Canes’ Goalie Bet, Trade Deadline Fireworks & an Olympic Afterglow

Overtime chaos, gold medal chills, and a surge of new hockey fans set the stage for one of our most pivotal weeks of the season. We bring the Olympic fire back home and dig into what it means for the Carolina Hurricanes right now: who stood out on international ice, where the team gains an edge, and how a savvy goalie deal could reshape a playoff run.

First, we break down the highlights from men’s and women’s hockey—tight finishes, three-on-three debates, and the pure adrenaline that pulls non-fans into the sport. From Sebastian Aho’s leadership with Finland to Martin Nečas driving Czechia’s attack, plus an eye on Switzerland and Slovakia’s revelations, we map out why high-stakes games create believers and what that momentum can do for NHL viewership in March.

Then we turn to the headline at home: Brandon Bussi’s three-year, $1.9M AAV contract. We explain why this is exactly the kind of cap-efficient bet that lets a contender chase ceiling without squeezing the roster elsewhere. With Andersen steady and Kochetkov in the wings, Bussey’s rise could be the quiet advantage the East doesn’t see coming.

The heart of the episode is the deadline board. We make the case for a true 2C—how one player can unlock matchups, ease Aho’s load, and stabilize a power play that needs layers, not hopes. We compare fits and costs for Robert Thomas and EP40, and yes, we workshop the Austin Matthews scenario: size, two-way impact, and the kind of move that resets a conference. If a premier center doesn’t shake loose, we weigh a top-six wing like Jordan Kyrou and the value of a dependable depth center to protect against injuries when the grind bites back.

Finally, we trace the line where Eric Tulsky’s data-led roster building meets Rod Brind’Amour’s two-way demands. The sweet spot is pressure that turns into goals without giving it back—no turtling with leads, more control through the middle, and a forecheck that still has teeth in the third.

If you’re eyeing the Canes’ cap space, prospect war chest, and a Western road swing that could sharpen edges before March 6, this is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a fellow Caniac, and drop your dream 2C (or boldest trade pitch) in a review—we’re reading them all.

Highlights:

• Olympic highlights and overtime stakes
• Aho, Nečas, and surprise standouts
• Post-Olympic rust and reentry games
• Brandon Bussi’s three-year value deal
• Goalie depth, Andersen health, Kochetkov timeline
• Non-negotiable prospect keepers on defense
• The 2C dilemma and big-swing targets
• Robert Thomas vs EP40 price and fit
• The Matthews scenario and cap math
• If no 2C, wing upgrades and pitfalls
• Tulsky’s analytics with Rod’s two-way system
• Holding leads without turtling
• Road trip goals and deadline timing

Transcript

Olympic Hockey Thrills Recapped

SPEAKER_01 0:31

What an amazing 2026 Olympics for the USA in men's and women's hockey, winning gold and bolts in scintillating fashion. Carolina Hurricanes players did well in the games with Sebastian Aho with Finland, Seth Jarvis with Canada, and Jacob Slaven with the USA, all coming home with medals. While they were gone, Kane's general manager Eric Tulski was busy signing goaltending phenom Brandon Buxie to a new three-year deal. And you can expect that Mr. Tulsky is more up asleep before the trade deadline on March the 6th. Joining me as always to talk about this and more, and also answer some great questions in our highly anticipated snowbag segment, Hockey Sabonics, Aaron and Katie. Ladies. Hello there. Okay. The Olympics. I think uh, you know, we talked about this before the games. You know, what was it gonna be like? What did we expect? I was kind of hoping for some outstanding hockey, and I think we got it. Um Aaron, thoughts?

Overtime Formats & Tournament Stakes

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Well, it was, like you said, an outstanding hockey. I mean, how many of those final games on Lost Count ended up in overtime? That was pretty incredible. And I know that there's always gonna be criticisms about these games being decided in three-on-three overtime, but somebody pointed out that Sidney Crosby's golden goal was four-on-four. So you know, the games have always had a way of, you know, after the 60 minutes, you've got to do something to make sure that you're not tying up the schedule for the entire Olympics. And uh, that's something that those of us that would love it if the Olympics was just hockey, you know, we have to stop back and remember it's not just hockey. They have a tight schedule for all these other events and ceremonies, and um, so they they have to do what they have to do. But even with the three-on-three finishes and in a lot of these games, it was thrilling stuff. It was there the you know, it the more you watched, the more you saw hockey being played at its highest level in an in an atmosphere outside of the NHL playoffs, which, you know, of course, the biggest difference there is that it's always seven games, right? So, you know, seven game series. So, you know, you have you have lots of chances. A game doesn't fall on bounces or luck or anything like that, you know. And and in these tournaments, sometimes they can. I don't think we saw that too much, though. I think we saw hard-fought contests where ultimately the winner was the the team that got the job done. So even in the gold medal finals. So um it was great to see all of that. And um, I think that the the fun part is watching people who've never seen hockey before sitting down and saying, what is this sport? Um, and this is kind of funny. Um, got a phone call from my mom yesterday, and she said, So your dad's interested in watching some hockey. How would he go about doing that? Because, you know, baseball's not gonna start up for a while, football's over, and you know, he's ready to watch something else. So I think there may be a ripple effect from the Olympics where a lot of people are starting to say, hey, that was pretty fun. How can I watch this more often? And I hope the NHL will be proactive and capitalize on that moment.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Yeah, and you had uh you had a number of players of interest uh for you, just uh not just the hurricanes, of course, but uh you had some other folks from Montreal. And I thought Europe's Slavkowski was tremendous. I thought he he was outstanding uh for Slovakia and played for the Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

He made the all-star team for you know the end of the tournament, and I think he was probably one of the only um players not to be in a medal round that made uh that team. Um and you know, something that he's had some criticism from some people said, Oh, he didn't do this, and they as the games got harder and they wore on, he didn't do that. The the Slovakian team had a handful of NHLers compared to everyone else.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

Yes.

New Fans & Olympic Ripple Effects

SPEAKER_00 4:26

And um Slavkowski is only 21 years old. So he's just two years younger, or two years older rather, than Macklin Celebrini. So it's it's this isn't a player that is by any means a finished product, you know. So there's gonna be a lot more coming out of Slavkovski. And uh he's uh in great hands uh with uh Martin Saint-Louis in Montreal. And then you know, Suzuki got some criticism um from some people. They thought, you know, he was just okay. He didn't but like I pointed out to several people at the time, Nick Suzuki has played center on the top line or the second line since his third season he in the NHL, he was he was either one of those two lines, but since his first season, he started playing center and never looked back. He's not played on the wing since he was 20 years old. So he was playing a lot of this tournament um being slotted on the wing uh on one of the bottom two lines. So you can't expect someone in that situation to put up a lot of points. But something I noticed yesterday, um, somebody did the numbers for some of these expected goal numbers, and Suzuki had a 99.5 expected goals for percentage because he was his uh his expected goals themselves were 1.2, and then the goals against was 0.058. So it was he was playing a shutdown role yesterday, and he did a good job of it. So, you know, those are the kinds of things that you see players take on different roles. You think, well, where's all the production? Well, he's not on the first unit power play, you know. Come on. So he did a great job with what he with what the minutes he did get.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

Sure. Katie, thoughts?

