When Do the Nashville Predators Stop Chasing The Bubble And Start Building?

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On today's show, we set aside the emotional roller coaster of the Nashville Predators one one-in-one week that was, and have a frank discussion about what could and maybe should come next for the franchise.
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Every game tells two stories.
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The one everyone sees, and the one that happens behind the scenes.
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Welcome to second intermission with Anne Mall.
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One of the best deals they've done in the year.
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Whether this is your first season watching hockey or you've lived and breathing the game for decades, there's a scene for you here.
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It is second intermission.
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Let's drop the flop.
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It was a week of hockey ups and downs as the predators went one-one and one in their three games this past week.
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Today I am joined by special guest Robbie Stanley.
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After covering the Predators for 16 seasons, Robbie shares what he sees when it comes to where the Nashville Predators are and how to get to where they want to be.
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Robbie and I discuss the state of the current roster iteration.
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We talk about Andrew Brunett's time in Nashville and his future with Nashville.
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Also, we set the emotion aside to talk about what Chris McFarland could and perhaps should do with Ryan O'Reilly.
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Today's episode is brought to you by Homewell Care Services.
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That's 615-622-9360.
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Homewell Care Services, trusted care and true compassion.
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I am joined now by Robbie Stanley.
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Of course, you will recognize the voice immediately.
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Robbie co-hosts Robbie and Rex Road on 1025 The Game every weekday morning, talking all things Nashville, all things sports.
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He has also covered the Nashville Predators since 2010 with various outlets, including NHL.com.
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And coincidentally, friends, he is the most fun person to sit next to at a predators game.
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Robbie, thank you so much for jumping on to talk predators hockey with me.
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I think what An means by that is I'm the one that acts the most insane up there at times and just says things.
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So, but but it is entertaining, I will say.
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But yes, thank you for having me.
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I love, love you, love this uh the show that you're doing, love your coverage.
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So appreciate you having me.
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I appreciate that.
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Look, you may say the things, but I twitch.
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I I I do a lot of there's a lot of movement, but I just yell names and phrases, like it's really elementary, like just crazy stuff.
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Like I yell, I mean, nobody I didn't know who Nick Perbix was until like two years ago, and I just defined myself Perbix!
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What's going on out there?
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So I do it now, even though you are not there.
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I want you to know that it is ingrained on a cellular level.
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So that's how you know you've left a legacy right there.
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That's it.
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You've done your work.
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Thanks.
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Oh my gosh.
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I always love to kick off conversations with a stat, a story, or a question.
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I'm gonna start with a very unofficial stat.
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Okay.
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You have covered the Predators since 2010.
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There have been 688 regular season home games since that time, 61 playoff games for a total of unofficially around 729 games you've covered.
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Now, you get time off for getting married, having a baby, and being sick.
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So we're gonna say close to 700 games you have sat in that arena and covered this team.
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So I am curious what is your most memorable, and this can be best or worst, post-game locker room conversation or experience in all of the time that you covered this team?
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Uh, I think the most memorable one, I'll go off the wall a little bit because there's been a lot.
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Um, it was when Shea Weber came back for the first time with Montreal.
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Oh, so it was first off, it's really weird because I mean at that point, envisioning Shea Weber in a different jersey was just kind of hard to do.
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Yeah.
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But all day long you could tell, like, if you were ever around Shea Weber at all, like he did not like doing the media, was always very nice, was never disrespectful.
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But, you know, some people just don't love talking in front of cameras.
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He was definitely one of those guys.
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And it was to the, I mean, it was to the max that morning.
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He hated everything about like the pregame media availability.
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He went out there.
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Uh, Montreal played great.
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He played great.
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They won the game.
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And we got in the locker room after, and you know, he did his normal thing with the media.
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Like there's all the Montreal media, there's probably 45 people in the locker room.
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There's so many people there.
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And then uh he gets done, he wraps up, he walks over to me, he shakes my hand, gives me a hug, says, Hey man, how about that?
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That was fun, wasn't it?
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I said, Yeah, it was, buddy.
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He walks out of the room.
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All the Montreal people are looking at me and they're like, How did you get him to do that?
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I was like, I mean, just been here for a long time.
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We like this.
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Yeah, we like this.
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But that was a it was a memorable one just because it was so the whole day was so weird.
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Yeah.
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The whole thing was so strange to watch, but uh, it was fun, it was a lot of fun.
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Yeah, that's a great one.
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Yeah, that would be a great one to be there for.
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Anything Shea Weber would be great.
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And there are players who really like to talk with the media, and there are some that are like, because it's my job, I will answer your question.
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Yeah, yeah, for sure.
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Like uh Stamp Coast, I think is great, and you're talking like it's he's the combination of like superstar player, but also takes time to like really explain things to the fans and explain things to the media, and not everybody does that, and not everybody can do it to like the same degree.
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There's some people that just don't like talking, and that's fine.
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Like, I don't have any problem with that.
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Um but like I do appreciate like the superstar players that really like Patrick Kane's another one that's really good that kind of get into the nuances of exactly what they're seeing out there.
