it's making my first brisket, then I'll finally be a man. Max Domia, a real man. - Oh boy. - So, May believes have a lot on the go, including not the least of which, Chris Tana, still controlling his rights for a couple more hours here as we head towards noon. Now, apparently it's just teas crossed and eyes dotted. - Sure. - On the whatever ginormous deal with Chris, that 80-year-old Chris Tana is getting-- - Yeah, teas and millions. There are eyes, like there are eyes in there, so you gotta do it. But yeah, I will admit, when I saw that deal, how early it happened during the weekend, it's all kind of running together, but it wasn't five minutes ago, I assumed it would have had something a little more concrete by now. - Yeah. - Like, by no means is this worrisome, or did the Leafs not, you know, give an asset and not be able to, you know, get this ball across finish line here. I'm not saying that. It's just, it is odd that we don't have some clarity on it yet. - Yeah. - I mean, even if it, in theory, went past noon, and they'd still be well within their rights to sign Chris Tana, which just means that Ottawa senators could be like, "Whoa, look over here, look at us!" And he'd go, "Ugh, yeah, okay, nevermind." - Yeah, Leafs, I'll take less. - All right, let's go back to Dormi though. - Yes, yes, yes. - Who plays, man, it just feels like at every step of the way, other than the ultimate team's success. - Yeah, yeah. - Was not as good. But like, for him personally, with the slow start, but then coming into his own, and then emerging as the guy, we all expected him to be that fiery physical presence, but the playmaking, the incredible assist rate, second only to Connor McDavid on a per six day five on five, basis, second only 200 assists man, Connor McDavid, playing exactly into what you thought he might with, his interactions with the media, his interactions on social media, and he does sign the four year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He returns just south of 4 million bucks, 3.75 million per, over the four years. Like I said, it is the longest deal. This is a guy that's been around the block. And then some in his NHL career. And I know there was the report initially after signing the one year deal with the Leafs, Friedman out of the report, and why wouldn't this be the case that he wanted to spend more than just the one year in Toronto? - Yeah, it's a longer term deal than he's ever received, but for what we saw him produce for the Toronto Maple Leafs, I think just about every Leaf fan is probably very pleased with it. - I can't, you'd be hard pressed to find a person who's upset with it. If this was in still a flat cap world, and the cap wasn't going up, then maybe you would find some people saying, oh, this isn't the exact perfect fit, but I think that's part of the beauty of the cap going up, is that not every puzzle piece. It doesn't have to fit like a puzzle. You kind of just jam it together and make your own puzzle out of it. You can be a little less fine. I think the reason why this number works so well with Domie is, I mean, first things first, he just gets it in terms of being a Leaf, playing to the fan base, but also being a Leaf and not getting swallowed up by it. We talked a lot about, we have so many de facto captain conversations on this team, and it's, you know, when we need something nice to say about Morgan Riley, that's always like the first home we go to, they're like, well, really de facto. That was Max Domie at the tail end of the year, right? John Tavares is who he is, and I don't begrudge him his personality, but you see Domie, he took on a lot of the responsibilities of the post-game interviews. Like he's doing the walk-offs with TNT, just giving the quotes that everyone kind of wants to hear, and maybe that stuff doesn't matter, but for a guy who understands what a voice can mean in the market, we only, the players only seem to think of it a lot of times at a negative perspective of, well, if I say something, the fans are gonna jump all over me. Look at all we said on years passes that we thought we had good season, so we came kind of close, and everyone wants to scream at us. Max Domie is aware that you can actually open your mouth and do good things in this market, and people will like you more. I think the other thing is why the number fits so perfectly is you can see that being a number of different roles on a hockey team. And I think with Craig Barouba coming in as a head coach, you maybe get another try of Redux of Max Domie at center. How does that look on a Craig Barouba team? How does it look if Max Domie, let's say there is a Mitch Marner trade, which is becoming less and less likely, it seems like to me always, that let's say there is one though, well, we know what Max Domie can do on a flank with Austin Matthews when Marner was hurt. We saw him drive in that role. He's a guy who can be part of a jam line, and in 375, it's a number that you would like to play with some skill players, but if he's kind of driving a third line, that's not gonna kill you either. So I just think it's a great piece of business for the team. It's really good for the player, and honestly, I think it was important to keep some of the kind of connective tissue of what you were kind of starting to build. I realized Keith had to go and you had to make your changes, but you also wanted to kind of keep some of that rolling as well. So I just, you couldn't fight a person, I had a bad thing to say about it. - No, it didn't start off well though. - No. - You know, he was put in a situation, and obviously, yeah, playing up the middle, there were some times where it worked, sometimes where it didn't. - I think at his best, it was him and Tyler Bertuzzi, alongside Austin Matthews, and that makes plenty of sense when you're playing next to a 69 goal score. I also wanna give a shout out to the Washington Capitals, who are keeping cap friendly up to that. I thought it was done. Like, I thought it was done after the draft, it was my understanding. - Hey. - Yeah, well done. - Well, I mean, like, I'm gonna keep the un-shoutout in the holster, 'cause at any moment, you're taking it away from us. And then I will retroactively take that back, but yeah, good on them. - It is