Standout Performers Beyond The Canes

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Well, um, on the non-Kane side, I think my favorite player to watch during the entire Olympics was uh Martin Natchez. He was spectacular for Czechia. They split him away from Pasternak, and he was even more productive away from pasta than he was from pasta, and he was driving the offense, he was creating lots of plays, he was hitting his passes. He he was just uh the most just as dynamic as the best version that we have seen him ever be, whether it was during his time with the canes or now currently with the Aves. He was really special, and I hope that he can translate that into success moving forward now. Um the the Aves uh boasted, I think, almost twice as many goals scored by them as any other NHL teams players.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

They played a ton of offense across the board for um for other teams. And you know, Nathan McKinnon, despite being extremely ill this past week, had a very solid tournament. Kale Makar was good. It was it was a really enjoyable uh tournament to watch. Um, probably my favorite line to watch though was Aha with Lekanen, because then I got my abs fix and my canes fix at the same time, and they looked really good together, whether it was with Ranton or without Ranton and freaking with that duo performed spectacularly together. They were they were like two Ps in a pod out there shutting down the other team as well as creating chances and scoring goals for the Finnish national team on the way to bronze. So it was it was a fantastic tournament. And the other great thing was getting to learn new players like the Slovak goalie Hauai. Oh my goodness. It's just such a fun story and fun to learn.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Leonardo Janoni.

SPEAKER_02 7:54

Yeah, Janoni for the Swiss team and some of these other dynamic players that because they play in the European leagues, we don't get to see as much. Or they're you know, Hawaii plays for the in the AHL.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Yeah, he's with Iowa.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

So if you if you're not if you're not a big um AHL follower, um he's not as he's not a well-known name. But it that that was another piece of it too, is with some of these other teams just getting to see these other players and personalities embracing the opportunity to play on this kind of a stage.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Yeah, for sure. And and you know, I I really enjoyed you know watching Switzerland and and uh Slovakia and I mean even uh Chechy to some extent because of some of those players you're talking about. Like I was really, really cheering for the Swiss because uh you know they were they were up against it like the other teams. They had a chance to get on to you know the final round and so on. Um and I was really kind of watching them. They had players like Jaeger and Schmidt and all these guys, you haven't seen them before, and they were boy, they looked apart. They were fine, they were great out there and uh and making some wonderful things happen. Now, something I found interesting, this is kind of a sideline. Um, you know, watching some of the games, and particularly early on in the in the uh in the tournament, uh, there was a British announcer that was doing the games, and it was really kind of refreshing. I thought it was kind of fun. Uh, because you know, sometimes, you know, the the announcers that we're used to, they just talk and talk and talk and get on all kinds of stuff. And he was kind of laid back and he'd used some different terms. It was I just found that kind of fun. And uh, and I was hoping he would do more games because uh whenever I could get his uh version of the games, I rushed to them. But uh, you know, other people said some of them really liked it, and some said he hasn't got a clue. Well, that's fine, but I just thought he was uh, like I say, he was very entertaining. So another important thing. Hey, just to wrap up the Olympics, any thoughts on the Kane players that uh that were in the Olympics?

Czechia’s Surge & Emerging Names

SPEAKER_02 9:58

I think that Aho was good. I think it was a little bit of a slow start for him, but as it ramped up and the games got more important, he really showed up and was a leader for the team. Um Slavin was Slavin. I don't think there's a whole lot else that we need to say about him. He uh showed up and did what he was there to do and contributed to the team in his own unique style of shutdown defense. I I think perhaps where the the jury's a little more out is with Jarvis.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

Like like Aaron said with Suzuki, I don't think you can just take production numbers because Ice time was limited, playing more of a supporting depth role, not getting the um the best matchups. Although he had a little bit of time on McKinnon's wing for one of those games there before before that they boosted McKinnon back up with uh McDavid and Celebrini. But I mean, I think I think he was there to be a supporting role and to be the cheerleader. And we all really enjoyed all of his little side quests that he had with his buddies coming in, and even the Canadian skier Cassidy Gray, who had put it out the stuff about about wanting to meet him, and that that just added to the experience and the atmosphere. So I really enjoyed uh rooting for all three cades players that that got far. And then, of course, we had Freddie and Ealers, and they performed admirably for Denmark as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:29

Yeah, I mean, you know, Freddie Freddie to me he he wasn't lights out, he was fine. I thought he was solid in goal, but I didn't see him kind of stealing any games or anything, so I'm not sure what that all means, but but uh he was fine. Uh Ealers was fine. Again, uh didn't stand out a whole lot. Uh he was really one of the top guys on the team. They were really counting on him, uh, obviously, because you know they didn't have a lot of uh NHLers. So, you know, again, but they ran tough against some some other teams. Um for me, hey, listen, that last game with the U.S. and Canada was just unbelievable. Canada played an outstanding game, could have easily won, and then the U.S. pulled off the win in the end. Either team, it was great. And great for hockey, is as you said too, Aaron. I think it's a wonderful thing. So, yeah, lots of fun. The one thing I wonder though is the players coming back now. So, you know, you've got this high, like this, this is you know, this is intense, right? And all of a sudden you're coming back and uh and you know, hey, gotta get out to practice tomorrow or today or whatever it is. Um to me, that's I don't know, might take a day or two for them to get back into it. Any any thoughts on that?

Broadcast Quirks & Global Flavor

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Well, I know that um I'm looking at Thursday's game against the Lightning and thinking it's a you know, i you might see that on both sides. There there were players from from both teams, of course, that were over there. And I I have a feeling that for those players it's it's gonna be a little bit of a um adjustment to get back into the swing of a regular season game in the NHL. Um I think that we may see just just in general, I mean, you know, those first games back, there's always some rust involved. And I, you know, I think the good part is that um both teams will probably be a little bit rusty. And um, you know, the one difference for the Keynes is that you know the Keynes head coach was not also over there in that atmosphere. You know, John Cooper's gonna have to do some mental adjusting, you know. We just want to beat them, we don't need to kill them, you know, that kind of thing. So it'll be interesting to watch that game from that perspective and just kind of see, you know, is it is it more of an advantage for the head coach to have stayed focused on the NHL games, or is it more of an advantage for Cooper to be coming back from this hyped-up atmosphere? We'll see.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Well, and the other players coming back from Cabo or wherever they've gone for their uh week vacation, they'll take a few days as well to get their seed legs back. Okay, let's move on to something that uh I think was exciting while the Olympics were going on, and of course, that was the announcement that uh Brandon Bussey had signed a three-year deal with the Canes at$1.9 million per year. Busy, again, uh third in the league and wins with 23. He's second in the NHL with the 2.16 goals against average. He's got a great 906 save percentage. I think that's wonderful. Katie?

