Are the Flames open for business? | The DFO Rundown

Things are not going well right now for the Toronto Maple Leafs and that’s exactly where Jason Gregor and Frank Seravalli began today’s podcast. Sheldon Keefe made some interesting comments the other day after the Leaf’s suffered their fourth consecutive loss and that led to the guys breaking down whether or not the Leafs are actually just a few moves away from being a true Stanley Cup contender or if this just won’t be their year.

The Leafs will have a chance to bounceback tonight as they face the Calgary Flames, who are another team in an interesting spot. Frank is in Calgary right now and broke down why he believes that despite their recent winning streak, Flames GM Craig Conroy is still open for business. That led to some debate about the kind of impact that Elias Lindholm will have on a contender.

Sticking with Canadian teams, Jason wondered about Jacob Chychrun’s future with the Ottawa Senators. There are some rumblings that he could be available and considering his cap hit and term, Frank says he would have value and that the Senators are open to just about anything.

They also spent some time talking about the Colorado Avalanche and what they could be looking to add ahead of the trade deadline. Frank talked with their GM recently on a new episode of Frankly Speaking and brought up their need for a goaltender while Gregor thinks that they need to add something to their blueline.

Tyler swung by with a new edition of Buy or Sell delivered by DoorDash. He asked the guys about Corey Perry, the Bruins centre depth, and the playoff race out in the Western Conference.

2:35 – Keefe’s comments

12:30 – Flames open to moves

25:20 – Chychrun & the Senators

40:00 – Merzlikins future

42:10 – Buy or Sell

51:30 – Western playoff picture

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Check out our friends at Betano and the latest NHL odds here: https://www.betano.ca/sport/hockey/north-america/nhl/10118/

Welcome to episode 271 of the DFO rundown brought to you by Bano doca the game starts now tonight 11 games in the National Hockey League can the Flyers win their fifth in a row they host the Stars meanwhile the Emon ERS looking for their 12th consecutive Victory uh

There’s a little bit of angst in Calgary but not for the Flames the Maple Leafs coach challenges his player so lots fre to bet on and of course coming up in the NFL they’re down to the uh we’ll call it the quarterfinals I know but uh you know Buffalo Kansas City Patrick Mahomes

Would he win his first road playoff game of course if it’s only road playoff game which is mind-blowing to me so you can bet on all that at ban.com Frank serali who joins us from Calgary today uh getting set for the uh pond hockey tournament coming up uh this

Weekend Frank um do you have extra layers little chilly for the fellas this year actually it’s setting up to be quite nice and Jasper plus degrees Jasper it looks like it’s plus plus two on Saturday and Sunday Celsius which is like 36 oh Fahrenheit which is I I don’t

Know that you can especially after how cold was I mean I would have taken minus 10 minus5 minus 40 you’re not playing but minus 10 yeah we could we could live with that I think we did that last year butus 10’s nothing plus degrees I’m gonna be out there in a

Hoodie yeah why not I didn’t know it was that warm might have to go skiing I like it how uh how’s your hockey are you in shape can you play got blisters what’s gonna happen round is a shape so I I mean I guess I am in one

Uh no I’ve been I’ve been actually pushing a little bit since January started making some small changes in my life and uh I don’t know hopefully it’s adding up I’ve been riding the bike and I don’t know that that translates to hockey at all but I have been on the ice

Coaching and flipping pucks and skating so we’ll see I mean can’t be any worse than last year it’s true when you’re coaching do you know which kids you can rely on um and I say that as we transition to uh sheld and Keef and you

Know said hey not sure which guys I can rely on in certain situations um you know I the funny thing is obviously I was watching the Toronto Emon game hell of a game the pace was Unreal Toronto probably should have been up three nothing bertzi couldn’t have hit the

Post more clean than he did early and then Holberg got robbed by Stuart Skinner Jones did stop Heyman and McDavid on breakaways but I actually didn’t think Toronto played that bad they lost the game and they’ve blown leads in three consecutive games so I get the frustration so you’re in the

Mitch Marner Camp oh we play great hockey no no no no no no no no I never said great um first of all great gets overused way too often you’re not great when you’re a wild card team okay well there are they’re teetering on the edge

I mean the Red Wings I think actually the Red Wings win knocked them out of the playoffs last night no no it opt it opt out knocked them out of third Toronto’s now the number one wild card team and um I know if you go by Frank by points percentage then they’re still

Ahead of of Detroit um I still look at points I know games played yeah it helps only if you win them but yeah the Leafs have 42 games and 50 points and then man what a what a race after the it’s basically one win that separates them

From being outside the playoffs yes uh New Jersey is currently the 12th Place team in the East and they’re uh two points out of a playoff spot the lightning have 49 penguins and capitals have 48 Islanders 48 New Jersey 47 and even the Montreal Canadians have 45 points so it’s uh you

Know the race now Buffalo is seven back with so many teams to climb I don’t think it’s possible the way they played but my goodness like there’s there’s more teams who could look and think like if you’re Buffalo and say gez if we could win four

In a row here we might be within two points I I could see that I mean as poorly as they’ve played to this point we know that this team or at least we think this team is better than what they’ve shown but I want to go back to

The Leafs like what you mentioned that they didn’t play that bad when I watched the game I saw a team that stopped playing they get a lead and it’s almost like they go into the old prevent defense oh that has killed NFL teams forever you have to continue to be