just, back to Don't Me for a half a second. It is so funny, not that I forget, but you know, you see that video he puts out on his Instagram, where he is Leo in the Wolf of Wall Street, that I'm not leaving. And, you know, part of this is like, who you follow on platforms and stuff. The first comment I see under it is Tom Brady, Stanley Cup next. Like, you do always forget, like, the type of circles that, like, don't be-- - It is unbelievable. - It's still the top. - Like, is that, like, the opening of the fountain blue in Seino? He is so, like, the rich guy famous circles, he rolls in. - Oh, yeah. I mean, Ty could probably talk to Taylor Swift today, if he needed to. - He put it this way. - He could call a guy who could call a guy. (laughing) - It is ridiculous. Anyway, so speaking of, yeah, Max, Don't Me, and at his best, yeah, alongside Awesome Matthews, and Tyler Bertuzzi, the other end of this is that, yeah, the Maple Leafs were apparently talking to Tyler Bertuzzi, but ultimately, just unable to come to an agreement on a deal. It's just, he got too expensive, especially, and, you know, we'll have to circle back around to this, especially without freeing up any of the Mitch Marner cap space, because it does feel like, if it's not done now, with an eye towards opening up some money to really improve your blue line, then it's the likelihood becomes less and less by the day. But, yeah, it's not that they made a straight-up choice, Max, Don't Me, over Tyler Bertuzzi. Obviously, there's a monetary discrepancy there, as Bertuzzi, according to reports, is gonna sign a deal for an AAB north of five million bucks, and I don't know, people seem to indicate that he's going out west. - Sure. - Whatever that means. - Does that surprise you that he is, I mean, and I suppose Don't Me could've got a little more money if he would've gone elsewhere, but I don't know that five was out there for Don't Me. I mean, it wasn't last year when he had a better season, quite frankly, as a member of the Dallas Stars. So, that's just the thing that surprised me, is I'm surprised the market is that high for Bertuzzi. I guess there's the bite, the playoff jam of it all, and I don't know, some element to that, but that just surprised me. And I don't say that as a guy who's super down on Bertuzzi. I was early on in the tenure. I think you really, really liked what you got out of him as it went along, but that just, if you would've told me, hey, you're building a club, who would you give more money or more term to or more, anything, quite frankly, and it would've been, it would've been Don't Me over Bertuzzi. - Yeah, I mean, I think what it ultimately comes down to is goal scoring is more valuable than assists, right? Like, you can put the puck in the back of the net, especially at the rate that he did after his horrible start. Both of these guys got off to a horrible start to the season and brutal. And became, yeah, what we expected them to be, ultimately, when the counting stats are concerned at the end of the year, but Bertuzzi, the way he was, he finished the season's goal scoring wise, obviously, a little bit, earned himself a little bit more cake on the open market. So there's a lot of different places we can go next. - Maybe we'll save the marner thing for the end of the segment. - I kind of want to sit on the Bertuzzi there. So let's say they, it seems like he's gone. What are they losing there and how irreplaceable is it? Like, at his best, Bertuzzi obviously gives you the goal scoring, and that is the first and foremost thing. Like, all the other stuff is more intangible. That's the first and foremost. But there was an attitude element, a bite, a jam. And, you know, I don't think it was ever fair to ask him to be the guy that brought that all by himself to the group. But I don't know that they're missing a ton of it with him leaving. And I don't want to belittle what he did bring. But it didn't feel like he completely changed the tenor of the team when he was out there or anything along those lines. Like, in a perfect world, and I realized this means you need somebody to step up and backfill Matthew Knives, but that should just be a spot that Matthew Knives continues to grow into and take and placate. So I just look at it and I say that Bertuzzi is somebody who I think a lot of people enjoyed having on the team, especially the best versions of him, but missing out on the player. Again, not say you don't want to go find somebody to take some of those minutes, but I don't know that anyone is sitting here, you know, crestfallen or wondering how the Leafs are gonna aren't gonna feel this. - Yeah, I do wonder how they're, I mean, it feels like their work in the forward ranks is like, they're running at a cake here. - Yep. - Because at the current moment, though, so this is without a Chris Tannem signing. Timothy Lilligan reopened when looked like that was possibility of not happening. - Boy, yeah. Let me tell you, Brad your living script will have something on that. I did not expect handing him millions of dollars. It's gonna be the something. I didn't think that. - Two years, $6 million deal for Timothy Lilligan. There's about 12 million bucks left in cap space. - They need another goalie. - I've heard. - They don't want, they don't like my Matt Murray for six bucks idea. - Yeah, it feels like Anthony Stoolars is the guy on their radar now that we've moved past Laura Broseois. - You're gonna be okay. - I don't think it is. - You're just like putting the flourish or the French. I could tell. - Broseois, I mean, and it makes sense. I mean, Stoolars, I think his career hind games played or started as about 30-ish. And Broseois never done that. He's never cracked the 30-start barrier. It's a 30-year-old career backup though. The numbers are pretty good. Same percentage in around 9.15. - Yeah, he's always been a, it's funny. Every time the Leafs have their, oh my God, they need a backup or they need some stopgap. Stoolars seems to constantly be never the absolute go get this guy option, but I think we're all kind of familiar with him because he always seems to be the second or third option much like he was setting in a free agency. - Yeah. - I think he's gonna be down. It seems like. - Yeah, so they got 12 million bucks