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You like you walk away from the conversation smarter, and you know kind of what you're looking at there, which I think I always found a lot of value in.
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Kevin Lankin was that for me with goaltending.
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I just I always walked away thinking, okay, I understand what he's seeing or thinking about a little bit better.
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I I love that.
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Yeah, you can get some great tidbits.
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You can also get some guys that are like, I'm just not in a people person mood, which is fine.
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That's fine.
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A few of those too.
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Yeah, we got it.
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That's happened.
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So, predators, we are seven games into this season so far.
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Robbie, what stands out to you in this small seven-game sample size about this team?
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Well, I think their defense is gonna be a massive work in progress.
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And my guess is the defense, how it looks right now from a personnel standpoint and how it looks at the end of the year are gonna be pretty different.
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Like, I think you've heard Chris McFarlane basically say that they've got to overhaul their defense and they've already started, they brought Struble in.
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Uh, and I've been impressed with him in the short term.
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Like, I think he moves pretty well.
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I'm interested to see kind of where they want to put him moving forward.
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They put him with Yossi the other night, but I I'd love to see kind of where that ends up at the end of the year.
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But defensively, they're just not very good right now.
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Like, that's it's a work in progress that they're gonna have to shuffle some guys in and out of there, I think, to fix that a lot.
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Five on five, the they're just not generating a ton.
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And when they are generating it, they're not finishing at a great degree right now.
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Uh, so I I think it's a work in progress.
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I mean, Soros has been great so far.
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Look, like, look, I've been probably as critical, maybe more critical, of UC Soros than anybody over the last couple of years.
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He's played great so far.
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Like it's just let's call it how it is.
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He's played great so far.
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So that's been encouraging.
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It's been unfortunate that we've not gotten to see Ananin yet because I was interested to see whether or not he could pick it up in the regular season after things uh the way things ended for him last year.
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It's so going through the injury's been unfortunate there.
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But all in all, I think they're just kind of exactly where most of us thought they would be.
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And that is it, it just kind of feels like it's a it's a transition year, and barring anything that's just totally out of nowhere, they're probably going to be a team that's right there on the bubble competing for a playoff spot.
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Couple points here or there, they get in, a couple points here or there, and they're left out.
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And so far, that's kind of exactly where they are.
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As of the time of this recording, we're recording on Friday.
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This is a two, two, and three team.
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And this is so far a two, two, and three team.
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Yeah.
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You know, that that's really what they are.
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I think what is so interesting to me is that somehow, and I don't know that we've ever really seen it with this particular iteration of veterans.
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This team hasn't yet become the sum of its parts.
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And, you know, you've got Steven Stamkos, you've got Roman Yossi.
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I know these guys are quote hockey old, you've got uh Jonathan Marchisot, you've got Philip Forsberg, you've got these guys going, but this is a team that struggles to be the sum of its parts, especially with the talent that they have.
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How do they what are we missing here?
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Well, I think it's a lot of things.
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I I think when they're as bad as they are, frankly, on on defense, and I and I don't mean just in the defensive zone.
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Like one of the things, if you think back to the way the Predators used to play the game when they were in their heyday, and I know the game is it's it goes through cycles, it changes.
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I mean, different styles here and there, you you'll see teams switch things up.
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But in their heyday, they had Yossi, Suban, Eckholm, and Ellis.
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Yes, and yes, they were really good defenders, but what they were excellent at was getting the puck and moving it out.
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And whether that was Yossi taking it coast to coast, whether it was Suban making that first pass up the ice, Ellis, like they were really good at killing plays in the defensive zone.
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So whether that's knocking pucks down behind the net, along the wall, whatever, killing plays, getting the puck out of there and going the other way.
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And this team's just not really equipped to do that.
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So when you can't do that at a high level, you find yourself getting hemmed in at times, you find yourself not being able to jump on things offensively.
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And I just think they're kind of out of whack from that perspective.
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You know, when they get set up in the offensive zone, they're not that bad.
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Like they've got some, you know, some guys that obviously can put the puck in the net and they've got some playmaking ability once they get there.
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I think they're having a tough time getting there with enough regularity because of that.
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So until they fix that part of it, I just think it's going to be really difficult to sustain consistent offense.
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And everybody, when you start talking about defensemen, immediately thinks of defense, and it makes sense, but there's an offensive part of the game that they're just kind of lacking on, other than basically Yossi at that spot right now.
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Yeah, that's one of the things that I'm very interested to see with Jaden Struble because if you look back to his scouting and the things that stood out in his game, his was getting the puck out of, like getting it up and out, getting it out.
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And Nashville, I agree with you.
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Nashville doesn't really have players except Yossi, who just does it his stampself, who do that right now.
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So I'm curious to see if that if he is somebody who can trigger a little something.
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Oh, and that's honestly why I was so surprised that they let they put Ufko back down in Milwaukee basically immediately.
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Look, Ufko like a lot of work to do defensively, like defensively, it's not good.
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So you can't just ignore that if you're the predators, but he is gifted at moving the puck out of the zone and creating a little offense.
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So I thought they'd give him a little longer leash, and they will.