Aggressive and they just stopped it was almost like they invited Conor McDavid and the Oilers to get back into it well it really changed when Marty Jones who played excellent then let in a softy and that changed the game right like that that back can dryad will sell

Celebration he was like what it went in right like he’s just basically a blind backand put the puck on net and they always say put the puck on net good things will happen but um he was not expecting that goal to go in it goes in

And you know that gave the order some life and then Ryan McLoud took over the game in the third period it wasn’t one of the superstars for the Emon owners it was mlod with a goal and an assist a assist on the TI and goal the game

Winner and um you know hey there’s a team Frank that there it’s funny like they find ways to win right now um there’s only three teams in the NHL who have a winning record when they allow the first goal three and one of them’s Emon and that’s because in their 11 game

Winning streak six times they’ve won when allowing the first goal like it’s just not sustainable right like you it’s funny in the NHL like there’s certain statistics that over the time you look at last year you look at the year before very few teams can have a winning record

Like Colorado and Dallas by the way the other two and they’re like 565 so it’s not like you’re dominating but you know they’ve won 13 out of 23 games when they Trail uh giving up the first goal and and Emington is now 10 and and eight

Like it’s just it’s hard to do and so Toronto I think that’s probably what’s more frustrating is you give up leads in three consecutive games sometimes when you have multiple go leads and so you got to find a way to either get the next one and I know that two nothing leads or

Two goal leads today Frank aren’t like they were you know even a decade ago back then it was like well game over right guys you can’t really lock it down anymore the way the RS are and the way teams attack I I think a two nothing

Lead is is a bonus but it’s far from a far from a guarantee to win so how aggressive would you be if you’re Brad tree living He makes his return to Calgary tonight it’s the tree living Bowl what a great game to step into at the Dome excited for that

And you look at this team and and I I just think they have so much surgery to do on defense so they’ve got multiple pieces that they need to acquire they’ve got basically no picks and very little cap space outside of the kingberg ltir money yeah but

That’s a lot of that’s a lot of money right that’s four million it’s a lot of money but what assets are you gonna move to to to get those guys that’s the problem well I think you know you’ve got the young guys you know Minton and a few

Of their young kids if they want are they and other draft well they might have to like or you maybe even like Robertson um off of your roster okay so if Nick Robertson this I’m not disparaging a player no no he’s not giving you a lot if Nick Robertson

Played for any other team we’d never talk about him again yeah you could be right um well he’s he the one thing Toronto has Frank is they have skilled forwards now the problem is that they’re skilled forwards like m Matthews is obviously separate and nander they’re

Good but a lot of their skill forwards are kind of the same right like they they don’t really have anybody who plays a heavy game game Matthews is probably the the heaviest guy um I know berzi you know what he he sticks his nose in there and stuff but they don’t they don’t

Really have that and that to me that’s that’s an issue in Toronto but I look at their defense Corp and I think they have to upgrade at least two defenseman TJ Brody is not a top pair defenseman anymore he’s playing with Morgan riy okay this is how I analyzed the leaf D

The other day Morgan Riley for me is a two so you got Morgan Riley a two you’ve got two number four defensemen in Brody and McCabe and then the rest of your team the the other three guys you have are sevens on good teams maybe you could say Ben was pumped

Himself he’s still a third he’s still a third pair guy yeah so and those guys are important in the playoffs for sure so okay I I give you that but how do you look at this team this defense Corp as assembled right now and say that this

Team’s a cup Contender I’d say there’s been so much talk about about Sheldon Keefe and his job and what happens next my thing is you’ve gotta um improve and and conduct some surgery on this roster before you can even really begin to analyze the coaching part of it I think

The fact that this team is on track to be a 100o team is sounds about right given where their roster is oh yeah I at the start of the season when you looked at Toronto’s roster everybody knew what the what the questions were and here we are we’re

Halfway through the season they’re the exact same questions right like nobody is that accurate though you don’t think at the start no no go back to the preseason predictions and almost unanimously the Leafs were picked to win the division everyone thought no way Boston’s going to be that good again the

Panthers have some serious injury questions on their back end with Montour and eblad missing no one was really sure what to make of the Wings they were the they were the unanimous people were drinking the Kool-Aid unanimous division pick yeah but that doesn’t mean that they’re and I think that was more so

Because people thought Boston was going to take a step back and Florida’s GNA take a step back my point is people were drinking the Kool-Aid good in the division but they still had warts I don’t think anybody was like oh Toronto’s so good they’re everybody said what do they have to

Improve on their defense Corp right and here we are and what are we talking about their defense Corp like so to me when you asked about tree living yeah and I I I think you can’t wait till March 8th you can’t wait till March 7th you and now obviously you need two teams

To tango so you need a partner out there who’s wanted to do it and as we outline there’s there’s still teams out there who think hey maybe I can get in and if I get in I can be the eight seed Florida Panthers from 2023 or the eight seed

Dreaming in technol hey Frank but it’s the truth though right every few years an eight seated team that takes a Deep Run there is happens time that the Panthers don’t count why they won the President’s trophy the year before it was a good team that underachieved in the regular

Season okay they’s still an eight seed but we can go through the list of other below seated teams that weren’t president’s trophy that get hot in the playoffs right that’s my point there’s been lots of seven and eight seeds who go to three four rounds now they don’t

Ever finish it off I think that’s I’m just saying anyone dreaming that this year in particular with how good the West is you like please pass me whatever you’re smoking what about the East I think the East is relatively wide open yeah so that’s my point right so