Canes Players’ Olympic Report Cards

SPEAKER_02 14:23

Oh, I think it I mean it's fantastic. Did any of us expect the AAV to be that low? That's what left me forever, guys. Three years, yeah, three years right there. Perfect. But 1.9 million AAV? That is fantastic work. And I understand where the Keynes office is coming from. He has had an amazing season, but it is not even a complete full season, and there's no promise or no guarantee that it's something that can be sustained. And so he has the three years of security. The Keynes office has that uh ridiculous, lovely good AAV to work with. And then if he is able to show that, yes, this is my game, this is who I am with the Keynes, this is who I can be moving forward, then in a couple of years, when there's a year left on the contract, they can revisit and uh resign him at whatever value uh is appropriate at the time. But for now, he gets uh he gets a security, the front office gets the good uh financial deal, and all parties are very, very happy moving forward. And I can't wait to see what he is able to do the rest of the season because if he can replicate what he produced before the Olympic break, after the Olympic break, and build on that even more, the canes might have just found magic in a bottle when it comes to figure to having the goalie they need to make it further in the playoffs than uh than they have made under Rod Brindermore thus far.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Yeah, for sure. And and you know, Eric Tuleske has done this numerous times. I mean, look at some of the other deals he put together. He's got uh he got Sean Walker for five years at three and a half million or something. He's got uh uh you know Shane Gossespare was in 3.2 million or something for three years. I mean, these are these are great deals. Uh you know, Eric Robinson's deal, you know, multi-year again at uh at low dollars. Um so he's really made a habit of signing these guys. And also, if you look at some of the long-term deals he pulled together for uh Stankhoven and Blake, those could turn out to be insane. So he's definitely a guy that knows how to you know pitch his case and uh and make it work. Now on the other side, and we know this is part of what what uh Brandon Bussey was talking about, is look, he's got a three-year deal, he's a millionaire now, he's getting a good upfront part of this contract, which is great, and he's getting married. So this is all good stuff for him. He doesn't have to worry about riding the buses, he doesn't have to worry about being sent back to the American Hockey League. All of a sudden, you know, he's in the midst of a strong playoff opportunity and he's a millionaire. So this is good stuff. Um, I think, you know, one of the things that we'll talk about as we get into looking at the playoffs and what might have to happen before then, you know, the fact that Busy is in there now is such a strong goaltender changes the rules a little bit for the Kings. You know, we've had this thing where, okay, you know, we get in there and somebody gets injured or somebody's not playing well, and all of a sudden, you know, you're in a world of hurt. And, you know, Bussey right now is playing at such a level that he could stand up against, you know, the Vasilevskys and and you know the other top goalies uh was uh Bob in the past, Brobrowsky, who don't know if he'll even be in the playoffs. But those kind of goaltenders that you're gonna face. And I think this is this could be exciting for the Keynes. So let's move on to the mailbag segment. Um, and there are some questions about Brandon Busy. Um, and the first one from Canes and Dogs says, is the Bussey Anderson goalie combination going to be enough to get the Canes to the cup finals, or does Tulski need to acquire an NHL backup? That's coming from Steve. Aaron, you want to kick that off?

Post-Olympic Reentry & Rust

SPEAKER_00 18:26

I don't know that I would answer with needs to acquire an NHL backup, but I'm sure that they're keeping an eye on the market. If something happens, if somebody's available that might be a good person to add for, you know, uh just a little bit of money or on an expiring contract. Um they do have some really good goaltenders in the AHL right now, so that may not be as big of a concern. And they're certainly not going to spend um draft picks or other resources on someone that isn't gonna help. The only reason I could see them exploring that market and and being open to the idea of adding is because of uh the uncertainty that always seems to come up around Frederick Anderson in terms of his health. Now he's been very healthy this year. He just finished playing in the Olympics, like you said. You know, he's not um we're not seeing any signs of trouble from him in that regard. So they wouldn't get someone to, you know, that they that they want to bring in as a replacement for Freddie or anything like that. Um but if they wanted to have somebody else besides their their options that they currently have in the AHL in case Freddie was to go down with injury, especially with uh Kochekov out, they I'm sure they'll consider it. I don't think it's a priority. I don't think it's a priority at all because I think that you know we've had uh we I I believe Caden Primo has been doing very well. And I think that uh, you know, some of the other ones that they have down there have not been slouches either. So they're probably comfortable, I think. That's my take.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

Well, Caden Primo, just to mention this, he's 10 and 0 in his last 10 games. Um his numbers are just they're gaudy, they're incredible. Um so he's doing what he does in the American Hockey League. He's he's just playing outstanding goal. And so, yeah, uh it's a tough decision to say, hey, are you gonna make a deal and give up a draft pick or something when you may have somebody in the in the house that uh that can you know step in in a situation and be a backup? Because clearly, you know, if somebody goes down, the other person will be the the go-to for sure. Um yeah, okay. I I think that's I think that's pretty pretty well, you know, covers that one. Uh here's a second question about Brandon Bussey. It's from Cody, and he says, if Bussey turns out to be a Bennington situation and finishes the rest of the season at the level he's currently at and does well in the playoffs, does Anderson get a cheap extension? Is alternating starts for Kochetkov, Bussey a non-question? Okay. So this is for next season.

Brandon Bussi’s stunning Three-Year Deal

SPEAKER_02 20:54

Yeah, for next season I don't see them extending Anderson. I think uh as much as we love Freddie and as much as he has done for this team right now or in the past seasons, that it's obvious that age-related regression is pretty solidly upon him. And even for a year, the Keynes don't want to carry three goalies on the roster for an entire season. So um that's that's not gonna happen. So I think the the likelihood is that they're gonna be looking at uh Bussey and Kochakov um sharing the net, unless Busy just continues this amazing run and takes them deep or earns himself uh that starting role outright. But and then and then it'll be on Pyotr. It'll be on him to say, look, I deserve my ice time too. I deserve my opportunities to start, and he's gonna back up whatever statement that is with um with his play and go from there. But I I don't really see any kind of goaltending move being made this summer. I think they're very happy with the duo they've got, and I think that the budget that they have them at is going to be a key part of moving forward because uh Kochekov only has the one year left on his deal, and I don't know that he has proven himself to the extent to where he gets extended this summer. I think they want to see what he's able to do with another season now that he's got the hip issue fixed. And then then they can talk again come the following January, whatever, depending on. Depending on what he uh demonstrates for the team. But at least next season, two goalies under four million dollars total. I think the Keynes are just going to run with that and then address the needs as they arise should they need to.