to get another goalie to sign Chris Hanov to get another defenseman as well. I mean, how much money does that leave to add a forward? Like technically right now, they have enough forwards to ice a hockey team. I mean, is it possible that they're done? Like the David Perron thing we kept hearing time and time again and the connection to Craig Maroube felt like it was, it was just a matter of time before that ended up materializing. They're gonna have enough cash around for that? - Yeah, I don't know that they are. That's also a classic, you know, Perron is, no one's ever made enough money, right? Like you always want more, but he's a guy that you confirm. You can see a world where they say, hey, God, how many, there should be like a, I don't know, like an alcoholic's anonymous for late vets who have been talked into joining the Leafs in hopes of their Stanley Cup, but it's like, you know, don't introduce them to those guys yet, and I can imagine Peroube getting them in a room, hey, we've done the thing before. Come play, it'll be special with me. You know, what do you need money for? I have tons of it now 'cause I'm working for the Leafs, but you're not, you can see a world where he sells them on that. I also think a lot of this is gonna come down to, they would never by any means sit there saving spots for minting and cowin, but Frasier minting got a look last year. He didn't become a worse hockey player in the time between now and then, and we are all miles higher on Easton Cowin than we ever were on Frasier minting, and we think Cowin plays one of those games that can play up and down a lineup. So I think when you look at the forward ranks, you have to at least count, like the two of them is a guy. I think they're each kind of half a guy when they do the math there. You'd love another center, but I think that Max Domi was your other center that you went out and acquired there. You just, I don't think there is the cash unless it's somebody, unless it is. Now, the other thing that this team has done well with, and they did pretty well with it even this year, with Tree with the Noah Gregor types, is like, you're gonna find a guy or two on a PTO that is just sitting out there at the end of all this, and they're not gonna be sexy. It's not gonna be a great name, but if they bring three or four of those guys into camp, generally speaking, one of them's stuck, and one of them's found a role that maybe gets replaced by the deadline, but kind of helps get you through now. And then if you think of your Zac Astonries, again, like nobody fell in love with, but was a guy that got you through 60 games to tell you a major team at the deadline, I think if you get another forward ad that is with the Big Club, it's probably something along those lines. - I mean, you could also free up some cash if you, if the Chris Tannab deal was like seven years at $1 million? - Dying to see what this is. There's, I mean, honestly, it's such a weird spot to be at. We've been here on Free Agency Day where they go, wow, I wonder if they're gonna get the guy. We've been here on Extension Day for like an Austin Matthews or whatever. Go, I wonder what that number will look like. But there's really no, man, whatever you say the number is, the number is, this is a weird one in that we all are sitting here, expecting Chris Tannab to sign a deal with the Leafs. They certainly wouldn't pony that up if they didn't want to get it done. But we, I think even from reports, have no real understanding of what this deal could look like. - 60 years is the report. Minimum six years for a guy who is at the moment 34 and turning 35 before the years out. - Yep, just say, as long as he signs that deal before he's 35 so that the NHL can't come a call in here. I think that's the other part of it, is the posturing for a league yesterday is probably. - Well, okay, you said from the league. So you're referring specifically to the president of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. - Insider on our show, right, Sarah? - Yeah, is there a possibility that this was in relaying a message that the league reiterated, possibly. But Frank Sarah Valley, upon the report of the Toronto Maple Leafs talking to Chris Tannab, the 34-year-old, about to be 35-year-old at about a potential six-year, minimum six-year contract. Frank Sarah Valley, two contract housekeeping items since there's a lot of buzz today. One, if fake years are added to a player's contract in his mid-30s as a method to suppress AAV and/or entice a signature with additional total dollars, NHL will monitor and pursue later if proven as a means of caps or convention. Example, just pick it just like, I don't know, close my eyes and just picking any old player, any old team. Example, if the Leafs want to offer a Tannab six times four million, and the goal is to only play three years and spend the last two or three on LTIR, well then, that won't be looked upon friendly later. We've been through this once before, hence the 30-plus five contract rule out of the 924 players in the NHL this season. Only one, Mark Gierdano played as a 40-year-old this season, sells a little bit of a different case, won a Norris Trophy at age 35. No one can honestly think that signing Tannab to a deal that stretches into his 40-year-old season would be a deal on the up and up. To which ageist is what I say. To which you would say what, Brent? To which I would say, okay, but what do the rules say? Not like what you think, not the spirit of the rule, not what were the founding fathers thinking when they put together the CBA? Oh wait, we could just ask them, 'cause they're all right here. We don't have to go back thinking of what some guy with wooden teeth would have thought about all this, okay? We could just ask one of the owners and guess what? The spirit of the rule is not in there. The rule is in there, this isn't against it. Bad timing for this to come out with Shay Weber. I always forget how the hall works. These guys seemingly get inducted like five times. I feel like we did this conversation already, but Shay Weber going into the Hall of Fame or whatever happened in the summer with the Hall of Fame. The news was about, he has two years left on his contract. It's seven million bucks for the Utah Hockey