You you take there’s some teams in there um we like I still think Montreal is going to trade people I I firmly believe that right um and you know Monahan and others but I I look I still think Frank on January 18th that even though tree leing should be making trades like the

We talk about the Calgary Flames are the Calgary Flames ready yet to sell I don’t think they are look the Flames already made one trade in 2023 they’re ready to go they would have moved out more pieces by now especially while they were sub 500 they haven’t had the right offers

They teams haven’t been ready to go and make those trades yet for cap reasons for asset reasons for they want to see how their team shapes out before they really spend and commit so they’re kind of they’ve been in a holding pattern they’ve been held hostage here I think

By you know the other teams that have expressed interest and been in the mix the one exception to that is hannahan that’s the one guy that they are still talking to still trying to to work something out and the reason for for that is one and I said this from the

Beginning of the year if you trade all of your pending ufas and it’s only for futures you don’t really have a chance to compete in two to three years you have to keep someone and hannahan is the guy that makes a lot of sense because then you can go weager hannahan and

Anderson into next year and that’s at least half of a solid Decor to get you started before you then go about filling the rest of it out if you’ve got to get four defensemen next summer instead of three like it just makes the task that much taller and you’re in big trouble so

They’re still talking to hannin still waiting still trying to slow play this out but the rest of it the Flames are ready to sell they I’ve been saying it for months so what’s the value for Chris tanov what what do you think he’s command what do you think is going to be

A return for him he he just turned 34 in December right he’s a defensive defenseman right doesn’t bring you a lot of points or anything like that now Toronto doesn’t need that I’m just using Toronto as an example but like what H what big of a return do you think that

There is Calgary asking too much right now no I don’t think so I think also teams are a little bit leery too of watching the way he plays um I I think you’re really looking at a second round pick I don’t I think it’s much more than that for Chris

Tanv yeah so and Toronto now they don’t have they don’t they don’t the Toronto APS don’t have a second until 2027 yes they they don’t have any of their second round picks in 2014 25 26 they have a first in 2024 they don’t have one in

2025 I mean that that first round pick for this year’s draft is really outside of maybe a couple prospects that teams might be interested in that’s all you’re looking at asset wise yeah no they uh they got a lot of fifths rounders if they want to spack

Those up yeah that that’ll get you uh next to nothing but yeah I did want to mention Elias Lindholm who’s been number one on our trade targets board and frankly I don’t really see him getting knocked off of that perch but as part of our trade deadline preview series have a

Story up today with a full breakdown on a live Lind Holmes game including a Scouting Report buyer beware and the places where he struggled uh five potential suitors that make sense for Lind Holm and I think maybe even more interestingly is looking at some of the

Trade comps like I think there’s a real you asked what tanev can bring back I think there’s a couple real recent comps from last year that could point you in the direction of where you know what Calgary might expect to get in return one is the involves the Leafs it’s the

Ryan O’Reilly trade with St Louis they got O’Reilly at 75% retained in exchange for a first second third and the fourth was to launder the money plus Adam godette and Mikel abramov abramov and they also got no aari so if you break it down you’re probably looking at the fourth

Rounder to Minnesota to retain an another 25% the third for nol achari and then the first and second are for O’Reilly and the retainment so I think that’s kind between that and the Islanders in Vancouver trade Bo Horvat for a first Anthony bili and ATU ratu those two trades are like somewhere

In between those goalposts is is where Craig Conroy should be lining up for the field goal fair or unfair yeah no I think that’s fair for linol and not you know I was I was looking up you know potentials for for a guy like uh um tanev and you

Know I saw you know Brock Sean put out a thing like lind’s not having a great year uh right now and I think you know people acquiring him are gonna be acquiring him for what he’s done in previous years and so that there’s always I don’t think that’s fair I think

What I think what um really taking a deep dive on his game and watching I think what really stands out with Lindholm is that in order for him to be an elite point producer he needs to play with elite players like here and here’s another good example like so people are going to

Be concerned about the drop of production Lind Holmes on track for 54 points which would be his lowest in a full season since 1718 how much of that is on him or how much of that is attributed to the fact that he just hasn’t really been the same

Game since Johnny GD and Matthew kachuck left like look at this look at these stats right here 21-22 when he had 42 goals and 82 points 66% of Lind holm’s shots came from the slot last year with those guys gone it dropped from 66 to 45 and then this year it’s down even

Further from 45 to 37 so his slots from the shot have been cut in half in two years and then you look at his shooting percentage Dro because of that it’s down 11 percentage points in two years so it went from 18% to 12 to now seven that’s because he’s not playing

With elite players yeah but it’s also the 2122 season was his outlier season he he’s never scored more than 29 goals in any other year right like that that was his career year of scoring goals yeah but okay so here’s the thing and like there’s a couple shortened

Seasons there that I think you really have to keep in mind too like 2021 he had he had 20 and just 56 games 47 points so he’s in the mid-30s and but here’s my point and the reason why I brought up the um I brought up those trade comps

Is Lind Holm has still even so he’s a few years younger than O’Reilly was last year but home has still gotten to Heights points and goalwise that O’Reilly has never gotten to and right now he’s I think he’s better than what O’Reilly was last

Year yeah he might be um I never I never viewed ly ly Holm to me wasn’t the tenacious he not he’s not in the same categories like Ronald O’Reilly’s Peak I think was better than Lyn Holmes me and I’m not just talking offense I’m talking all round player I think uh you know