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I mean, he'll come back up at some point, but I thought to begin the season you might see him for a little bit longer.
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When you look at players that everybody's talking about defensively, Nikkeishan, when you're talking about um Simon Edvinson, if you're Chris McFarland, are are you seriously, would you seriously consider a player looking for a lot of money and in a decent term with the resumes that they have to fix this defense?
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Do you think that's a long-term solution?
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Nikkeishan scares me.
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Um just because I can see the talent, like I think he's got the ability, but that's a for the contract that I think he's ultimately gonna end up getting, which is it's gonna be fat.
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It's gonna be fat, and it's probably gonna be for a long time, like seven or eight years, or it can't be eight anymore, but seven years.
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Like, I I just that's a lot.
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Like for somebody who's played basically as a third pairing defenseman, and I know he was in Carolina, and I know they've got their own system, and I know that there's a ton of really talented defensemen that have come in and out of there, but that part of it scares me.
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Like Edvidson, he's not exactly what I'm talking about in terms of like the offensive puck moving guy, but he is reliable, like he's he is a good player.
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So I like I wouldn't I wouldn't be opposed to that.
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Like I think if you're McFarlane, everybody's gonna focus in on the forward group, and I get it, because you've got Stam Coast at 36 and O'Reilly's in his mid-30s, and like you said, hockey old.
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Like, there's a lot of those guys that you've got to look at, and eventually some of these young guys that you've drafted and will draft moving forward have to come up and take some of those roles.
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So everybody knows that, but they have been borderline bad okay at best on defense for a while now, right?
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And their pipeline on defense has not been good, and everybody kind of was waiting on Molendike, and he's not where they thought he was gonna be so far right now.
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He needs time, he needs some time, and you know, I've I've talked to some people that are starting to get concerned of like if it's ever gonna get to what they thought it was gonna be.
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And it's early still.
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So I mean, there's no reason to write him off, but I'm just saying I bring all that up to say like they have got to basically totally totally revamp the defense.
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Like, honestly, Yossi, we all love Roman Yossi.
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Yossi is a great player.
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Yossi is probably gonna be in the Hall of Fame.
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He's gonna get his his jersey retired, but he's 36.
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Like, they should be and really should have been for the last couple of years, really preparing for him to start the downshift in the lineup a little bit.
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Not necessarily, you know, in terms of like he's gonna be on the power play and all those things, but he's not the same defender that he used to be.
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He probably doesn't need to be playing 27 minutes a night anymore because he's just gotten older, and there's nothing wrong with that.
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But he can st he can still play at a high level, but he's not a Norris trophy guy anymore.
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And you got to be preparing for that if you're the predator.
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So I think McFarland knows that he can't just find those guys on trees.
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I understand that.
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But to answer your question, he's probably turning over every rock on defense right now and weighing weighing the options in front of him.
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But Nikishan is the one that I see the talent.
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If they did it, I would understand it.
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It scares me to death based on the lack of evidence in the NHL so far.
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I agree with that.
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The sample size is small, it's impressive, but that's a small sample size, and it's also a small sample size on a very complete team.
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Yes, you know, and and these are not this is not an apple and an orange friends.
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Well, and maybe this.
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Yeah, and maybe I shouldn't think this way, but I kind of do.
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And look, I like this guy as a person, but the most recent Carolina defenseman that they've added uh in Brady Shea, it's not it's not going well.
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Yeah, I this what is that?
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Because here's what I keep coming back to, Robbie.
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I don't necessarily think that Brady Shea is a bad NHL defenseman, but why does this it just doesn't there is it's not working?
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Why is that not working?
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It just doesn't feel like a fit.
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Like, I don't think he got here and forgot how to play hockey, right?
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Like because I I think now was he as good as he was probably made to look in Carolina?
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No, I think that's become pretty clear.
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Like that was a perfect system for him, and it ain't just him, like that system has has flourished pretty well.
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And look, they've had defensemen just kind of turn in and out of there.
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And Slavin has always been a guy that up until last year, when everybody saw him play in the Olympics and then saw him play in the cup final, you're like, oh yeah, this guy's an absolute stud.
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Like, I don't think he's gotten enough credit for what all he does.
00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:12.960
Because basically, what they did, what they've done in Carolina for as long as I can remember is what's our toughest shutdown matchup we've got?
00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:14.240
Slavin, go get him.
00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:15.279
Like, that's what it is.
00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.079
And you know, Shea, I think, benefited from some of that.
00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.880
Everybody benefits from that when you've got a defenseman that can do that.
00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:23.039
So I think some of it's systematic.
00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.759
Some of it in Carolinas, they had the puck all the time.
00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.440
Like they just got it all the time, and that's just not the case here.
00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:30.400
And I'm with you.
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:32.559
Like, I don't think Brady Shea is horrible.
00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:35.440
I think he gets caught out of position a lot.
00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:42.079
And I think he gets caught probably in places trying to overcompensate at times, and it just makes it look bad.
00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:45.279
But I mean, on the whole, he's he's not lived up to the contract.