Club. Is anyone come a calling to the Preds or the Canadians or the fake yachts or whatever they're gonna call themselves? No, I think not. Did it happen with Vancouver? Can you help me out here, Ben? What's the common denominator? Two Canadian teams. I wish it wasn't that simple, but you're making it very much so. I always forget about the long ago thing, 'cause quite frankly, not my problem. So it's just like, I do just forget about it often. But immediately, all of Vancouver guys, as you pointed out, I rarely tweet. Only in complete anger, complete ecstasy usually. There's very little observations on either other side for me. But I had to tweet about this, the cerebelli thing. And all the Vancouver guys, well, what about the long go? What about the, okay, great. Yes, that was bad too. We should not let it happen. Yeah, again, it's the, it felt, it did feel like preemptive posturing to get this conversation a foot before. Well, we had, you know, like you and I have three hours to hear and talk about today. All our friends on the TV side are gonna have hours and hours and hours to talk about it and discuss or dissect things, whether they're happening or not. And I think that this was kind of purposely put out. Be it from the league or just be it from Frank, quite frankly, as a thought leader for lack of a better term. I get it, sure. And there was the discussion about, well, before things broke down. And although apparently there's a resuscitation to the talks between Stephen Stampco and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Oh yeah, we'll try to eight times three. Yeah, something outrageous, right? Which is, so enough, two minds. Yeah, like obviously the spirit of the rule is to not do that. Sure. That being said, I mean, at any given time of the regular season, probably in the off season, any one of these guys at any age could probably be looked over by an NHL doctor and said, oh, well, there's no way you should be playing this sport professionally. 100%. It's not in the best interest of your health long term to do that because it's not for anybody. Oh god, it's dangerous. So I understand why you would be upset if you didn't have the possibility to make this happen. If your franchise, perhaps, didn't have the wherewithal or the gumption to put players on Robodaw Island, but the idea that it doesn't happen, that it's never happened, or that, yeah, you should just play by the spirit of the rule as opposed to the actual rule. Like, we're not that far removed from the Joffrey Lupo of it all, which was not a deal that was signed with the intention of the final years being what they were. But remember, there was the brief moment in time where Joffrey Lupo, I think it was a tweet or an Instagram post, indicated that perhaps not at death doors we once thought NHL independent doctor investigated. Guess what? Deemed him unfit to play hockey. I think you could very easily see this scenario where, OK, everything we expect to play out plays out that way, also because Chris Tana is always injured. I was going to say, he's minutes away. Like, I know it's July 1st, and I know someone's going to give him apparently too much money in too many years, according to the NHL. But someone's going to give him tons of money. He might block a shot with his face today. He might do it just for fun. He is never not in peril at any point in time. And the other thing about the cap of it all, and I think the reason why I'll speak for myself, but I do think there are a lot of other people that get rubbed the wrong way, is the fact that Arizona was the posting place forever for all of these contracts that apparently were fine. The Marion Hosa, his skin. Like, I agree-- let me before I make all these injuries sound much less bad than they are. Let me agree with you that you're right. Like, doctors, you can't play. You can't play. But it's like, Marion Hosa's equipment makes his skin itch. He's out. It's like, we now have Shea Weber that is there. There have been Pavel Datsuk, I believe, ended his career there. Chris Prong, or I believe, it has been a place where tons of massive stars in the game have theoretically been on the roster for years at time without ever playing a game there. And guess what? League didn't have a lick of a problem with it because they were trying to keep Arizona afloat and trying to make sure they didn't get sued by Morello and get him his money and everything. So that is the part of this that makes me the most-- whether that's happening or not, from an optic standpoint, you cannot sit here and be like, well, I mean, for the least, of Chris Tan of three extra years, that is completely untenable. But if the coyotes are just basically the cemetery of NHL contracts, there's nothing we can do about it. What could we do? Yeah, and it's an optics demo. And it's not an apples to apples comparison, I mean, the Arizona thing, which is, yeah, well, within the rules to just have a contract that is for a player that's not capable of playing, it's stashed away on LTI arts. It's not in the rules that the Panthers and the Texas teams and the Vegas Golden Knights get this huge advantage being franchises located in no tax states. I think that's against the spirit of the cap, quite frankly. Yeah, sure. Well, I mean, if we're going to do spirit of the rule, we could do a lot of spirits. Yeah, this is a bad argument because it's like-- I understand that this sounds wishy-washy, but it's like the Canadian franchise and the Leafs, in particular, have so little advantage now outside of-- OK, there is an advantage to having money you can spend on things outside of the roster players and having the best facilities in the world and having every assistant coach on the planet. To a point, because when they wanted to bring officials in to ref their summer camp, guess what? I don't know which. I think we can all guess which teams complain going, oh, but the money, we can't afford that. And guess what? The league told them to stop doing that. So even those things, the league's like, nah, that-- no, that's too much advantage. Sorry, don't worry about it. The reality is, if Chris Tannov doesn't want to go away after three years and puts up a stink, he casts a play, and the Leafs are on the hook for whatever. He's