SPEAKER_01 22:47

Yeah, I mean I think you're right. Um, I think at this stage, uh, you know, they're in great shape. Now, interesting thing about Piotr, now he was uh his surgery was December 29th. So I don't know what the term is for him to rehab and come back. We haven't heard anything on that, whether or not it's a six-month or 12-month or whatever it is. Uh but if it was a like a four-month uh situation, he could possibly even be back by the playoffs. So it's kind of interesting. Um, we don't really know. Uh we haven't heard much about that. They just said he's out for the season, but who knows what that means. Um, and of course, uh, you know, again, uh next year, he's gonna have to, you know, based on what Brandon Bussey's doing, he's gonna have to earn his playing time for sure. I don't think there's any question. But one thing that we also know, and this is something we forget a little bit, is that sometimes when when uh Piotr's on his game, he is amazing. I mean, remember we had one of those periods where he was just he was lights out. So, you know, if he can get back to form and you've got those two guys, you know, sharing the load, it starts to get pretty interesting for the canes. Okay, so let's move on to our next question. It's a good one from uh from Rachel, Queen of the Puck. Uh who is the one prospect you absolutely wouldn't want included in a trade? Now, one thing about the canes, we both know, we all know, sorry, is that the canes are loaded with really, really tough prospects. I mean loaded. And you know, you start to put the list together and it's quite large. Um, and one thing that that I just want to mention as as we go into this is of course there are a number of Russians that are in that group. And they're you know, quietly in the background. We don't hear a lot about them, but I can tell you that that there's probably four or five that are gonna get a lot of attention because they are there are some really young talented players there. So, Aaron, what are your thoughts about that? Who do you not want included in a deal?

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Well, I hope I'm not mentioning someone you two have already talked about and decided on. But um for me, and this is gonna surprise a few people probably, but the prospect that I do not want the Canes to trade, at least not right now, is Charles Alexis Lego. Oh, okay.

unknown 25:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

And I know that that's probably not on anybody's top list. You're not looking at that going, well, why? You know, because you've got some guys that are superstar potential and all this. But Lego is a very solid shutdown defenseman who plays on the right.

SPEAKER_03 25:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

And the Kanes are gonna need that player. And he's also big and he's also got an edge. He's got that meanness to his game that the Canes lack in a lot of areas. And I look at how many um left shot defensemen they have in their ages, you know, the young, the younger ones, because we have we you know who we have on the left, obviously, we have Jacob Slavin, but there's there's gonna be some time, and as as as time goes by and some of these roles change and people move around, you're gonna need someone who has uh Legaux's uh ability to do that and to play that role and to play that role on that side. I know it's not the same player, and and we're not talking about any kind of thing like the same situation, but I think about how valuable Brett Pesci was to this team.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

And I think that Lego is gonna be that kind of player when he does make and when he was up with the team prior to that unfortunate injury. Um, you know, he played such a seamless, he fit in so seamlessly. You didn't notice him. And yes, what you want from a defenseman who plays uh a defenseman-defenseman game, you know, the the the not the puck moving, not the offensive superstar, but the guy that's shutting things down quietly on the back end, that's exactly what you want. So to me, right now, I think a lot of people would be willing to throw him in and say, oh, we won't need him, but I think that they will need him. Right, right-handed defensemen are not exactly common in the NHL. And he's such a good shutdown defenseman. So that's my pick.

SPEAKER_01 26:50

No, I think he's a great pick. I mean, for sure, uh Charles Alexis Legaux has proven that he can, you know, play in the NHL. Uh and you know, prospects are prospects until they get in and start to deliver, uh, that's another story. But yeah, I think Charles Alexis Legaux, for sure, uh, is is a definitely a great prospect. Katie, who's on your list?

SPEAKER_02 27:13

Legaux would definitely be up there, that's for sure. Um so the one that I would want to keep um going off of what Aaron said um is another right-handed defenseman in Joel Nystrom. He's already proven success with the canes that he slots in. And a lot of the talented players that project higher or more skilled and on the forward end of things, um, there there's too many roadblocks for them. There's too many similar-style players with the canes uh in those positions, and so you'd have to do a major roster shake-up to find a spot for them. Uh-huh. But we know with Nistrom that he already fits, he already makes sense. He uh looked great with them when he had to fill in with the injuries earlier in the season. I particularly liked him with Nikishan. The two of them seem to read off of each other well and balance each other with their style of play. Um so I I think he's the one that I would like to see them hold on to because he's already a fit with the team. Yeah, already a known quantity in the locker room. And you hate to give something like that up when you have a guarantee of somebody who can help the team moving forward.

How Bussi Changes Playoff Math

Mailbag: Is A Backup Goalie Needed

SPEAKER_01 28:33

No, I agree. I think uh, you know, I've talked many times about Joel Nistro. I think he's I think he's a great guy. You know, the Canes have so many great ones. I mean, you know where I'm gonna go, and I always do, and it's Bradley Nadeau. Uh I just do not want Double leave this hockey club. Um because I I think he's one of those players that he goes somewhere else and you go, why did we let him go? You know, like he's just he's just too good. And everything I'm hearing right now, you know, is that his defensive game has just come miles. He is a full 200-foot player, and he's still got that offensive uh you know magic that uh separates him from so many players. I mean, he's just incredible. I don't know if you saw recently he scored another beautiful goal in the weekend, one of these ones where it comes out of stick and it's gone instantly. Um so yeah, but you know, there's Charlie Serato, is another one that's exciting to me. Felix Unger Soram has had a phenomenal year this year in Chicago. So he's starting to show the promise we saw a couple of years ago at camp. There's so many of them. And there's a couple of you know Russian defensemen we're not talking about. I mean, we've got uh, you know, Kirbin Limitov is a guy that's uh looking pretty good. You've got uh Timur Cole is another one. You've got uh and you've got other players like Bedenka down in Chicago. These guys are young players that look really exciting. So yeah, it's a tough, tough question to answer. And uh I hope we did to some extent, Rachel, but it it was a tough one for us, and uh just too many great prospects. Okay, so as expected, we did get a lot of questions about the trade deadline, and and you know what? It it so much of it ends up in the same place, which is you know, what do the canes need to do? And what you know, who are the players that they might get that would help them do it? Um let me read three questions. I think we can answer them in the same discussion point. One of them from Kaniac, he said, Do the canes finally trade for a 2C? If they if so, do they make a big splash, Thomas or EP40, or do they go rental? I think that's an incredibly smart question that's right on, and we'll talk about that. Steve says, I'd love to see a reunion with Trojek. Tulski and Drury aren't adverse to making deals. Thoughts on this, and what would go back to New York? Okay, so we've got EP40, we got Thomas, we got Trochek. People are definitely talking about centers. Mark Hosen says, looking at possible centers and wingers, he says Batherson after next year is in the UFA. So Robert Thomas, Nick Schmaltz, Ryan O'Reilly, and then he mentions some wingers, Jake Neighbors and Blake Coleman. I think the big discussion right now is do the Canes go for a home run or do they just kind of add kind of around the edges? I mean, the the lineup is set. There's not really a hole anywhere. You can't sit there and say we've got to take, you know, we've got a weakness here. In fact, uh you've got extra players that are gonna be sitting out here shortly. So where do we go with this? Aaron, you want to kick it off?