00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:46.559
There's no, there's no question.
00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:47.359
Right.
00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:52.000
When you look at this team, let's let's turn the page offensively.
00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:56.640
We got to talk about five on five scoring, which as of the time of this recording really has not happened.
00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:04.960
Like you're looking at top teams in the league that have played seven, eight games, and they've got 20, 25 goals at five on five.
00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:06.559
Nashville has seven.
00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.400
Seven.
00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:09.920
What gives?
00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:11.440
What gives Robbie?
00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:12.480
I don't know.
00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.440
That's I mean, that that feels like you say it's a lot of things.
00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:19.680
You can say, Oh, it's chemistry, there's new pieces, you know, maybe the talent isn't clicking yet.
00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:20.720
Is it the mental game?
00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:25.359
But at some point in time, the question is what can improve?
00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.759
Well, it's not good for Andrew Burnett.
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:28.880
I'll I'll say that.
00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:32.240
Like everybody knows what the score is there.
00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:35.200
Like you're you've got a new general manager that's taking over.
00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:43.200
If they don't get off to a good start, and again, I I define start as like first 15 to 20 games, something like that.
00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:50.640
I mean, I think we talk about good starts, and then they went, you know, they lose their first game of the year, and people are like, they're off to a bad start again.
00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.400
I'm like, well, can we give it more than one game?
00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:53.440
Let's like let's calm down.
00:18:53.599 --> 00:19:02.240
But so so if we get through game 15, game 20, and they're still basically what they are right now, which is okay at best.
00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:02.720
Yes.
00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:04.559
It's probably not good for Andrew Brunette.
00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:07.839
Like you've you've got a new general manager in there that did not hire you.
00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:19.519
Uh, I think the organization has been probably more patient than most when it's come to the you know the coaching part of this, definitely over the course of the history of their franchise, but even with Brunette specifically.
00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:21.279
So that part of it's not good.
00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:25.759
You look at the head coach and try to figure out what's going on there offensively to try to fix.
00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:31.680
And the other part is like there, I still think at center ice, it's just it's not very good.
00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:34.240
And Ryan O'Reilly had a great year last year.
00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:38.400
Ryan O'Reilly probably needs to be like somebody's number two uh center.
00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:40.079
And here he he just can't be right now.
00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:46.559
He like he's got to be the number one, and he's been okay so far this year, but like Forsberg hasn't scored at the time of this recording, right?
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:48.559
Some of that's like he's gonna score.
00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:50.960
It'll be like it's gonna come at some point.
00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:55.200
Like Stamp Coast has played well, but then there are other guys like Marchisot.
00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:59.119
It's like, well, what is Marchisau at this point in his career five on five?
00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:04.160
Like the last couple years would tell me it's probably not gonna be very much five on five.
00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:08.400
You know, you've got some other guys that are younger that you're waiting on to kind of hit that stride.
00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:15.119
Like, I think Matt Wood has probably deserved a little bit better of a fate than he's gotten from a goal scoring standpoint so far.
00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:18.880
So some of these things will even out as as time goes on here.
00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:23.680
But the bottom line is I just think they're not all that dangerous of a team five on five.
00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:26.160
And some of it goes back to what I was talking about with the defense.
00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:32.000
If you can't get your forwards to puck, it's just gonna be hard to it's gonna be hard to generate offense on a consistent basis.
00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:38.400
And really the only other thing I'd say on that would be it's it's also disappointing that Maverick Bork got hurt.
00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:39.440
Yes, huge.
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:45.920
I'm really interested when he's healthy to see what he is as he gets more time under his belt here.
00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:47.119
I agree with that.
00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:48.559
Maverick Bork is a player.
00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:55.039
I used to watch him in the AHL when he was with the Texas Stars and Milwaukee and Texas were battling in the postseason.
00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:59.839
I thought there's something about him, and so they traded for him, and I'm like, this is gonna be great.
00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:05.200
And it's just the least ideal start with a new franchise so far.
00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:09.759
And and I I think he's one of those players that could be hopefully a difference maker.
00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:11.440
I agree with you too on Matthew Wood.
00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:12.559
Bless Matthew Wood.
00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:20.160
He's just doing all the things that he's getting nothing, but I get Forrestburg going or get Wood going, one or the other, and I think it will help.
00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:22.799
Let's circle back to Andrew Brunett, friend.
00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:24.319
Let's just circle on back there.
00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:27.680
I he has had nine lives here in Nashville.
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:33.279
When you look at the decisions that he's made, just big picture coaching perspective.
00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:40.720
What are the ones that have you kind of saying, I don't know, I don't know about that.
00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:43.680
Well, some of it I think has been personnel related.
00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:46.000
Like I I really I still feel this way.
00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:52.720
I don't know that they've ever had the team from a personnel standpoint that fits the way he wants to coach, if that makes any sense.
00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:53.680
100%.
00:21:54.640 --> 00:22:05.519
Like, I I I think they not that it's necessarily like all run and gun, but he wants To play a brand of hockey that is basically you're really effective off the rush.
00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:10.799
If you go look at when he was the head coach at Florida, their personnel allowed him to do it.