getting paid for those six, or maybe seven years. And just for all of you listening out there, you have to remember he has a fun job. So all of you guys being like, oh, he'd be like, I need to work. Please. No, he wants to work. Yeah, he wants to. Before we take the break, well, you know what? We'll talk about Mitch Marner after seven o'clock. I think he might come up a couple times today. So the most recent Maple Leaf news was that Nick Robertson wants to take his ball and go home, that he, as a restricted free agent with no arbitration rights, says, I'm not re-signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I would like to be traded right now. The Maple Leafs are under no obligation to trade the player. Like I said, they control his rights. They made him a qualifying offer. He has been qualified. He does not have arbitration rights. Is it fair, one, for Nick Robertson to ask to be traded and to the Leafs owe it to the player in any way, shape, or form, to at least explore trading him? Yes, and no. It's super fair for Nick Robertson to be like, hey, I just had exit meetings with you guys. The old coach didn't like me. And based on what I know about the new coach, I don't think he's going to like me anymore. I'd like to go somewhere else, please. If you could facilitate that, that'd be great. I don't think there's anything wrong with asking for that. I don't think anybody looks at Nick Robertson as some key cog of the Leafs' future. I was hoping anyone's ridiculous enough to think they're really getting anything for him. He is the perfect like cherry on top of a trade that you've already done. But he's not the catalyst for anything. From the Leafs' perspective, teams do this. You know, it became like a big feature of the Cal Dubas area here. But other teams across the league will say, you know what? All right, we don't have a home for you. I'll make some calls. I'll see if anybody wants you. See if I can do you the solid. I think they should do that. If they have no use for the player, they already been doing that. You don't think they've been tried. You don't think Brad your living has been calling every GM who, guys who don't even, they're not GM's for NHL teams anymore. He's still calling them being like two for one. Lillegren Robertson, what do you got? Shake the couch, cushions, please. I'm begging you, give me something for these guys. So I'm sure they happen trying to do that. And I think that the reason why, honestly I think the reason why we hear this story is because probably they are not shopping him with the mindset of let's find him a new home. They're shopping him of two people want to give me something for him. And I think that it goes back to conversation we had at the very beginning of the show. This forward group, Little Thin. Not that Robertson, you see him and you go, ah, perfect. Here's the spot for him. I know exactly where he'd go. But you can sit there imagining 12 bodies and go on. And I feel like we could find a spot for Nick Robertson in there. So the team's under no obligation. The player has every right to say, hey, I don't feel like I've got a, I don't even think he's saying I haven't got a fair shake here. It's just no, it hasn't worked here. No, fine. And you're allowed to say that. You're allowed to ask for it. Guess what? If he is qualified and he has to accept the goal. He has been, if he has to, you know, if he comes back and that's how it works out, guess what he's going to do? It's going to work his butt off and try to get a job in camp because he's a hockey player and that's how it goes. Yeah, I think everyone's handling this fine, in my opinion. As much as I can have sympathy for a millionaire hockey player, I do have sympathy for a guy whose work is way up to the national hockey level shown an ability to produce and feels like he hasn't been given a fair shake as far as ice time is concerned. And, you know, these are not guys that have 50 year careers you have. And especially, you know, when you're in your window of the peak of your powers to be able to prove yourself as an NHL capable player. And I don't get it. I don't think it can be understated as well. Like, you know, we've all been through it. So we know what these minutes look like and what the goals look like. But, I mean, you want to do goals per 60, like he is 14 goals in 56 games. He played just over 11 minutes a game. He produced in 13 of those 14 goals were even strike. He produced him very limited time. And I think this part also, it doesn't affect how the Leafs feel about the situation at all. But there's no world that it doesn't affect how Nick Robertson feels about it is the existence, the mere existence of Jason Robertson. Yeah, he goes, look at this. This guy now, obviously better player has accomplished more. Took his ball and ran with it in terms of the top six of the Dallas size. No, no, there there is. But I mean, you, you, you, I'm sure, have interacted with brothers in your life. Like, there's no way that Nick doesn't think the only thing stopping him is a chance. And it's like, is he a little delusional in that? Probably a little. But I think he's, that's the, that's the mindset you always want under your professional athletes is giving you a chance. I know I can do better. And he has shown just enough that he has kind of every right to believe that, quite frankly, when he sure does. And if you're Nick Robertson and you're looking at the, the, the rate statistics of goals per 60, at like a not outrageous shooting percentage and it being among the team leaders, you're like, what does that look like if I'm playing 20 minutes a game? And then you throw in the fact that there was the regime change last year. There's clearly a different, I mean, Wes Clark had some quote. He was asked the leaf scouting director was asked about it. Seems like he had a bit of a stylistic change. He was, yeah, we know what tree, we know what tree likes when we go out and execute it. So there's obviously been a philosophical change there in terms of what the GM wants. And I don't, I don't think, look, you score Brad, she'll even want you on his team. Okay. But until you prove you can do that, like a lot, a lot. I don't know that it's a five, nine guy who has trouble getting in the lineup on a