Ryan O’Reilly is is um was was more physical just was more an intense consistent player in my eyes um and that’s just how I view him I I like Lindholm I’m just saying right now I think his trade values probably the lowest it’s been and is he gonna go to a

Team that can offer him to play with a G and K Chuck like players right that’s so if you don’t but if you go to an elite cup contending team you you have a chance to play with those players or those but which cup contending team doesn’t have a center at Colorado

Colorado but then who’s on their second line there’s no kachuck or good there because ronin’s on the top line so the the teams that I’ve listed as suitors are Boston Colorado Vancouver Vegas and Winnipeg yeah well Boston would be the one because he could play with either

Marshon or pack I would assume right they just have no assets again no so so here’s tell me if if you think that I nailed the summary on Lindholm we’ve seen enough to know Lindholm isn’t going to do it on his own he needs Elite offensive Lin mates in order to pile up

Points but he also has the defensive makeup to shut down opponents ly Holm isn’t going to transform a team into a cup Contender but he could help make a cup Contender into a favorite yeah I I think you’re higher on lindol than I am um okay like I think

Lynol was like he was the third best player on that line in the year the line had like you know one of the greatest years all three guys scor 40 goals right like it’s very very hard to do if you look at just the history of the NHL it

Was really like an every all the stars aligned that year for that line right and then um but then they got shut down runner up for the sky that year yeah and then they got shut down in the playoffs funny enough but um I I just I’ve

Watched the Flames this year Frank and to me he doesn’t look regardless of who he’s playing with he doesn’t look as effective with the puck regardless of who he’s with he doesn’t look as quick right now to me than he did two years ago I think that’s fair I think there

There’s he’s never going to blow anyone away with his speed I just think he’s really deliberate with what he does with the puck and really deliberate with how fast he skates like he’s always in control that he’s never really in a bad spot which is pretty important and he’s

Reliable and steady and I just think compared to you know compared Lind Holm to like because this trade happened last year we have a window to compare the two and I think maybe the price for O’Reilly then was pretty inflated because of the trophy case Stanley Cup and K Smite that they paid

Way too much and I said it at the time and people were like you’re a leaf hater no I’m not he just it’s an overpay for where the player was at that exact moment in time I think Lind Holm is a step ahead of where O’Reilly was last

Year yeah that’s interesting I look at um going back to like you look look at tanv this year compared to how Luke Shen played last year just last year how much so and you know I think your second rounder for TANF because remember Luke Shen cost a third I think tan is a

Second like I don’t think Calgary is getting you know any sort of significant like you know a second rounder is a decent pick if if it turns out for your team but it’s usually gonna be a later second rounder right like I’m not sure the tan of return is that high and

That’s why I’m wondering Frank like if a team really wanted him to give up a second rounder now I know we said Toronto because a lot of people think you know tree Le’s there and they need a defenseman they don’t have a second rounder so maybe they that’s why it

Makes sense to do it in a package if there’s gonna be someone else you’re gonna get is a third and a fifth equivalent to a second or would it have to be a third and a fourth I don’t have my draft uh value chart in front of me

Yeah so I wonder it’s it’d be close right so you could do that um I just yeah like I’m fat the the the Boston I still think lindol would work but I think Lindo might go there and be on their second line Center like Charlie Coy’s had a really good season for

Boston right and that they’re kind of building chemistry I don’t even know if you would if you would switch them out for Lindo so a third and a fifth I’m just looking at the chart here it’s got to be close depends on where in the second round of

Course but yeah well it we assume you’re talking late yeah you’re talking late a late third and a late fifth too right you’re looking at it no it’s not no so it’s a third and a fourth yeah yeah okay so it’s it’s it’s about it’s a few points short so you’re

It’s like a third and a fifth is equivalent to like a early third you it’s always funny to look back at the at trade deadlines and you know which trades really worked out I I want to get your thoughts on Jacob Chan in in Ottawa and do do you think they’re they’re

Looking to move him you know it was a they gave up two seconds one in one this year one in 26 and a conditional first round pick in 2023 for Jacob Chan last year did the Ottawa Senators what what do you make of where he’s at right now

Because him and Shabbat as a d pair have struggled so I think cheran has played really good since arriving in Ottawa like I think his game has been even on another level than what it was in Arizona the cap hit is obviously still really attractive at 4.6 and has one year

Left here’s the thing I I think if you were really to inject some truth serum into the SS the the answer you’d get is we’re open to anything and I think that includes Thomas Shabbat but I think Shabbat is a lot harder to move because

Of the term and the dollars on his deal and therefore you’re probably getting less value so the they’re overloaded on the left side of their D like Sanderson Shabbat and Chan is not spending 24 million bucks on just one side of your D is you’re not it’s it’s not going to work so

I I think they have to make a move there we know sanderson’s not going anywhere and Shabbat probably has a bit less value because of his contract that Chan is the guy that stands out as as having Surplus value and it probably makes sense even though you might want to keep chicker over

Shabbat just stylistically that you have to pull the trigger and move Shabbat or move Chan excuse me because you’re also having to answer a question this summer are we extending this guy or not because that’s when they first can and that’s really kind of the tough part

Right is your decision or your hand is going to be forced at some point in the relatively near future you might want to rip the Band-Aid off yeah do you see a player because you know many many GM said at this time last year he wasn’t available then he became