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:13.200
They were a really good team off the rush.
00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:17.119
And this team just isn't really equipped to do that.
00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:22.319
So some of it I think is just always always kind of been fit from the beginning.
00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:25.599
Of I think there's a way that he wants to play.
00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:30.559
And now I think there's a way over the last couple of years that he realizes that they have to play.
00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:33.119
And I don't think those two things are the same thing.
00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:38.720
And I think you've basically heard him say that at times, which is like, hey, there's a way that we have to play.
00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:40.640
He said this all the time at the beginning of last year.
00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.839
There's a way that we have to play if we're going to be successful.
00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:48.960
And if you read between the lines there, it's like, if you guys want to turn this into firewagon hockey, we're going to get killed.
00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:51.119
Like we have to play, we have to outwork teams.
00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:52.720
We have to really grind it out.
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:58.319
And that's not exciting to the fans, but I just think that's always been kind of a strange fit that way.
00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:09.759
And and the other part of it is like I look at some of the I guess I would describe it as inconsistency with some of the younger people, like with some of the younger players in the lineup.
00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:12.720
It's like Uffko's in there for one game and then there's immediately gone.
00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:14.079
Now, how much of that's on Brunett?
00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:16.319
How much of that's on McFarland slash Trotz when he was?
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:16.880
I don't know.
00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:19.519
Like there's I'm sure there's some combination.
00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:26.319
But then I watch, like, you know, I get to February or March or whenever it was last year when they decided to move Matt Wood to center.
00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.920
And I was like, Well, why weren't you guys doing this the whole time?
00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:32.160
Like, didn't you give this a look at some point?
00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:42.079
Like, so I I guess it's just stunts at some point stumbling across things where it's like, yeah, like I think we need to identify things a little bit better.
00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:43.839
Look, on the whole, I like him.
00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:46.000
I think he's a good coach.
00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:50.240
I just don't know that it's the right coach for where they are right now.
00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:59.279
And I and again, the writings on the wall, just in terms of if it doesn't go well this year, you've got a general manager that didn't hire you, that's now taken over.
00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:03.359
I mean, that almost always spells firing in the NHL.
00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:04.799
It just does, just to be blunt.
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.160
Like it does.
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:12.720
I could not agree with you more about the fit versus the vision.
00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:16.160
I always say you parent the kids you have, not the kids you wish you had.
00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:20.640
Like you may want a sportsy kid, but your kid may be in musical theater.
00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.720
Well, you better start learning to love Hamilton.
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:22.960
Yep.
00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:31.039
And I think Andrew Brunett, the team that he was promised, was a young team that he could fit that style of play with.
00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:38.640
But one year in, all of a sudden, you're now adding Steven Stamcoast, Jonathan March, so Brady Shea, and the expectation is you're going to be a contender.
00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:39.039
Right.
00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:44.880
And that doesn't make your team closer to what I think Andrew Brunett wanted to grow this team into.
00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:47.519
So it's it's been an odd fit.
00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:50.720
And I that is one of the things I agree with you.
00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:53.359
I don't think Andrew Brunett is a bad coach.
00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:56.079
I just don't know that he's coaching the team he has.
00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.119
I think he's coaching the team he wished he had sometimes.
00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:16.400
Well, and now I think their roster is in such a point of transition that I don't know, I don't really know how he coaches his way out of it because I just don't think they're good enough to get them their their record to a point where Chris McFarland's gonna look at it and he's gonna say, Yeah, I'm giving that guy another contract, right?
00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:29.599
Yeah, like I I don't I don't with where they are right now, which is still to me, I know they've revamped their bottom six a little bit, but it's still you got a bunch of 30-some odd year olds that are your top producers and you're waiting on that next wave.
00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:35.599
Well, I I just think that's gonna be, I mean, you're not gonna be a top three team in the central division with that.
00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:36.240
You're just not.
00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:40.160
So like I think that's a he's in a tough spot from that perspective, too.
00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:49.599
Of I think there's limited upside with what this team has right now, and that's uh he would have to do a masterful coaching job to get them out of it.
00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:50.240
Yeah.
00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:53.359
Do you think he finishes the season?
00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:58.400
Do you think Chris McFarland will say, I'm just gonna let you finish this contract out?
00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:03.119
Or do you think there is a a change that could come much sooner than that?
00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:05.039
I go back and forth on this.
00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:06.799
I think it could come sooner.
00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:10.720
My guess is if you like if I had to guess, he finishes the season.
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:16.799
I think they'll be I think they'll hang around throughout the year and they'll be a bubble team.
00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:26.400
I mean, you I think the trade deadline will come around and you'll look at where they are in the standings and you'll say, okay, so they're like five, six points out of a playoff spot.
00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:27.599
What do you think that means?
00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:32.720
Like, so I don't think they're gonna be bad enough for him to just get fired in like November.
00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:35.200
I could be wrong, but uh that's that's my guess.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:35.680
Right.
00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:42.400
Uh and so I guess my guess is he finishes out the season and then they don't pick up another contract and they go hire another coach.
