Full Transcript for S3E4: Rumor Mill

character's name? Randon: Yep. I don't know the character's name, but I know who you're talking about. Ryan: Another character's name. Sloth. Dustin N: Sloth. Sloth. Yeah. Randon: Yeah. Dustin N: But yeah, that was a that's a great picture. So it's gonna take a bit to hate someone enough that you sneak in a sloth mask to wear r right behind him on the on on the glass. But but yeah, w hopefully we get there because I I love having that that hatred. Randon: You know, I think it's too it's one of those where there's so many underlying themes to that. It's not just like a player wanted out, right? Like you we see that all the time. Like we there's currently like ten guys in the NHL who want out or wanted out in the offseason and got out. Ryan: the entire Columbus Blue Jackets roster wants out, they're just not willing to say it out loud. Randon: Exactly. And like the fans in Columbus gave Marychenko the business and stuff, but but this this this hatred for to Kachuk is is more than just about hockey. And to say anything otherwise I think is being disingenuous, like this is there are a lot of political undertones with the Canadian fans disliking not just him wanting out, but the reasons he won out. He joins his brother, they both were in the White House, like there's there's all these other things. And so, like, I don't know that Utah will get that perfect storm to hate somebody. Like, we got rid of all the guys that we clowned on, you know. We got we got rid of Dersey, and so it's like we're we're just waiting till we can maybe get rid of Hayden, and then we'll pick a new guy to hate on, and then maybe get rid of him. But it would take like a Gunther or a cooleie getting done with their contract, but then maybe wanting out or holding out, and then signing with somebody else for us to I think truly have that hatred. Even if Keller left in like six years at that point, he's kind of like past his prime, you know, we'll still remember him as one of the greats in in Utah's short history. So I don't know who or when, but it could be a decade or two down the line before we truly have that sort of visceral reaction to a guy returning to the team. Dustin N: I I'm sitting here like I'm I'm taking this like my mind just this is like my ADHD brain, right? I'm like, guys that we hate in my head I'm like that's Sidney Crosby, we hate Sidney Crosby, like Randon: Mm-hmm. Dustin N: the like we we we're Alex Hobechkin fans, at least Randon and I. I don't I can't speak for Ryan, but like hate hate Sidney Crosby and then Ryan: Always eight. Always eight. Dustin N: and then we're talking about players demanding trades, right? And that makes me think, snap, the the penguins, they have who is it? Letang and Crosby and Malkin, who've Randon: Malkin. Dustin N: been there for like 87 years, it seems, is like the never leaving trio, never demanded a trade. Which makes me think to the penguins, which makes me think, hey, who is that kid that kind of took away that last second shot from Sidney Crosby right on the doorstep? Like it was going towards Sidney Crosby. He took that shot away. And then he wound up in the hospital. What in the world happened? And I was sitting in my head, I'm like, has enough time passed for me to make that joke? And what kind of condition is he in? And the last thing that I saw, he's awake and he's conscious and he's in stable condition. So it's okay for me to make did Sidney Crosby beat the shit out of Kindle? And send him to the hospital for taking that shot away from him on the doorstep. That was my first thought. Randon: We don't know the circumstances but Dustin N: I heard the name and I'm like, wait a second, that's the kid who took the shot away. Ryan: I don't want nothing to do with this take. I don't I don't want i I don't want to this is I am I w nope. Nope. Dustin N: And if he takes like a like an eleven like Randon: We don't know what happened on that plane. Dustin N: if he takes like an eleven PM turn for the worse and we wake up tomorrow and he's in like critical condition or something like that, you nuke this entire episode. I don't even I don't I Randon: Yeah, cutting it out. Dustin N: want no evidence of it. You nuke this entire Randon: Cutting it out. Dustin N: one, we just don't release an episode this week. Randon: Otherwise it's not though. But it's one of those things like where so like obviously like you never want to see a guy get hurt, right? Like you never want to see a guy get hurt, especially something random off the ice like that. But I couldn't I didn't know who the guy was before the game. So I'm I mean I don't have like this deep love for him that I'm like, my gosh, my guy Ryan: he's their young up and coming He's the guy they're putting all their eggs in the basket for when Crosby eventually has to hang up. Randon: So I should watch his career with g great interest and okay. Okay. Ryan: Yeah, yeah, Ben Kendall's gonna be good. Yeah, yeah, he's very, Dustin N: Yes. Ryan: very good. He's like twenty something, he's a young kid. Like he's gonna be very good. is he really? I thought he was like twenty or twenty one. Yeah, give him a give him a chance. He's he's a good kid. I was wondering if it was something to do with the altitude. Dustin N: He's nineteen. Yeah, he's nineteen and but yeah. It's a Randon: Okay. So he's got the whole world in front of him. As long as Crosby Dustin N: It's that type of thing that like Yeah, like like it could be an issue like with Ryan: Like altitude sickness Dustin N: Well, I was thinking of what just happened in the NFL with Jalen Hurts, right? Did you guys hear about that? He he had blood clots Ryan: a blood clot? The blood clots? Randon: Mm-hmm. Dustin N: in his in his calf, right? Ryan: Sue everybody. Dustin N: they keep him awake, they say, don't go to sleep, because that could be bad. So he stays awake for 36 straight hours. And then plays in an NFL game on thir being awake for 36 hours, right? He's taken hits to his body,