Next Year’s Net: Bussi vs Kochetkov

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Well, I think that like you said, that the big question is how are the canes you know approaching this deadline and and you know, what do they what do they see as the the need for the team and how are they gonna try to to fill that need? I think that there's no question after, especially after watching Olympic hockey, you know, you cannot have one scoring line, and the canes are in danger of that becoming the case because even though we've seen Jordan Stahl have this resurgence as a goal scorer, I'm not counting on that in the playoffs when his job will be to shut down the other team's top lines. And I don't think that, you know, um I I genuinely, I mean, I have to disagree a little bit with what you said earlier about Eelers. I noticed Ealers every game that I watched with Jim Mark. Um again, uh a team that didn't have a lot of NHLers in the roster, you know. So um I thought that he did he was one of those that was really trying to put the team on his back and he did get some nice, you know, goals and some a lot of good chances. But that was the kind of thing that made me say, you know, we're we're playing this guy right now on our third line with with the Jordan Stall and Jordan Martin. He really should be on the second line, but then that puts us back into the question of who's the 2C. Um he can't be a second line uh player if your 2C is Logan Stankovin. So we have to ask that question and see what they do. I think the Keynes will try to go for a home run trade. I think they will try to go for someone in the uh the Thomas or EP40 or um, you know, one of those players that that you just would love for them to get. Because Eric Tolski, his philosophy isn't to look at the canes and say, well, we could get a little better here, we could get a little better there. We could, you know, he's his philosophy is I will make any trade I can to make the team better. Right as a whole, you know. So he's he's looking at the whole team and saying, what do we need to be better? I don't know how you look at the team and answer that question in any way that doesn't involve 2C.

unknown 33:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:38

And as much as you could see them doing another stop gap, they've done it in the past. It all depends on what their goal is for this year. They're gonna have the opportunity to go into the um to the playoffs in the East with the very strong likelihood that the Florida Panthers will not be a factor.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

Right.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

You don't want to squander that opportunity. So I think that they will try to make a big swing. I think there's obstacles in the way of getting Thomas, for instance, or of getting uh Elias Peterson. So I don't know that they'll be able to do it. And then that's then do they fall back on one of these other guys? And that's I think the the conversation that will happen at that point. But we're only 11 days out from the trade deadline. All of this has to happen fast.

Prospects You Do Not Trade

SPEAKER_01 34:20

Well, a couple things. Now, Robert Thomas, he's 8.1 million to 20, 30, 31. He's a right shot centerman. That's he's solid in the face-off dot. He's got a 53 plus percent uh face-off career number, so he's very strong there. He's a guy that had an 86 and an 81 point season. So, I mean, you know he can play, right? Now, one of the questions is what would you have to give up for a Thomas? And there was an interesting thing in the athletic today where they were talking about what the trade might look like. Uh and there was a discussion that one of the packages had Logan Stankhoven, Alexander Nikkeishan, and a first-round pick or Bradley Nadeau. Okay, now that's you know, Craig Button said, no way, Nikkeishan's not going anywhere in a deal like that. And I thought that's great. Um, Corey Kraman said they may want to do Stankhoven and Nikkeician, and that's it. Okay, to get Thomas. I I don't see Nikkeishan in any way going for a deal for Robert Thomas. Okay, so Thomas is a good one. Okay, that's fine. Now, what about EP40? He's got 11.6 million to 3132. So this changes the rules a little bit because it changes the rules on the deal, okay? And we'll talk about that a little bit more in a minute. He's 6'2, but he's under 180 pounds, so he's not a heavyweight out there. Um, you know, actually Thomas is over 200 pounds, so he is a solid player out there, so that's a difference. Um, the deal with uh with EP-40, he could move. Vancouver's trying to get something done. Thomas Drance, again, the athletics said today they're really trying to get some deals done. So we know the Keynes have had interest in EP-40 before. So those are the two big hitters. What are you thinking about this from your side, Katie?

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Well, uh for those two, those would all be fine. Again, you'd have to craft the right deal, the right amount. Um but if Tolski were to go big, because I don't think I don't think he wants a horizontal move that just ticks up the box, just a little bit, he would want a massive move. So you look at the teams that are for all intents of purposes looking like they are on the outside looking in, whether it's the guaranteed types or the ones that just you know, they're with they're within six points of a wildcard playoff spot, but the likelihood of them leapfrogging everyone ahead of them and catching up to the ones that are already in the spot are slim to none. Right. And you look at contract situations, it would be a wild shot. But then again, Tolski's been known for these. Just look at last year like Ranton and a wild shot of somebody who might not want to resign with his team, who is a center, who would significantly upgrade the canes would be opening discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs for acquiring Austin Matthews. So it isn't likely to happen, no. But I mean, I didn't think the Ranton deal was gonna happen. I thought he was happy in Colorado, I thought the team was going to do whatever it took to keep him, and it didn't happen. But you look, you know, Matthews only signed a four-year extension. The idea was let's see where this is gonna go, but I am not committing long term to this team. Right. And the wheels have fallen off of the bus with that core four. Well, the with the core four is indeed doesn't even exist anymore because Marner left. Yeah. And the team is struggling, and I really think that the maple leafs are on are at a pivot point in their organization. Are they gonna try and make it work and risk another decade of mediocrity? Or do they say this is a good solid draft year? We're already in a tough position. Let's get the value where the value is to be had and move forward by finding a deal for Matthews and of the teams that are in serious contention for a cup, because he does have a no-trade class, that is, or no movement class. That is something that you have to keep in mind that he would have to say yes to. So assuming he would say yes to coming to Raleigh because the Canes are one of the premier uh playoff teams moving forward this season and the next couple. The Kanes are are one of the few, if not the only uh high-level playoff teams that actually could absorb that$13 plus million dollar contract. If they could handle it this season, they could handle it next season. It would take a gigantic package for him, but think about what Dallas sent back for Ranton. Okay, because Ranton is a proven playoff player. He's not a center, he's a proven playoff player. Matthews, not so much in the playoffs, but he's a center. So what did the Kanes get back? They got back a middle six roster player, two firsts and two thirds, I believe.

SPEAKER_03 39:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:52

So um also think of a similar style package, but more in the sense of prospects and less in the sense of picks. This is a trade where you would trade Nikkei. Okay, so absolutely and the dough.

SPEAKER_01 40:05

Yeah, I think you're right.

The 2C Question & Big Swings

SPEAKER_02 40:07

Because then you feel two needs that the Maple Leafs would have. They need a score and they need a cornerstone for their defense because their defense has just been a mess for a while now. And to have somebody that they could build around like Nikitian would be extremely meaningful for them if they were to enter rebuild mode. So there are there are a lot of things that would be working against such a trade, but there are also a lot of things that were just that would say if there is a climate for this kind of a trade, the canes would probably be trade partner number one for the Maple Leafs in that kind of a scenario. So if you're gonna do a go big or go home swing kind of deal, that's the one that's there. That would be incredible, Katie.

SPEAKER_00 40:58

I can't believe that you put you put all that thought into it. I I think that the biggest change that that would mean, though, is that you know that Austin Matthews would come in to play 1C. He would not come in to play 2C. And then Sebastian Aho would be the Keynes 2C, which is something a lot of people have thought he should be anyway. And all of a sudden all of the pieces fall into place. That would be an incredible coup if they could pull it off. But I don't know if the Leafs are looking in the mirror right now, you know, 11 days away from the trade deadline. I don't know if they've reached that point. It is something I could see happening over the summer.