Available right before the deadline you know he had uh multiple years left at term pretty big contract at six million is there a Matias echome similar contract solid player that you think would be available from another team at this year’s deadline similar contract to eckholm and similar player like a legit top three

Defenseman right some some would argue like when you look at the left side of Emon with eom and nurse it’s pretty good left side top two right and I’m talking like he’s a Difference Maker like eom comes to a team and like he really solidified he helped s buard there’s no

Doubt about that right I’m talking a guy who’s you know pretty big who do you consider solid I guess is the question so like look at St Louis Justin Faulk Tory Krug Colton pero Nick Ley all four of those guys have no trade protection all four are locked up for

Three seasons at least yeah Paro even longer all three of them on the wrong all four of them on the wrong side of 30 the St Louis Blues haven’t won with these guys we know Doug Armstrong wants to shake it up he nearly traded Krug to the Flyers last

Summer I mean you’d have to think that any one of those guys is in play for the right price like yeah like Colton pero might be the one to me that’s you know when you’re that big and mobile Frank now he makes six points .5 and I think

He’s got five years after this it’s 6.5 until 2030 yeah and that’s the problem yeah he’s 30 right now so you know you look at that and it’s you know so he’ll be 36 uh I think eom’s deal is done when he’s 35 or 36 um now preo skates really well

That’s that’s the one thing usually guys who skate well age better historically right I don’t know I don’t know any 6’6 guys that really age gracefully well I know about you okay that guy’s he’s in a class of his own he’s a freak he’s still running marathons yeah a freak yeah so

But I just I because if I was looking between F now Tory crew gives you a lot of offense no question shorter term deal but he’s also two years older right like the you know fols I guess he’s really mobile it’s just do you believe an under do you believe an undersized

Defenseman I do if their names marar Hughes and fox but others I have concerns about yes at 5 foot n you’re not buying on Tory Krug no no for me no I think it’s it’s at 6.5 now if he’s in your second pair probably but that’s a

Lot for a second pair guy uh now the difference is crew can give you offense he can help a power play a lot so there there is that Advantage for him but if I was looking at their blue line I think pero is the guy who I think could could

Garner the most value of for another team just because of his size his skating Mobility he’s one right he doesn’t bring you a boatload of offense but you know what he’s a decent enough Puck mover in today’s game I don’t think it’s a concern at all like he’s not just

An off the boards guy and out um he’s not he’s not super physical for his size but if it was me and I to pick he’s the youngest and his contct he makes he makes sense it’s just are you willing to live with whatever those years look like

At the tail end and for a lot of GMS are like hey that’s not even going to be my problem that was just going to be my point exactly like how many GMS realistically are saying okay I’ve got for sure more than four years not many

So I think that’s the guy and and I look at St Louis Frank and I I’ll be curious because I think pero like you talk about you know the the outline you said about um Lindholm I look at pero for a team all of a sudden you plop him in in your

Top four I think your defense is a lot better how many teams so like let’s also consider the contract here like St Louis isn’t going to want to take and retain salary on one of these guys because of the years left yeah you need especially for Paro like you need someone that can

Either it’s not even a third party broker is not going to help you no one wants to be locked in that long you’re gonna have to take the whole cap hit yeah you probably need a team that has a defenseman that that’s kind of like a

Tyson Barry right who was making 4.5 for one more year so the cap space work and they get out out of it a little bit sooner and and Away you go but Nashville isn’t so I get the example but Nashville isn’t going to be adding so who it like

What team is going to be willing to trade that much cap off of their books because then you’re deleting at other positions I I just I think St Louis is in tough I don’t think like I and I look I know the year I know Justin Faulk had

50 points last year and people love the sort of playoff experience and grit that Nick lety like I just I don’t know that I don’t know that anyone really is all that excited about what St Louis has to offer yeah in terms of their defenseman yeah like the one

Team I think that could do it Frank because it’s a 6.5 to a five and then you add in other pieces would be Colorado but I don’t think St Louis has any interest in Samuel Gerard right because that’s the team that could do it I would have interest in Sam Gerard if I

Were the and look I know we when you’ve got kruer just talked about undersized defenseman I get it but I think he’d have value somewhere else I think he’s a great flippable piece yeah no but he’s the guy that in the trade that that would work and I

Think for for for Colorado man that would be massive but do they need him I don’t like I don’t know that they do well buddy look at the chances they’re giving up in Colorado like I know we’ve talked a lot about um Colorado and how many games their goalies played go back

And and you can look the numbers at at where they rank in giving up quality chances they have not been nearly I think as stingy as they would like right now defensively as a team not close so uh I think they would look to to to

Improve like their Tau pair is is Elite but after that man you know where like I If I Were Arizona Paro is a guy that I’d be interested in yeah but is he gonna accept the trade there I don’t know but that’s that’s exact the type of

Like you need to build they don’t have one defenseman under contract for next year in Arizona not one yeah I know there’s a bunch of rfas but still not one who’s gonna anchor your D for the next five years yeah it’s good point that’s again probably not a deadline trade anyway

Even if it were to happen no and and I know now hey maybe paro’s interested in the uh in the lovely weather likes golf but I I think guys who have like you know he won fairly early in his career right I I think you get to taste that

Man you want to be on teams that you feel at least can be competitive least I could be wrong but that’s what I would think right like I I think it would be harder to go at 25 you win at 26 27 and then at 31 you’re going to a team where