00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:44.319
That's that's my guess is how it how it plays out.
00:26:44.480 --> 00:26:44.640
Yeah.
00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:49.279
I mean, no, I had big plans, Robbie.
00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:50.319
I think a lot of people did.
00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:51.680
I had big plans.
00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:53.119
Look at this now.
00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:56.079
I you you mentioned the trade deadline.
00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:57.519
What are they gonna do with the coach?
00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:01.440
Let's talk about what they're gonna do with the elephant in the room, which is Ryan O'Reilly.
00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:04.480
What should Chris McFarland do?
00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:10.559
And and I it's so interesting to me because the conversations are so definitive in both sides of this.
00:27:10.799 --> 00:27:13.839
Absolutely, you have to trade him, absolutely you have to keep him.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:17.039
Do you trade or re-sign Ryan O'Reilly at the deadline?
00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:20.880
And how does where this team is weigh in on that?
00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:22.160
I trade him.
00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:25.279
Um, I mean, I think where they are matters in the discussion.
00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:35.519
Hey, look, I do not discount the importance of culture, the habits that he instills, the young players watching him play.
00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:36.319
I really don't.
00:27:36.400 --> 00:27:37.839
Like, I think that's important.
00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:42.799
I do think it was probably oversold on how important that is by Barry Trotz.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:51.440
Um and sometimes when you have a deal for a guy that's going to be, I think, extremely valuable, I think you have to jump on that if you're the predators.
00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:59.759
I mean, honestly, if the deadline comes around and if they're not like squarely in the playoffs, I'd probably just trade it.
00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:00.400
Like I would.
00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:02.079
Uh that's just how I would operate.
00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:11.440
And you can't get rid of everybody, but it's also like that's part of what makes this so difficult is look at the the team as currently constructed.
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:13.680
How many young guys are there?
00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:14.400
Right.
00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:15.200
There's not many.
00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:22.000
No, like yeah, Matthew Wood is there, and I mean Maverick Bork's still a young guy, but Maverick Bork's been in the league now for a couple of years.
00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:29.039
Like, it'd be one thing if it was like, hey, Brady Martin's hanging around, and we really want Ryan O'Reilly to be around Brady Martin as much as possible.
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:30.640
Well, he's not here right now, right?
00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:41.440
And and even if he was, like at some point, I think you gotta you have to take an objective look at the just the pure assets that you can get back for some of these guys, and you got to strike.
00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:43.680
And they didn't do it last year, and that's fine.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:51.519
They didn't do it, but this is the year where I think you got to strike and start to to move on and transition some of these guys out of the roster.
00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:53.599
Get a look at some of the other guys that you're gonna have.
00:28:53.759 --> 00:29:01.519
And the other part is like when you start collecting some of these assets, you can go be more aggressive with trades, you're gonna have a ton of salary cap space.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:07.440
Like, you can you can change the way your roster looks relatively quickly if you're Chris McFarlane.
00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:17.759
So that's a long-winded way of me saying, Yeah, I would trade him, unless they are like clearly going to make the playoffs, which I find hard to believe, which you would need him at that point.
00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:21.519
Yeah, unless that's just clear by the time the trade deadline comes around.
00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:23.119
I'd I'd be moving on.
00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:26.000
I think just I'm reading between the lines.
00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:32.559
This is speculation, not reporting, but I feel like Chris McFarland is on that same page because you look at who he brought in.
00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:33.759
He brought in Jack Drury.
00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:35.680
What does he say about Jack Drury?
00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:40.240
Exactly what Barry Trotts said about Ryan O'Reilly when Ryan O'Reilly came in.
00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:44.079
Culture guy, who you want to be around, hard worker, sets a standard.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.599
Also gave him the A.
00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:53.680
And so, you know, when that happened with Jack Drury, I'm like, are you just paving the way for a Ryan O'Reilly move at the deadline?
00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:57.039
What do you think the Preds could realistically get for O'Reilly?
00:29:57.359 --> 00:30:01.519
That's a good question because I thought last year his market was going to be really high.
00:30:01.680 --> 00:30:12.160
Like, I thought last year you could probably get a combination of a first round pick, a pretty high-level prospect, and then maybe another roster player.
00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:14.319
And the roster player wouldn't be anything like great.
00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:19.680
Yeah, but like I think that's kind of where I would have started the discussion last year.
00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:21.119
And you could probably even build on that.
00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:34.400
I mean, that's probably, I mean, depending on where he goes in the pecking order, like the the thing about him is he's a winner, he's great in the face-off circle, he's great on the defensive side of the puck.
00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:41.680
And if he has a year similar to what he had last year offensively, which he will not have a better year than he had offensively, I'm willing to put my name on that.
00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:44.640
He will not, like, he's not hitting 74 points again this year.
00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:52.640
But if he has a similar year, if you look at all that for where today's salary cap is with his number, like still sign me up, man.
00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:53.599
I'll do it right now.
00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:57.119
So a lot of teams are going to be able to fit him in under the cap, is my point.
00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:59.759
So I think the value could get pretty high.
00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:01.440
Like they there could be a bidding war.