SPEAKER_01 41:30

We didn't know that was the case with Ranton and either. So this is true. I mean, here's here's a couple things about Matthews. He's not having a great year from his standards. He's got 26 goals, 22 assists, and 51 games. I mean, that's not that's not Matthews' type numbers. Uh he's had two 60-plus goal seasons. He had 106 points in 21-22, 107 and 23-24. Look, one of the big things about Matthews was his kind of his relationship and his uh his ability to play with uh Mitch Martyr. I mean, Mitch Martyr is an incredible setup guy, and he was responsible for a lot of the goals that you know Matthews scored. And as you said rightfully too, Katie, that the big four is gone. And don't forget, you've got Tavares who's getting older. All of a sudden now it's down to Matthews and and Nielander, William Nielander. Things have changed. And you know, if the if the folks in Toronto are smart enough, they would do what these other teams have done, like San Jose and Anaheim and some of the other guys who said, look, we just have to give up the ghost. Okay, we got to go, we've got to get some high draft picks, we've got to get some top prospects, and they would have a ton of cap space, they'd be in a position where they could do an awful lot to start to rebuild the hockey club. But the trouble you've got, along with the whole question of Matthews and so on, is you know, playing in Toronto, if you went to the Toronto fans and said, we're gonna be the next three or four years rebuilding our team, that would be unbelievably difficult. You know, they're always kind of hanging on, hanging on, hanging on. And, you know, I don't think it's out of the question because I never thought I'd wake up one day and say that Miko Ranton was in the Hurricanes uniform. So never say never.

SPEAKER_02 43:18

Uh the nice thing is that Matthews actually makes more sense on the Keynes than Rantinen does. I mean, he he he was he was quiet offensively for the U.S. team in the Olympics, but they kept talking about how strong he was on the back check and and defending and shutting down other teams' top guys. Do you know of a coach who would like somebody who was good on the back check and responsibly and responsibly uh defensively? And I mean and and you talk about him missing Marner, that guy who can find him, can set him up, has a good vision of the ice. I think I know of a winger who would love to have a center like that that he could just be teeing up all over the ice and have the skill to get the puck through to him. I mean there I think you're talking about almost assuredly it's a pipe dream, but it's a pipe dream that at least in the circumstances in which we are at in the NHL as the landscape currently exists is one that I that could happen.

Robert Thomas vs EP40 Costs

SPEAKER_01 44:23

Oh, I think it could I certainly think it's not out of the realm of possibility. The other thing that I like about bringing in a guy like Austin Matthews, I mean he's a Great player, but he brings size too. So, you know, he'd bring another big sentiment to the mix. He would fix the center spot in a big, big way for the hurricanes. The other thing to be that's interesting, of course, he's out of Arizona. Uh, and you know, sure, he's played in Toronto for a long time, but you know, maybe he'd like a change to a smaller marketplace where he can be the guy, like he would be. I mean, he'd be the guy. So, anyway, lots of fun. I like that. That's a great conversation that it makes a little bit more interesting. We keep getting the same names. You know, the B group, we know who they are. If they can't get these guys, so they fall back to Vinny Trochak, who I thought uh looked solid in the Olympics. He was fine. Did they go for a Ryan O'Reilly? We love O'Reilly. You know, he's not a great skater, but he's a smart player and he's having a great season. You know, I wouldn't be upset if he joined. But there's not much after that. You know, there's we're not gonna get a Charlie Coyle because uh they're gonna be, I understand now, it looks like Columbus guys or try to sign them. So they're not coming over. So you're down to just a few. And I think right now, and I agree with you that they're gonna go for a home run. So hopefully it's uh it's the big home run would be Matthews, but I'll go for a smaller triple or whatever uh with EP40 or of course Robert Thomas. Now, next question from Keynes and Doc. Another one for us. He said, if the Keynes are not able to get an impact full 2C, do you think they try to beef up the second line with a larger physical forward that can finish? Okay, this is another loaded question. Katie, why don't you kick this one off?

The Austin Matthews Thought Experiment

SPEAKER_02 46:12

That one is tricky because the assumption then, if you can't get a 2C, is that Stenkhoven is still filling that role, and who do you have that complements him as a center? Who can you get? It's not just enough that he be big in order to complement Stenkoven's lack of big. Um and finishing is such it's so tricky because the way that a player profiles and plays and produces in one system does not mean that it's going to translate to another system. And it feels like that's doubly true for a uh an identity like the Canes have that is so particular and unique to them. It doesn't mean that someone can't be a good winger elsewhere and uh that they can't come in and be successful here. I just think you have to be a lot more selective. And right now, I don't have a clear-cut trade target of somebody who is going to be substantially better than what the Canes already have. And if we know anything about Tolski, he's not interested in horizontal moves, he wants vertical moves. And that's just kind of uh where I'm at right now. Maybe, maybe somebody comes up in the next week goes by and the playoff picture becomes a little bit clearer, and somebody becomes available that wasn't there previously, but someone like a McMahon or um, I mean, obviously Tuck isn't available anymore because the Sabres are doing great. Um Coleman has been brought up as an option. I just I don't see these types of players, in at least in the conversation that exists right now, as really being a big enough impact to make it worth giving up those um those assets to acquire them.

SPEAKER_01 48:12

Well, I mean the list that is played right now, of course, Patrick Liney. He keeps popping up, people keep saying Liney, and I don't see any possible world for him. Evander Kane was mentioned the other day. So why would we want Evander Cain? Uh Bobby McMahon, you mentioned Tyler Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi was mentioned the other day from the Blackhawks, okay? And he's got 25 goals, but he's not the guy you want to get. Now, the one person, and I I will kind of disagree with you on this one, there is a forward that I think would move the needle, and that's Jordan Kyru. I'm a huge Jordan Kyru fan. Uh he had three 30, three straight 30-goal seasons. Uh he's a he's a solid defensive forward. This guy has really turned it on. He's got uh five goals and seven assists his last eight games, and they are going to move him. That's the word right now. They think a change of scenery is what's needed, and they want to get whatever value they can for him. I think he moves the needle for the Canes on the wing. Okay, he doesn't fix the center ice spot, but I think he's a better winger and more proven winger than some of the guys they have right now. Okay, so if they ended up with Jordan Cairou, I would not be upset. Okay, that that's where I kind of sit right now. In fact, I'd be ecstatic. So, you know, you look at you look at the whole scenario and you kind of say to yourself, gosh, you gotta get someone like EP40, or you've got to get Robert Thomas, or you've got to get Jordan Cairo. Don't bother with the rest of them. And if you can, for goodness sakes, get Austin Matthews. But but, you know, that's where I kind of said, Aaron, what are you thinking right now?