like blood clots are dangerous as hell, right? And then they stick him in a pressurized cabin to go 30,000 feet up into the air and go fly on a plane. And look at that exact i what exactly happens in that type of situation. The blood clots move, and now they're in his lungs and he's out for the season. And then the NFL did the Not to get too political here, but the typical police shooting thing, like, we we investigated ourselves and we found that we didn't do anything wrong, right? They're like, yeah, th that was handled right. He should have played and everything was fine. It's like you look back a couple like a few years ago, when when like COVID was was going around, th they made the Broncos start a wide receiver at quarterback. Because Drew Locke, who was our quarterback at the time, took off his mask during a meeting. And it was like, that's nope, can't play. You gotta play the other guy who was like who was a wide receiver but played quarterback in college, I think it was, and just like goes out there and he he he goes like five of twenty-seven passing or something like that, because he's not an NFL quarterback. And then just you fast forward a few years later, it's like Now this guy can fly on a plane with blood clots and be Yeah, that's cool, you'd be awake for thirty six hours. Yeah, that's cool, go ahead and play. It's just this th the it's scary what can happen Ryan: w what I'm hearing is racism. Dustin N: just health wise getting on a plane. Ryan: Sounds like racism. Dustin N: probably is racism. I mean, the black Randon: The big takeaway Dustin N: NFL quarterback, he's told yes, go on the plane, we don't care, go play. But the nineteen year old white guy Ryan: He's gotta play, yeah. But the white guy, we gotta make him sit out. Dustin N: from Pittsburgh, like we will divert this plane to get you to the hospital right now. Just systematic racism. Randon: We hope that you're doing well, Ben. But that brings us to After 10 full minutes of the episode, we'll finally get to Dustin N: Ha ha ha ha. Randon: to talk about some Utah Mammoth hockey. And we ended Ryan: Our bad. Randon: last episode. We were talking about what are the odds that we could win both against Edmonton. We're happy with a split against Edmonton, and then ideally a win against Pittsburgh. And we got the split, and it was not how I thought it was. I thought I was expecting the reverse. We ended up winning in Edmonton, got shellacked at home, and then beat Pittsburgh quite soundly but not without another bit of scare getting a little concerned about the the scares but otherwise obviously two and one still in first place with the the goal differential tiebreaker over the Minnesota Wild. So sitting atop the central division we're third or fourth in the West overall how did you guys feel about those last three games do you have any high points low points that that you want to get off your chest? Ryan: Goaltending is a low point. I'm just gonna go out and say it. You know what I mean? Like the shellacking by Edmonton, I can understand it Edmonton is the best team in the league right now and it's not even close. Like they are an offensive juggernaut and Vimelka was terrible for most of the game. But also the Pittsburgh game, what was Kosa doing? You got a f what was it? At one point Dustin N: Hey. Ryan: a five one lead? A four one lead? And it comes down to five four finish? Dustin N: It it it was five five two. Four two and then five two. And then they scored they scored twice Ryan: Five two, okay. And You can't end that game at five four. Dustin N: in the in the third period. But I will say this. Ryan: That game can end five four. Dustin N: Like he he he allowed four goals on nineteen shots. That's that's not good. That's sub eighty percent, right? But when the pressure's on and they had it right on the doorstep, he made the big save, right? Like it I don't care if you let in goal three and Ryan: That's that's fair. Dustin N: you let in goal four, but when the ball w when the puck is right there on the doorstep and you need to be clutch in the final seconds, that kid was clutch, clutch, clutch, right right in the thick of it, right Ryan: You know who Dustin N: in the clutch. Ryan: You know who would have not let in goal three and goal four and would have made the clutch save? You got a picture of it behind it, yeah. Yeah, that guy. That guy right there. Yeah. Dustin N: This one? The I got a picture of the clutch save? Like when you look up clutch save in the dictionary, that's the picture it shows you The the one who who for some reason fans absolutely don't want to trade for for who knows what reason. Ryan: Also, highlight Randon: I Ryan: I gave a low light so I better give a highlight to balance it out. Jack McBain is the coolest player on our team and it's not even close. Him and Frederick talk about it at the little break and then fight of the year. It it didn't go his way at the end, but at the beginning of the fight it was all McBain all day long. He wa man. Dustin N: Yep. Ryan: He landed a few of where I was like a a week shout out Frederick for eating some punches. There were a few of them where I was like, just go down. Just drop, dude. It's okay. Like nobody will be mad. Like he landed straight to his face. But I want to see a little bit more of that out of the guys, cause it didn't help in the Edmonton game at all. Like, not even a little bit. But I did appreciate that. And then the power play. Phenomenal. It is so it is so nice to have a power play that is working for the first time in Utah Mammoth history. Dustin N: Are are are we just living in like bizarro world right now with the mammoth off to a really hot start, the power Ryan: No. Dustin N: play is phenomenal, and the PK is dog water bad right now? Like this is just a Ryan: Well we had Dustin N: complete flip flop of what we're used to with Utah hockey. Ryan: We had a good start last year, didn't we? Did we win seven in a row? Dustin N: I feel