You’re like well I’m here for five years and we got no chance to win like like I just think that would be hard mentally right and some guys like well I’m just happy to be in the league and that’s great but I don’t know I think it’s I

Think once you get a taste of winning like guys who haven’t won are like yeah I’d like to win but then some of them they don’t know what they’re missing like you think what it feels like when you win but until you actually win you don’t know and and usually when you talk

To think you know but you don’t yeah exactly you don’t know like you’re you imagine it oh God yeah I’m gonna feel so H well of course you’re gonna feel happy but I’ve talked to so many players afterwards and they’re like man like like there were like it was so hard but

God it was so rewarding like even better than I ever could have imagined right that’s what they all say so um once you’ve had that man it must be hard like obviously lots of guys don’t do it but at least they might think their team’s competitive

Right so we’ll see that you know the so but you I answered your question you asked which team you know where are you going to get a guy under contract like you got to look to teams that are probably not happy with their current spot and then provide the sort of get

Out of jail free card like like the blues can’t possibly keep running this defense Corp back can they no I mean I guess they could but like three more years of the same guys in your top four like there’s not even an opportunity for one of your young

Guys to come in and take a spot hey Frank the team we talked about who needs an upgrade on the blue line what if you trade TJ Brody now I know it’s it’s done for you know he’s a UFA so St Louis is like okay but the cap works this year

Right it’s 5 million to 6.5 and then you add in the other pieces if you’re Toronto would you go after Paro yes yeah but can I just say something and not to toot my own horn but I was absolutely ridiculed on social media for saying earlier this year that

The leaf should have bought out Brody in the summer or at least considered it ridiculed yeah I just want to point that out everyone kept saying oh he’s our best defenseman you could make the argument he has has been their worst defenseman and you could see it coming from 1

Million miles away well I really wonder about Brody though Frank is if you put him where he should be because right now they’re asking him to do stuff he’s not capable of anymore he’s not a top pair defens but he he was what he was last

Year was Jake muzin a couple years ago yeah you’re right and no and people again whatever I I’m the criticism doesn’t bother me it’s just no one ever comes back around and says hey you know what that made a lot of sense because they could have bought him out for Z it

Was a z cap hit this year and then you would have had five million more to spend yeah that’s why the buyout was attractive it was just unique in the structure and it was like oh my God we could get out of this guy for no pain

This year yes very true yeah the the fact that it was a zero buo which is still it’s crazy some of the calculations but yeah it was uh it it made sense 100% right you you would had some negative cap space next year but you would have had a big bonus this year

So I look at Toronto and to me they’re the number one team um who who’s a compet who has really good players who who without question I think if they don’t upgrade their blue line Frank they got no chance to go deep in the playoffs that’s just a fact I think every leaf

Fan would agree with that I think management would probably agree and that’s why I think I think they’re G to get something done at some point and and I think sooner than later now probably doesn’t happen until after the All-Star break if I’m being realistic right because the teams come back on February

6 then we basically have a month right to to run to the uh to March 8th so uh you know that’s when they’re really going to have to uh lock it down if you’re Toronto because I think that’s when I look at teams like a lot of other

Teams are looking to add pieces here there no question but they’re that that the timing is not I don’t think is right right now I still think they have to answer the samsonoff question before they can continue because if you have to divert assets and cap space elsewhere to solve your goal tending

N they got three guys I think they’re I don’t I think they might just stick with I just might I think they might just stand Pat you have three goalies and you work through it okay right because there’s no goalie on the market there’s no goalie on the

Market who’s like unless you think Mark Andre flurry’s coming right that’s is there’s no other goalie on the market that I think is a clear upgrade over what they have so flurry probably costs you a third right I think the Blackhawks had to grind to get a second last time and that

Was a few years ago wasn’t didn’t he have a big hit then though right wasn’t his cap hit still seven mil like it’s 3.3 now so you could be right though like goalies rarely get a big return they they rarely get a big return and his number he’s a gamer but his numbers

Are good but not great he’s been asked to do too much this year with the Guston injuries yes so but outside of him I don’t I don’t see a goalie like you know m leakin i don’t Mur Le the term yeah it’s a t i mean his numbers are good this year but

They were awful last year yeah and they’re okay this year yeah so they’re good I still think when that guy goes somewhere else Frank I think when you lose one of your best friends um it’s hard to shake that I think if he goes somewhere else I think there’s a team

Columbus is going to sell low and I think there’s a chance the team a pretty good chance the team that gets M leans will will like the return as far as value and what he gives them I don’t think they’re gonna sell low at all because I don’t think that they’re gonna

Have anyone to even take him right now no I I don’t think it happens till the summer it’s tough yeah but you know what’s going to happen Frank teams in the summer are gonna be like man our goal any wasn’t good enough let’s go try this

100% I think I I think it gets straight in the offseason for sure uh let’s bring in Tyler your REM trck to the program what is going on gentlemen I’m back with a fresh edition of buy or sell and it is delivered by door dash for limited time our Canadian listeners can

Get 25% off and zero delivery fees on their first order of $15 or more all you need to do is download the door Dash app and use the promo code Nation 25 Frank you’re up in Canada so why not get in the mix try out the new Double Dash

Feature you can get a Donaire and a slushie brought to your room that’s good that’s good living I door dashed last night when I arrived here I was sitting at home last week and Friday nights after coaching hockey after doing a little work I like to my guilty pleasure