If Not A 2C, Then What

SPEAKER_00 49:48

Well, I'd I think I agree with you about most of that, you know, that that kind of take. I mean, I just I don't see the Keynes looking for pieces that they can pick up around the edges to maybe fill in here or there, take a they're not in the position anymore, you know, and I think this is something that's a little bit hard for some longtime fans to understand, because I've had some conversations out there with people that have been around for the dark years, you know, and they'll see names pop up and they'll say, What about this guy? What about that guy? I had someone ask me um not that long ago, I mean, uh, what I thought of uh Kirby Duck, who is on his last year with the K with the uh halves. Would he come to the Keynes? Would it work? He is a very big player, I mean, big guy. He's uh he's capable of playing center and wing. I think he's better on the wing, quite frankly, than my that's he gets injured too often at center. But that's the whole problem for for poor Kirby Duck is that his his career has been so riddled with injury that he hasn't been able to play sustainably uh at at any point uh during his time with the with the Montreal Canadians. So those are not the players that and you know I understand where they're thinking because they're thinking, well, a few years ago, a young guy like that just turned 25, you know, big kid, maybe he's got so you know, now that he's finally healthy, you know the Keynes might have been all over that three years ago, four years ago. They're not that now because they don't need to be. They don't have to fill those slots with players that, you know, are worth the the ticket worth the reclamation project. There, you know, the the there are other teams that are that are more than capable of taking that risk because they're in that what they like to call that mushy middle where you're not good enough for the playoffs and not bad enough to be drafting in the top 10. Those are the people that will pick up a reclamation project like uh Kirby Duck. They will not uh the the Keynes will not be in the mix for anybody like that. And that's why when you look at some of these players, it's not that they're reclamation projects, but you look at their ages. Many of them are on the wrong side of 30. And that is not something that the canes are gonna want to add to when they're going out of their way to uh reduce the age of the overall roster rather than increase it. So I agree with you. I I think that they'll they'll make a big swing for somebody who might matter if it doesn't work out, they'll fall back to what they have. The only um concern I have then, though, is that I feel like they really do need to have some some options, you know, maybe in the bottom six, you know, maybe they would pick up somebody that would play, you know, in the bottom six at center. Because if you're gonna have Logan Stancoven as your two C, you know, you're gonna need some extra depth in case something happens. Because right now, if any of the centers go down, you know, you you've got KK in the press box, who we all know that situation, but you don't have somebody who can come in and play and take those minutes, you know, if if by you know some horrible uh twist of luck uh Stenkoven or Sebastianahoe even um was to be injured. You know, you don't or Jordan Stahl, yeah. You don't you don't have I mean, do you do you play Mark Jankowski in in Stahl's role? You I don't think it's gonna work, you know. So I could see them going if they can't make the swing to bring home the big centerman, I could see them looking for a depth centerman. Sure. But I can't see them, I can't see them wasting money and resources on what you've termed the B group, you know.

SPEAKER_01 53:01

Yeah, the interesting thing, we talked about this before too, Aaron is they do have 40 million in cap space. Okay, so this is ridiculous, right? So they're sitting there, and and frankly, it puts them in a position to do a big deal with big dollars. Okay, it's kind of put and the other thing we know is that the cants have so many of these prospects, goodness gracious, they can put together a deal like you wouldn't believe. So I think they're in a position that uh, you know, Eric's got he's got all he needs to make something happen. And he's shown in the past he has no reluctance to do that. Now, you know, he talked about you know a young player that like Kirby Doc, you know, there's Shane Wright with with uh Seattle, but the problem is the Kraken are right in the middle of things. And you know, Wright's been they've been talking about Wright as being possibly available. I could see a deal with the top prospect from the Keynes going there for you know Shane Wright. Okay, I'm okay with that. I think he's he's got some work to do, but he's uh he's got some upside. Um and he you know he's very young, like he's you know 21 or 20 or whatever he is. Um, but those guys aren't available usually, so it's tough. So I think we hang on to see what it's gonna go. Uh Ed Helenski asked a similar question. I wanted to just give him a shout-out on this too. He said, What moves, if any, should the Canes make when the season resumes uh to the trade deadline? So, you know, what should we be doing this week? And we've talked so much about this. And I think right now, you know, I'll be disappointed if I don't see something relevant. Because I think that's what the Canes need to get over the top. I think they need something, they need a boost somewhere, a player that, you know, can make a difference in whatever way they do. Um, and some of them will make more of a difference than others. But boy, it's an interesting conversation. And of course, uh now that we're back and uh and discussions are going on and trades are going to start to happen, I'm sure we'll see something in the next few days. Uh, not necessarily with the Keynes, but certainly a trade of some sort. Uh you'll start to see you know things open up a little bit. The problem we wrestle with, and I saw it noted again today from a number of folks, a number of sources, is that it's still too tight for a lot of these teams. They're still in the mix. They want to get in the playoffs. It's important for their franchise, it's important for their fans. Um they're just not ready to you know to make those moves yet. And so do we hang on to you know 259 on uh March the 6th, and then the trades start popping in. It's gonna be crazy. Anyway, lots of fun. Um, and you know, an interesting question we got from Cody, and and I think this kind of plays into all of this as well. And Cody said Tulski's influence on the team's playstyle and roster selection is already being felt. Where's the ideal sweet spot in Tulski's vision and Rod's two-way mindset? That is a great question. And I think it's it's material to the kind of moves the Canes are going to make. Katie, you want to kick it off?

Wing Upgrades & The "B" List

SPEAKER_02 56:10

I think that is a fantastic question. And it is definitely very key because if we look at the way that Tolski operates, he is a numbers, a stats, uh uh data kind of guy when he is uh when he is looking at all of these different options and these different players as well as weighing the value against the cap and the the dollars and that sort of thing. Whereas Rod is very much an eye test sort of coach. The results on the ice are what they are, that sort of um old school, shall we say, type of individual. So it seems like they are polar opposites. But every time you talk to Tolski about Rod or to Rod about Tolski, it's obvious that they have a ton of mutual respect for each other and belief in what the other one brings to the table. And so I think the sweet spot is Tolski finding the players that have the skill and the um the personality to play within Rod's system, but that elevates the team beyond just the same old, the same old, the the the the tried and true. I mean, let's be honest, there's a reason the canes have been this successful for this long. They have not gotten over the hope that they have had a turnaround because of Rod Brindemore. And you can't divorce any decisions from that particular fact. So that's what Tolski is going to keep in mind. But then uh Brindemore obviously respects Tolski's ability to do the analysis, and but he's the one that has to implement it. He's the one that has to make the theory become uh practice, become reality. And as we have seen, let's go back to the Ratnin deal when Tolski was first getting his feet wet with all of this, it was a fantastic deal. And there's a lot of things we can point to to why it didn't uh turn out the way we would have all hoped. But a lot of that had to do with the fact that there was a disconnect between who the player was and who the coach is. And so any deal that is made going forward, whether it's Thomas, whether it's a Peterson, whether it's Cairo, whether it's Matthews, or anything else that Brindemore has to be at the front of mind. And I think Tolski has figured that out. So I think that sweet spot is there. It's just about finding what can be done and for what price it can be done, and then getting Brindamore to figure out how that person best fits within the system that he's already created with the canes. And I think they're there, I think they're close. I don't think we're gonna see another rant type deal where it all kind of falls apart and there's egg on the face in in some respects.