00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:07.519
Like that's probably where I would start is first round pick, high-level prospect, and then we can have conversations from there.
00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:15.119
If O'Reilly is traded at the deadline, do you feel like that necessarily means that Steven Stamkos is going to want to move on because this team is not.
00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:17.039
I think Stamkos has been very honest.
00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:20.079
Like, if this team is not going to win it, I want to win it.
00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:21.200
I think it would.
00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:21.599
Yeah.
00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:22.720
I think it would do that.
00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:23.680
And I'll blame him.
00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:30.880
I mean, uh, you know, if if you want to go, I mean, he's not playing the last years of his career to collect a paycheck only.
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:32.160
Like he wants to go win.
00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:34.480
Uh, and so yeah, I think it would.
00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:41.839
Uh, but I also think like when you're looking at veteran leadership, I do think you also have to look around and say, all right, how many guys do you need?
00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:44.000
You've got Yossi, you've got Forsberg.
00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:44.319
Yep.
00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:50.240
I don't think Marteau's going anywhere because I don't know how valuable that contract is right now.
00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:57.039
Um, you've got Brady Shea, and say what you will about Brady Shea, we've been around league, like they've got they got plenty of veteran leadership, is my point.
00:31:57.279 --> 00:31:57.599
Yes.
00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:01.759
Um, so you don't have to keep all of them.
00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:06.079
Like you can start to churn the roster a little bit and get some assets going at that point.
00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:07.599
So you don't have to do that.
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:12.559
Like Stamp Coast, I think, clearly loves living here, but he's that's not gonna be enough.
00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:13.440
Like he's gonna want to win.
00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:14.319
He wants to win.
00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:14.640
Yeah.
00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:22.079
So if O'Reilly goes, that signals to me that they're kind of waving the white flag, and I think Stamp Coast will probably be next to go after that.
00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:24.880
Turning away from the predators, just curious.
00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:29.119
If you aren't watching the preds, what NHL team are you enjoying watching right now?
00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:31.279
Uh, probably Florida.
00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:35.440
Uh, just because that dynamic is so intriguing to me with Brady Kachuk there.
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:38.160
Um, it sucks that Barkov got hurt.
00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:45.599
Like, uh, I know he's he avoided uh worst case scenario, but like I I think if they're healthy, they're probably gonna win Stanley Cup.
00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:46.160
We'll see.
00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:47.519
So I've been watching them a lot.
00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:53.440
And like honestly, last night's opponent, or that's what we're recording this on Friday, like the Sharks.
00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:54.319
So fun.
00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:56.240
Celebring Kid is unbelievable.
00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:04.960
Like, and in I don't want to make the direct comparison because it's probably not fair to him, but he does remind me so much of like younger days Crosby in the league.
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:12.160
Like it's just and I know other people have made that comparison, but it's pretty striking, like in some ways, how similar they are.
00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:14.000
So I I love watching them play.
00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:14.799
I do too.
00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:18.000
Anytime I can turn it, you know, tune in and watch the sharks.
00:33:18.079 --> 00:33:18.880
I want to watch them.
00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:26.960
A, I love watching Celebrini, Smith, all of them, but also talk about a franchise that Lord, they needed they need some joy.
00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:28.079
They did their time.
00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:32.960
Are the predators headed for that long stretch of no joy before they get back to it?
00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:33.440
Do you think?
00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:37.680
Is it is this gonna end up being a full scale rebuild?
00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:38.960
I think so.
00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:46.079
Yeah, and it's probably something that you're gonna look back on and you're gonna say, Well, they probably should have started this a little bit earlier.
00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:50.720
I mean, full scale, they've already kind of started without starting, right?
00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:53.680
Like they've they they have a top five pick in Brady Martin.
00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:56.240
They have Wyatt Cullen, who I'm interested to see what that looks like.
00:33:56.319 --> 00:34:06.559
So it's not like you're starting bare bones, but they're still, to me, in my opinion, if you're gonna get to Stanley Cup contention, which is why we're all here, right?
00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:08.159
That that's why you're playing the game.
00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:20.639
Like if you're gonna get there again, to me, it's probably gonna require one more of those years where you get some bad, bad play and probably some some ping-pong balls to go your way uh in a draft lottery.
00:34:20.719 --> 00:34:28.639
I I think it doesn't have to be that way, but if you go look at a lot of teams who have won over the last 25 years, a lot of times it is that way.
00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:31.039
Of course, you had to go through a little bit of pain.
00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:32.159
Yeah, yeah.
00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:35.119
It's gonna be so interesting to see what Chris McFarland does.
00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:41.679
I feel like he's coming in with very, a very clear understanding of what this team is and isn't.
00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:43.519
And that's refreshing.
00:34:43.760 --> 00:35:08.960
Yeah, and I think that's very like it could not be more needed of just like an objective, and not that you not that he has to be like some totally ruthless guy, but a little bit of it, like a little bit of just being able to look at the black and white of what you've got in front of you and be like, you know, I know that Ryan O'Reilly loves being here, and I know that he means a lot to the franchise, but gotta make a move, right?