On Friday nights is watching a little diners Drive-In and Dives with Guy Fieri and they had they went to a place in Calgary and I was like that it was uh I don’t know how to say it properly nepales food from Nepal and they had they went to this place called Calgary

Momo house and it actually oddly enough is right near the airport so I landed and I said I am gonna Dash that for the win and I got it delivered right to my hotel so I could try the place from Diners Drive-Ins and Dives I I you

Should have seen me last Friday night I like had my phone out I was all excited like hey write this place down what’s this place called that is sweet all right uh let’s get into the questions I got three lined up for you guys uh the streets are clamoring they always want

Corey Perry update so let’s talk a little Corey Perry I’m gonna say he signs with a Canadian team buy or sell Frank so the question is Canada or the field yeah I’m gonna sell just because outside of Edmonton I don’t really think Toronto’s in the

Mix don’t know that I see him going to van or Winnipeg and then Montreal Ottawa they’re all out of it no yeah not and he’s not going to Calgary so I think that kind of just leaves Edmonton and I’ll take the field okay well can is

Some of the hottest teams in the league right now and uh actually think the three hottest overall last 25 games in Vancouver Winnipeg and Emon we won the World Juniors that’s uh the way you said it it was so funny I was like well well Canada has the

Hottest teams in the league like okay good they do I’m just I’m just pointing out things it’s just how goes um by the way we are going to do our Canada US rosters when Canada kicks their ass and the next time there’s a real

Uh best on best but um the uh I I would probably sell as well because I’m just playing the odds right there there’s more American teams um I I will say like on paper Emon and him are a very good fit there’s no question about it right

Like Emon needs a right winger Cory Perry wants to go to a team that has a chance and the orders they got a legit chance but um I don’t think it happens hope I’m wrong for order fans but I don’t think it happens uh just the three best teams based on points percentage

Since December 1st Gregs you’re bang on Jets Oilers Canucks 775 points percentage for the Canucks both the Oilers and jets are in the 800s uh all right next one I got 800s uh next one I got for you guys let’s go to Boston you guys talked a little bit about Charlie Coyle the

Season he’s having and maybe it’s calming down the need for them to add a top six center but I’m going to say the Bruins go out and make a big splash at a top six center before the deadline buy or sell Gregs I’m G to give the brw I was so wrong on

The Bruins um their their Center I their whole team has played infinitely better than than I thought they would be so kudos to them um how many top six guys are available right that’s that’s the question to me so you know what I’m not sold I’m gon

I’m gonna sell I think Boston’s gonna make an act but I’m not sold it’s going to be a locked and loaded top six guy right I think they’d like one but I don’t know there’s something about that organization they’re they know what their team is I think they really like

Their room um they could use a finisher though right the problem is there’s not a lot available finisher they got one of the best in the league yeah but but you need like having one is great I think they’d like to have like and not an elite finisher because none of those

Guys are available I’m just talking like a a good quality contributor offensively right like you know um maran’s got 19 but they’ve only got four guys in double digits right um like Trent Frederick’s I think fourth on their team in goals having a really good year with 13 but I

Think they’d like to add another guy who is around like a a 19 to 25 goal type of player I just again what assets they don’t have a first second or third this year or a second next year they have their 2025 first round pick and unless you’re a team that’s really excited

About getting a first two years from now like I don’t I don’t know maybe you’re betting and if you could get it unprotected that the Bruins have a drop off I I don’t know what the play is but they’re short on prospects and and assets and cap

Space quite frankly yeah they find ways to do it they do uh and they were they took some big swings last year because of the spot that they were in you know with that magical season they did not leave any stone on turn I just I wonder

If that going through that kind of it’s like a recoil kind of like remember Florida the year they won the president Trophy and they they went out and made all those trades it was they got CL jaru and um who’s the big defenseman Florida traded for sherat Ben sherro I mean they

Gave up a first round pick for Ben sherro and then all of a sudden they turned around they’re like oh whoa we can’t do that every year no no and and maybe there’s part of Boston that’s feeling that same way is we’ve had a good team maybe we can make it through

Based on what we have or close to it but by the way can we address the Patrice berson rumors there are Patrice berson rumors you didn’t I guess you didn’t see the Chicklets guys talking about Patrice berson they said the rumor boys they said they’ve heard he’s been

Skating coming out of retirement just for the stretch run that would be a veteran move very veteran move I don’t I don’t think it’s gonna happen no look I’m not reporting that I don’t think it’s I don’t think it’s in his nature to just kind of barge

In and as much as the Bruins want it to happen and believe me the Bruins front office is asking and and and they’re not shy about it which makes sense given all that we just talked about could you imagine Patrice berser on for little cap hit and not having to give up any

Assets I mean it makes a lot of sense I just I don’t I don’t knowing people that have talked to him as recently as a couple weeks ago it wasn’t even a thought in his mind and unless something really changed that’s my understanding of where it is I know

You said it’s not in his nature for him to barge in but I mean what if they really make it feel like he’s not right you get the boys texting him come back we need you we miss you come on everyone they pass they passed the torch like and

I think he knows that his body had just had enough that’s fair all right last one I got for you guys we’re going to head out west right now where the eight playoff teams are the Jets ABS Stars Canucks Knights Kings Oilers and PRS I will say those