consistent basis from what we know about your living. I don't think that's, uh, that's his jam. Yeah. Yeah. Brad's we're living more than happy to bring Johnny Goudro back if he wanted to. Yeah, but yeah, he didn't. Yeah. And we all know how that played out. Anyways, obviously going to get back into the Toronto Maple Leafs after seven o'clock. We are live at the Royal Canadian Legion branch 344 again at the, you know, the corner of Lakeshore and Jameson breakfast underway. I have myself a coffee, maybe a Danish live band here on Canada Day, one to six o'clock this afternoon. They got burgers, sausages, some salads, barbecue, lots of raffles today as well as we are here until nine o'clock. When we come back though, Blue Jays start their series against the Yankees with so much promise ended with a series split. We'll get into that in more next as the fan morning show continues. Ben Anis, Brent Gunning, Sportsnet 590, the fan. Dive deep into Toronto sports and the NFL. The JD Bunk is podcast. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Alright, just keep the offense going, the way it's been going, get better starting pitching and then, you know, turn the franchise worst bullpen effort into something that is possible. That's all. We got to God, we got to get him like the Paul Rudd surfing instructor from forgetting Sarah Martin, just do last man, no more talking for you, John Snyder. Godness just when when it's going the way it is, you got to you got to get your interbabs in you. Two, three questions are good. Thank you. Thanks, Ben. And I like, look, I love that he wants to just talk and blow V8 for us. It's great, but it's like God was so many words to talk about it. Eight, one loss to the Yankees. Yeah, they were very bad. And Kevin Gossman was was, I mean, it could have been worse. He was he was he got off to a horrible start in that baseball game. And yeah, the offense did not show up in one of the four games. Ultimately, a serious split at this point in the season, even against a team that is battling at the top of the division, not good enough for this Blue Jays team. It is the fan morning show. Sports at five, nine at the fan, Van Anis, Brent Gunning. We are live on a Canada day at the Royal Canadian Legion branch, three 44, which is the one you see right off the highway at Lakeshore and Jamison breakfast being served right now. Live band one to six on this Canada day. Blue Jays on Canada Day with an afternoon affair against the Astros, which you can hear right here on Sports at five, nine of the fan after three o'clock. So it ain't one loss yesterday. They're going to sit glad you think maybe. I mean, it was hitting the hand yesterday and did the late in the game when it was already decided, but yeah, X-rays apparently negative for him. They need him, especially the way he's playing right now, if they're intent on winning baseball games, which obviously everybody that's in the lineup is trying to do, but a series split couple of times they score nine runs. They scored five runs in the in the second game of the series and how to lead late night game before giving up 16 to the New York Yankees. So ultimately, we're back to where we started with this Blue Jays team returning home against a good Yankees team. Ultimately, like of all the problems, the rotation probably not a top three concern, but it hasn't been nearly as good as it will. Obviously would have needed to have been. And I think people who believed that, hey, counting on this rotation to be as good as it was a season ago, probably not a fair thing to do, considering regression, considering injuries and maybe both of them are the reason why we're seeing the Kevin Gossman that we're seeing this season. I'd like to applaud you for the myriad of ways you've led me to water in setting up Blue Jays discussions this year. And I can't remember exactly what the way you set it up was. But this was the thing that I was most concerned about with the Blue Jays team this year was I know the thing I should be the most concerned about is their complete inability to hit that they've shown it. But I've like made my piece with that. I've been, you know, like I've been abused. I'm used to it. I understand what it's like to watch this Blue Jays offense. Okay, I was not used to a starting rotation that did not have four at worst one B starters in it. And that's what the Jays were able to give you last year in Kakuchi and Gossman and Barrios and Bassett. And it just hasn't been the case this year. And I think the thing that is on one hand more encouraging about it. But on the other hand, more frustrating is this has not been a one guy problem. Kevin Gossman is maybe more of the problem than you would like for him to have been. But Bassett has had his blow up games. Kakuchi has had his blow up games. But just you have you have got you got you last year to such a high floor of starting pitching that this is what it's like to be a normal team. This is what it's like to have a normal starting rotation. And guess what? A lot of bad baseball teams like teams that are five, six, seven games under 500. And that's what the rotation looks like as well. So I think that is the thing that you have to keep coming back to with this when it comes to this Blue Jays team is yes, the hitting the hitting the hitting. It is so frustrating the lack of hitting. But the reason why they're never in my opinion, the biggest reason they're going to be unable to pull themselves out of this is because the rotation will not be able to buoy them the way it has in the past. Well, yeah, the bar is high for them to clear if the one win games considering this offense. Although it's it's getting lower the way Vlad is hitting recently because it's not just the hitting for average. It's not just the getting on base. Oh, a little pop. All of a sudden in June, the power has arrived and he has hit eight home runs or did hit eight home runs. Today's July 1st and the month being closed now as an OPS of 962. I mean, there are maybe get to some of the rumors that surround this team as they are. The number one team that people are pointing to is a one stop shop at the trade deadline. Both of players on short term, but if you want to go bigger, yeah, Vlad and Bo with one more year of