00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:13.760
And I just don't I love Barry Trotz, but I don't I don't think he was willing to do stuff like that.
00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:18.480
And it's hard to win that way if you're if you're not willing to be a little bit cutthroat.
00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:28.000
I wonder sometimes, again, speculation, if Barry Trotz's coaching experience changed a little bit of how he GM'd.
00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:31.840
I think absolutely, you know, in the same franchise.
00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:34.639
Yeah, I I think some of that's probably good, right?
00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:39.280
Like I think you can relate to your players much better when you have that background.
00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:45.920
But I do think sometimes, sometimes, look, I've heard stories about general managers in the league that basically never talk to their players.
00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:54.000
They're less like, yeah, you know, I don't want to like be a jerk to them or anything, but I also don't want to be able to looking at a trade and be like, you know what, I really like this guy.
00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:54.800
Right.
00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:59.280
But you gotta be you gotta be willing and able to pull the trigger if you're a general manager.
00:35:59.360 --> 00:36:03.519
There there is a detachment to it that you almost have to have.
00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:06.239
Do you feel like Chris McFarland was the right move?
00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:06.880
I do.
00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:08.000
I was honestly stunned by it.
00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:09.760
Can you believe it?
00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:12.559
I mean, I could not.
00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:13.679
Yeah.
00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:16.000
Well, I remember when his name started getting brought up.
00:36:16.159 --> 00:36:19.360
I was like, I mean, you can bring up his name if you want to.
00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:20.239
You're not getting him.
00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:22.719
Like it's like he why would he leave Colorado?
00:36:22.800 --> 00:36:28.639
And I look, I know that at the end of the day, like when it really comes down to it, Joe Sackett called the shots in Colorado.
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:30.079
So it's not that way here.
00:36:30.239 --> 00:36:31.360
I mean, he's calling the shots now.
00:36:31.519 --> 00:36:34.000
So there's there's there's that that that's a big part of it.
00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:39.599
And I think ultimately, probably why he's here is because he's got his fingerprints all over it.
00:36:39.679 --> 00:36:42.960
But when they announced that that was going to be the hire, I was like, wow.
00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:45.679
Like I think they I think they knocked it out of the park.
00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:49.840
Yeah, it's gonna be really interesting to see what he does with the roster short term.
00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:53.039
I think it's gonna be very interesting to see what he does over the next.
00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:54.639
Oh, heaven, help us, Robbie.
00:36:54.719 --> 00:36:57.360
It could be five, six, seven years.
00:36:57.679 --> 00:36:59.360
Gird your loins, friends.
00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:00.400
Hopefully sooner.
00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:02.719
Hopefully sooner a little luck involved there too.
00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:03.760
Hopefully sooner.
00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:08.960
Robbie, thank you so much for jumping on and talking yet more sports.
00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:13.840
Uh, let everybody know where they can listen to you and where they can find any of your work.
00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:18.000
Yeah, so I'm on uh 1025 the game, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m.
00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:18.719
to 9 a.m.
00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:20.079
So with the early morning crew.
00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:23.599
If you're not up that early, check it out, Robbie and Rex Road, wherever you get your podcast.
00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:27.760
And uh you find me on uh Instagram as well, uh Robbie Stanley, all one word.
00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:28.559
Awesome.
00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:29.679
Thank you so much, Robbie.
00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:31.599
Appreciate your time and your insight.
00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:32.400
Thank you, Ann.
00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:32.960
Appreciate it.
00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:37.599
Once again, I want to thank Robbie Stanley for jumping on the podcast with me this week.
00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:43.199
There is a lot to think about with a team that currently sits at 3, 2, and 3.
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:47.920
We need a lot more clarity to see what this Nashville Predators team can be.
00:37:48.079 --> 00:37:51.840
They are going to face two very big challenges this week.
00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:56.400
They are going to head to Boston where Thursday night they will take on the Bruins.
00:37:56.960 --> 00:38:02.480
And then Saturday night to Pittsburgh to face Sydney Crosby and the Penguins.
00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:06.880
There is a lot going on for Nashville in those two games this week.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:12.239
Let's see if they can pick up right where they left off with a great third period against the St.
00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:13.280
Louis Blues.
00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:14.639
We'll see what happens.
00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:18.400
That's gonna do it for today's second intermission podcast.
00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:19.760
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:38:19.920 --> 00:38:28.400
I hope you heard something that made you think, something that made you laugh, or something that just helped you enjoy this sport of hockey a little bit more.
00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:34.079
As my mom always says when we part, drive carefully, dump up your teeth, and watch for deer.
00:38:34.239 --> 00:38:35.920
We'll see you next week.
00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:43.119
That's gonna do it for this edition of Technology Intermission.
00:38:43.679 --> 00:38:51.119
If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and watch full episodes on YouTube.
00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:58.639
For more coverage of behind the scenes moments and the latest from around the ring, follow in on social media.
00:38:58.719 --> 00:39:00.960
Thanks for spending part of your day with us.
00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:06.719
Until next time, we'll give you a thing for the next second information.