Are your eight no playoff race in the west those eight are going to stay in those eight spots buy or sell on that Frank I’m gonna sell think the pr slip yeah I think the PRS are the only only one here I mean I just think between one

Of and I think it’s a real long shot for Minnie but one of many St Louis Arizona Seattle or Calgary is gonna catch the PRS I just look at it as a lot of those teams or all of them including the PRS are are really flawed the PRS have the

Best goalie he might just drag them in Jay you buy and or selling on those eight staying the same out west yeah I think the seven teams are are set um Minnesota I don’t see how Minnesota turns it around at this point they’re eight points back um you know they

Haven’t made up really any ground here lately and now they’re going backwards what do they won two of their last 10 so um Seattle and and Calgary would be the two teams that uh I give the best chance I give Arizona credit man they they kind

Of hung around but um they have the second best points percentage it’s PRS and then yotes yeah and they they have a better goal differential like if any has a chance I I just I I think all of those teams are selling or need to sell including

Minnesota we just talked about St Louis the coyotes are not deep enough or strong enough to just stand Pat at the deadline and say hey you know what it’s great that we could have got some assets but we’re going to try and roll the dice

And get in they can’t do that they have to sell the Kraken are the one team that could kind of you know say hey you know what we’re staying the course here we’ve got a bunch of guys that have cont cont TRS and term we’re not trading them but

We talked about Calgary and their need to do it and the PRS are realistic you just might be right Tyler on the goalie part yeah like I I look at at the coyotes and I could make an argument why they need for their fan base to say you

Know we’re not just going to sell off and have another wasted year again we’re gonna look to try to compete and uh you know now all of their defenseman I telling you they’re not doing it yeah well you could be right but to me that’s just a loser mentality you know they’re

That close and we’re gonna sell off again why to sell off and and get what the 12th overall pick the hell does that Doe for you it’s fair all right there you go that is a wrap on this week’s edition of buy or sell delivered by

D so I think finishing first in the in the west is a big Advantage because I think huge there’s actually something to play for because you’re gonna have the one cupcake first round matchup and everything else every other team no matter how good they are outside of that

Eight is scrapping for dear life to make it to the second round yeah Dallas Colorado Winnipeg emont Vegas Vancouver La it’ll be yeah the old waste of eight days as as Tyler reminded us Daryl well Colorado was an absolute wagon and he was bang on about it that year um but

All of those teams the seven compared to the eight eth is they’re in a different Stratosphere this year oh yeah like you could have I don’t know what say this Frank the Kings man they have really struggled as of late like they I think the kings are you might put the six and

Then the kings are a little bit below they gota they got to regroup because they have not been good here for quite a while like Edmonton’s gained 12 points on them 12 in a span of a month like that’s ridiculous the excuse me the Jets if

They win the if they win the West the first seed they could finish upwards of 40 points higher oh yeah it’s like 38 points higher than the eight seed and I know that that’s somewhat routine but we’re talking about a really big gap and all those other teams are going to be

North of a hundred yeah so well you know what selfishly I want Winnipeg to win the uh the West because then we have no crossover so go jets go jets go God it’s the stupidest rule in sports Frank you have to admit it there’s no

Rhyme or Reason for it none by the way little preview I have Seth Jarvis coming on Frankly Speaking last week and I asked him what’s one rule you could change if you could in the NHL and he said to make referees speak to Media after games to explain what

Happened and I was like yes finally we are aligned on something players and media uh you know you the NBA does it so there there is ways that you could at least Major League Baseball does a poll reporter the NFL constantly is issuing statements they all acknowledge that

They’re wrong and for whatever reason the NHL thinks that referees are going to be day-to-day with hurt feelings because they got a call wrong when we all know they already did yeah I know but I guess he’d look and say what what are we gonna say yeah we made a mistake

Okay now I feel better like I guess so well their thing is like we got to protect these guys they’re our employees we already know you screwed up please stop yeah well mistakes happen in the game like mistakes happen in like it’s the it’s it’s almost impossible to call it 100% correctly

Well of course it is impossible to do it the game so fast um I think the refs uh do an incredible job like yeah so they make mistakes I but they don’t but my point is in the eyes of the NHL because they don’t ever answer publicly they

Never make mistakes well I guess Frank you know what you said earlier it would sure be nice if someone would ever say we did a good job when is the last time that and so I could see why they’re like what’s the benefit we only talk no one’s

Going to want to talk to the refs when they call a great game they only going to want to talk to them if they miss a call so I can understand why but that’s not what they do in any other sport any other sport that they no you don’t go

And talk to them after hey you don’t go down to the locker room and say hey ref knock on the door a pool reporter here to tell you what a great job you did like that’s not how it works no one comes up to the Press Box and say like

Hey great story there they just remember all the prick stories you wrote well sure but my point is even you said hey it’d be nice if someone would said hey you know what that was a good idea but the point is people only focus on the

Negative too often so all that would do is add to the the negativity right there’s never going to be a hey Wes mccaulay had an excellent game tonight they got to put their big boy pants on they’re not they don’t live in reality they live detached from reality at times

Well the NHL sure but not the officials it’s the NHL so I my personal note I think hey that Batman’s had a great run he’s done a lot of things but I think it’s time for a change I think there’d be a good opportunity for change he’s I think nine

Days away from becoming the longest teny commissioner in Pro Sports history yeah so I think it’s time for a change Frank enjoy Calgary enjoy the outdoor game we will uh chat with you on Lindy