control. But Vlad is doing it like he's doing the thing again a position that you used to think about is as being one that you could just go to the scrap heap and grab a guy that could hit you 35 home runs anyway, first base in the American League, not the case. What if this is something that continues throughout the rest of the season because what he's doing right now is kind of reminiscent of 2021. Well, I think I think the thing if Vlad is able to do this, it just leads you to the place that everybody wants to get to, not ultimately with the team, but with him and the team. We can all be frustrated at how things have gone. We all have been at various times, but I still think, especially in a non cap sport, the most likely or shouldn't say the most likely, but the most welcome scenario to all parties involved. And I mean by that Vlad, the team and the fan base is with Lagra Jr signing some 10 year cajillion dollar deal that he's earned. I don't think anybody wanted it just handed to him because he's Vlad and he's here and you got to keep him happy. But if he's able to do this and prove that he is worth whatever the big number is and you know, baseball big numbers get dumber and number by the day. So I'm not going to put a figure on it. But if he is able to do this and prove that he can be that guy, I think everybody would love nothing more than to give him that money and he would love nothing more than take it and to be a Bluejay or really does seem that way. So I think that's what this means, it doesn't actually to me have a big picture of like, what does it mean for Bo? I don't think Vlad hitting means a thing for Bo quite frankly. I think they're separate entities. They have to make separate decisions on, but that's what I think this could ultimately lead to. And that's where again, like if you just go back four years ago, that's what everybody would have said. Sign me up for that. And I'm not talking about cut in the throes of the MVP season, go back to when he was hitting the bomb in Montreal, say, Hey, I could just I can fast forward you warp speed. It's going to be eight years later, they're going to be handing Vlad a big check because he's earned it. Everyone will go, Okay, I'm like, I'd love to know what else happened in the being in the between time. But I'm happy with that. Yeah, I don't think it tells anything if, if in fact there is a world in which the Blue J's are looking at trading Vladimir Guerrero, Junior and or Boba shed at the trade deadline, I don't think like a recent hot streak changes that they're only trading those guys if they're getting the Godfather off totally anyways, like the idea that, Oh, well, it can get worse for bow, you got to offload them at this point or that the the the Dodgers because of the pressure that's on them to win this season because Mookie Betts is out for for a long period of time. Yeah, that you got to strike now even if there's a diminished return on a Boba shed, like it's no, you're only trading those guys and maybe not even because the the reporting out of USA today and Bob Nightingale is that yeah, everybody that's obviously on on the last year of their deals, including Jimmy Garcia, including Danny Janssen, including who else was in that? Oh, I guess, well, you say Kikuchi, those guys will obviously be on the trade block at the end of this month, but that any idea or any serious conversation surrounding Boba shed and Vladimir Guerrero, Junior don't occur until the off season, I don't think any hot strike changes that I think the only thing it might change, I can just talk for myself. Yeah, like I still need to see it with blood and if we do see it and and one month does not season make for me, I liked the the plus 800 OPS with no bombs. I like the like 900 OPS with bombs a whole lot better. Yeah. And it makes me more encouraged that it that it is still in him. He's not just an exit below monster. If he puts together not just the June, yeah, but a July and August and September, something along the lines of what we saw in June, yeah, I'd be way more apt to sign him to the he's not going to get a Juan Soto deal because Juan Soto's done it every single year of his professional career and he's a free agent now. Yes. But like, can I see a scenario where the Blue Jays are a little bit more comfortable signing Vlad to the, yeah, the decade long extension. It's something that's commensurate with the with fair market value after seeing him put together another season, something similar to what we saw in 2021 without the like weird minor league ball marks. Yeah, I could see that. Well, and they wouldn't they wouldn't do it for this reason. They would need to see the proof of concept and everything along those lines. But I think the most likely way in terms of this season plays out is that they're dying to have a good news story on November 1st or whenever like the off season starts and earnest, right? The way this season goes almost certainly it's going to be the best case scenario and I don't know, maybe there's pie in the sky people who think they're going to make the playoffs. Don't count me among them. In my opinion, the best case scenario for this team is that all the kids are up here in September and you know, showing you a glimmer of hope and it's fun baseball. That is the best case scenario for me quite, quite honestly. So I think they're going to be dying for a piece of good news. And you don't sign bloody to a 10 year banger for PR. You don't do it for that. But if he has proven the ability or sorry, if he's proven long enough track record to earn it, again, they're going to be dying to do it. And the only reason I think a hot streak should affect what your opinion is now on what you do is and you've kind of said as much with the Godfather offer, but it's if it's a team buys this hot streak to an extent that we all haven't or they haven't up to this point, we thought that's what was going to happen with, I mean, not a hot streak, but an injury with mookie bets going down and the Dodgers being ANC at the shortstop position hasn't materialized itself yet. And if it doesn't, you can hang on to bow and do this thing in the winter when you have more, more suitors and more teams. It becomes more difficult to figure out an extension when, when