SPEAKER_03 59:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:26

So we'll see. We'll see how it goes forward. But I have a lot of faith that that sweet spots were pretty much there already.

SPEAKER_01 59:32

Yeah, I don't think Eric wants to get to the trade deadline and have to cobble together another deal that, you know, oh my goodness, and get something out of so he doesn't end up with nothing. That was a that was a tough situation for him. Aaron, any thoughts?

Depth Needs & Center Insurance

SPEAKER_00 59:47

I think Katie covered a lot of it, you know, just uh beautifully there. You you pretty much said it all. I think that the the only thing that I would would add here is that I found it interesting um that uh Miko Rentan's comments after Finland uh lost in their um bid to advance to the gold medal game. Um he said um that uh you know you can't generate offense when you're spending the entire game in the defensive zone. And that is kind of a a true thing, you know. Um so if the the the team was really at at that point in the game, a lot of there were a lot of people criticizing Team Finland in that specific game for turtling with a lead, essentially. For you know, they were up two to nothing, and then they decided that the best thing to do would be to protect that two to nothing lead, and then all of a sudden it was two to one, and then we all know how that ended up happening, you know. So I thought about that because I thought, you know, there are times when I believe that that is something we see in the Keynes. You know, how many times have we seen them take a two to nothing or three-nothing lead, you know? And this season alone, how many times have they gone in with a you know they've had a three-nothing lead, and then they seem to kind of say, okay, well now our job is just to play defense. And I don't think that's necessarily coming from Rod because I don't think he sees it that way. But I think that that's the natural result that you get when you create a defense-first mindset is that well, we've got our goals. We don't want to risk, you know, trying to force plays and make more goals happen. We got, you know, three lucky bounces here. We're up, you know. We don't want to rock the boat and you know, be forcing plays aggressively in the offensive zone, and then, you know, that doesn't work and the play goes the other way. But, you know, there's that balance. And I think that that's if anything, that's what um where Tulski and Rod Brennamore will be coming together and finding that balance between the players who are capable of continuing to play aggressively in the offensive zone with a defensive mindset. That's not everybody in the NHL by any means. It takes a special kind of player to be able to keep that mindset balanced.

Cap Space, Prospect Capital, & Timing

SPEAKER_01 1:01:58

No, exactly. And and and I think, you know, again, uh you're right on both of you, I think, are right on on the point here is that uh, you know, it's gonna have to be a player that uh that can work both ways and can play Rod style, but also brings the skill and and the performance. And you know, one of the things that I look for in any of these moves is if we can get a some kind of significant player, it takes some pressure off Aho tremendously. Because you know, he's he is just carrying so much now. He's carrying a ton of defensive responsibility, as we know, and he's the guy that has to drive the offense. You know, he needs some help. So, you know, it's interesting because as we as we get our closing remarks and take a look at what's coming forward, I thought there was an interesting situation where, you know, the first week of March, the Canes are on a road trip. They have four games. And wouldn't it be great if they made the trade before then and they had their new players so we could go on the road with them? Because that's great, right? They get uh immediate bonding, they get a chance to play with the team and so on. I think it's uh just a hopeful wish, but who knows? Um, so anyway, they've got the road trip coming up very, very quickly here. So, what are we thinking as uh as we look ahead to uh to the coming days, Aaron?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:13

Well, you know, you mentioned the road trip, and I was actually gonna mention it in a different way. Um as we all know, the uh trade that originally uh took uh uh Martin Natchez and Jack Tree and sent them to the Colorado Avalanche happened when the Canes were on the road. So um I was looking at that and looking at the deadline and thinking, gosh, they're gonna be in Vancouver, you know. So I mean, you you kind of wonder if somebody, you know, if if if something's gonna happen, somebody's gonna get traded while the canes are traveling, and you know, what that would be like and and what that would involve as far as the players going the other way and everything else, because we've seen it before. It did happen before. So um they're they're certainly not uncomfortable making that happen uh in a situation where the players are not at home. So um it it's something to see. And I mean, I I think that what I want to see coming back, I don't have much uh concern about the next two games at home. I mean, I think that uh the lightning will be not be an easy game to play, but then again, they're they're all coming back from the Olympics, like you said. I don't think that game could go anyway. That game could be complete chaos. So we'll see what happens with that. And then hopefully by by Saturday's game, they will have settled down and and everybody will just be playing hockey again. But I do want to see a really strong road trip from them, you know, of three of the four teams are going to be playing Seattle, Vancouver, um the Edmonton Oilers, and then the Calgary Flames. They should win three of those at least. They should. Um, so you know that's that's my take is that you know, if they if they win three of those four games at the at a bare minimum, um, then they're in a good place, and and we may not find ourselves worrying too much about what did or didn't happen at the trade deadline.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:46

True.

unknown 1:04:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:50

Um regardless of what happens with trades and that sort of thing, I just want the Canes to really dig into and and create who they are as a team and distill it down to its absolute essence. They spent so much time at the beginning of the season just trying to tread water with all of the injuries, especially the ones on defense. And now they find themselves in a position coming out of this Olympic break where they are healthy. It looks like they could even have Robinson back sooner rather than later. If not the very first game against the Lightning, then shortly thereafter of the way he's been practicing with the team. They are healthy. I mean, Slavin has been back, he he looked good over the Olympics, doesn't seem to be any worse for the wear. And the canes stats with him in the lineup have been absolutely phenomenal. Just so good. So I I want to see them really pull away. I want them to put an iron fist around first place in the metro and grab it and not let go, not look back the rest of the way, and then decide just how important first in the in the east is and use the time and the space that they have to get the team ready for the playoffs and and get their get their skilled guys doing what they need to do, get their uh role playing guys to do what they do, and really make themselves the team to beat out east, because I think they they could do that and not uh not break a sweat too hard doing that.

Tulsky’s Vision Meets Rod’s System

SPEAKER_01 1:06:31

I agree. Um just one funny thing is uh it would be crazy if EP forty has uh is told, hey, you're not going in that dressing room, you're actually going in that dressing room. I had to throw that in there.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:45

Anyway, well it wouldn't be a surprise because he does have that no move clause, so he would know. But still.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:52

That's true, it won't be a surprise. Yeah, I think the next couple of weeks will be great fun. Uh we'll be back uh shortly after that, of course, to talk about whatever's happened at the deadline and what happens on the road trip. But uh for those of you who've been watching or listening, uh, we've had a lot of fun today and and it's been uh certainly a spirited discussion. And we thank you so much for uh for spending time with us. Uh as always, it's it's very enjoyable. Um and of course, if you like the episode and you want to say thanks in that regard and say you that you liked it, please uh please do that. Uh, if you have comments or questions, or you want to talk about the trades that we're talking about here, please do that as well in the comment section. And finally, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker, uh please press the subscribe and the bell buttons, and you'll be made aware just as soon as they are available. As always, we thank you so much for spending time with us, and we look forward to getting together with you real soon right here on StormTracker.