those two players are so close to free agency, but we do have proof of concept. The Raphael Devers was in the exact same situation with the Red Sox and before opening day, going into his final year of team control, put pen to paper on a big extension. God, can you imagine that winter of all whole winter of laddy? Yeah. Yeah. Sign the deal. So we'll see. Well, and I think I just think quickly, like, there does seem, and I don't know, maybe this unfair to not lump bow in there, but it's like, they're obvious, Vladi and Devers parallels, right of just like the crown jewel of the prospect system. And, you know, I know it was a little different in Boston, he was coming off the throws of World Series teams, but much like with the J's group, it's like, all right, Vladi was the next wave after a very popular team. You have seen a lot of very popular players leave in this time. You know, think of a Marcus Simeon or, you know, even like, even a guy like Robbie Ray, who we all think was a like great decision that they let walk, but you've let a lot of players go. I think that that kind of leads to them wanting to find a way to get some double flat as well. Yeah. Do it for a couple more months. Yeah. I'm a lot more convinced that 2021 wasn't just a minor league ballpark creation. Canada threw to the knockout stage of the Copa America by scoring one goal. I was going to say, obviously an offensive juggernaut, two or two fours. I don't think now, okay, so the game on the weekend against Chile, there were some exciting moments for sure. Yeah. Now, it must be said, and this is, listen, Canada created these two situations. They beat a team, scored their one goal against a team that was down to 10 men and then held on for 60 minutes against a team that was also down to 10 men. But, you know, shouldn't have been as aggressive as you were, Chile, with your yellow card already on the books, and then receiving your second in the 30th minute, going down to 10 men. Anyways, a historic moment for this nation when it comes to soccer, it was a historic moment to get into the World Cup, and by the end of the group stage, I think it hadn't worn off the, the, the excitement surrounding that group, but it was certainly diminished the way they played against the three nations and diminishing results as it went along after starting with Belgium and missing the penalty kick. But to get a result in the middle of this group stage at the Copa America, and then to get out of the group, Mexico was just eliminated yesterday, by the way. So Mexico, who Canada has been looking up to as the big brother and conquer calf for their entire soccer history, yeah, Canada was in a group with the number one soccer nation in the world. Yup. And they lost to them, but they got out of a group that those other two nations certainly had higher expectations than them of doing. Just, again, I love to play this game, just go back a decade and tell yourself that Canada just bested Chile and Peru in soccer in the group stage or something, like, it doesn't, you don't need more info than that, it's just a remarkable place. And look, yeah, the country's got down to 10 men, but that's what happens when you're playing into these gritty, scrappy Canadians. My man, Alistair Johnson, Alistair Johnson, sucky, suckering people into, to give them headbutts and things of the like. So yeah, I love it. I am not going to sit here and tell you I'm like Mr. soccer, but I am Mr. the flag, and I love them in this spot, right? It'll be fun. Yeah. I can't wait. Friday against Venezuela in the quarterfinals. Uh, imagine I assume they're going to be underdogs in, but I mean, it seems like a safe assumption from this point. Well, I mean, the FIFA rankings would tell you that Canada is a higher rank nation than Venezuela. Okay. So we'll, we'll say I told you, I've told you this before, it's like, we need to find the sport where the rankings do reflect the overall standing. I don't know what's going on in tennis. It certainly doesn't, isn't the case in golf. Every time I find out Canada is ranked higher than somebody, I go, really, are we sure about that in soccer? So I don't know. If there is a sport out there with true rankings, I'd love to hear them Peru and Chile ranked higher than Canada and they got results against both of them board. All right. Time now for the Canadian football report brought to you by securing in Canada, the official life insurance partner of the CFL, Robin up week four, Sean White's 42 yard field goal with seconds remaining enough to lead the Lions over the elks 24 21 BC tied for first in the West. They got six points along with Saskatchewan. The riders were on the by though this week. Muchra Alowet's keeping their winning run alive after capturing the great cup. They beat the Argos 30 to 20 as the Argos pick up their first loss of the season. That one was at BMO Field. The Als have now won 12 straight going back to last season for now. This year, though, as they settle alone to top the East Division, Stampede is surviving over time. They beat the blue bombers 22 19 on Saturday, loss keeping the bombers winless on the season. Two teams going in opposite directions after meeting in the great cup final last year. They are at the bottom of the West Division, obviously tied with Edmonton. The elks are also 0 and 4 Winnipeg. Now we're turning home to host the Red Blacks on Friday, still looking for that first win. Calgary 3 and 2, sitting third in the division. They're on the road to Montreal facing the Alowet's on Saturday and Sunday night. Another walk off field goal. This one was at TD Place. Red Blacks beating the Tiger Cats 24 22 on a 46 yard kick from Lewis Ward. The win has Ottawa 2 and 1 tied with the Argos for second in the East, Hamilton, just like Winnipeg. "Winless," said at the bottom of the division at 0 and 4. That was the Canadian Football Report brought to you by Securian Canada, the official life insurance partner of the CFL. When we come back, it's July 1st, free agency officially opening up at noon today. Mitch Marner, still at Toronto Maple Leaf, will talk about what our ideal free agency looks like for this Leafs team next. This is the fan morning show continues Ben Ennis, Brent Gunning live from the Legion on SportsF590, the fan.