like we like we got off to a Randon: No, but sp speci specifically for special teams is what he's talking about. Not the team performance overall. Ryan: No, the special teams, yeah, that's a flip. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But the hot start part is like, I thought we had a good start last year, didn't we? Dustin N: What how we start? I well I guess yeah, we got off to an eight and two start. That's right. I was said let's see, we we started at eight and two and then wound up nine and seven. So so the slip wasn't until ten games into the season. Ryan: Yeah. But the but the special teams the special teams being reversed. Yeah. Dustin N: I yeah, yeah. Ryan: But the spl the special teams is wild. I don't know what changed. I don't know if it was Adam Foote or whoever, but please, I like I can deal with if the penalty kill is gonna suck, having a top what, three or number one power play in the league, that'll I'll take it. It balances out. Randon: thirty six point one percent on the power play and not as not as good on the on the PK. What are we seventy Dustin N: Yes. Randon: point one on the PK? F twenty Ryan: Got gotta get that to eighty. Randon: eighth in the league on that and I think that's net. I think sixty eight percent raw power or penalty kill. Dustin N: One number one in the league in power play percentage at thirty-six percent. Five percentage Ryan: Okay, so number one. Dustin N: points clear of Edmonton, who's number two at thirty-one percent. Like that's Ryan: I don't like being on both ends of the spectrum though. I don't like being the number one power play and then a bottom four penalty kill. I would like to see the penalty kill get a little better. Like what is Vinny Trochek doing? I thought he killed penalties. Or is he just for face offs? Randon: So, you know what's funny is he's not even taking first he's not even taking the draws. Logan Cooley is taking the draws on on five on five, and so it's kind of interesting there. So you're not even playing to his most his his biggest strength, which is his face-offs. And then yeah, like his PK, like I don't I don't know necessarily that his unit has been giving up the bulk of the goals, but he has not Ryan: 'Cause we're still just running out the Kraus and Stenlin as our first penalty kill unit, right? Yeah. Which I'm not saying is Randon: Yeah. Yeah, I I believe so and Ryan: I'm against, but that's two slow guys who if they're not blocking shots and getting it dumped down, it's pretty easy to score on not to be that guy you know what I mean? Like you get the puck moving around those two and it's it's not hard. Dustin N: I I just feel like tyranny is like a these are my guys coach and these aren't my guys. Like Ryan: a hundred percent. Dustin N: I'm gonna play my guys on my penalty kill and I'm gonna play my guys on my power play. And if you're one of the guys who are brought in, if you're Trochek, if you're Anders Lee, if you're JJ Paturka, you're not a tourny guy, so he's not gonna play you like if you're JJ Peterka, line one, line four, line two, line one, line four, line three Every other week. I don't I don't care. But my guys, they stay right where they are because they're my guys and I know what to do with them. So I I I I feel like may it's probably time to shake that up a little bit. We talk all the time about him just kind of throwing stuff against the wall and changing up the lines all the time. May maybe try a little something with the penalty kill because it can't get that much worse, right? Ryan: Put Schmaltz and Lee on a penalty kill. See what happens. I can't see how that could go wrong. Schmaltz is great Randon: Schmalt. Ryan: two way forward. Pen that's what Dustin N: Schmaltz is a really good defensive forward, like Ryan: I mean. He's he's our best two way forward by far. Like it's not i Cooley will eventually get there. He's on his way to being very good. But Schmaltz is by far the best. And I'm fairly confident Anderson or Anders was killing penalties in New York. Maybe I'm mistaken. But he's I thought pretty good in the defensive zone. Try that out. Like what you love mixing lines. Dustin N: Y you know, th this this is a bit of an aside from the topic, but Logan Cooley is playing just phenomenal hockey right now. Like, he's fast and he's not just playing with effort, but he's doing amazing things. Like I I believe it was one of the Edmonton games where they had no, it was before this because I I think I mentioned this last week, but there was a a penalty kill where he took the puck, created a shorthand opportunity, and then drew a penalty. And then the next game, another one where he takes on the on the penalty kill again, takes the puck and he's skating around in the offensive zone around like five Oilers, just keeping the puck away from him and and held the puck for like twelve seconds, killing off that much of a of a power play by himself just skating around and he's setting everybody up. He's passing Through his legs to Keller for power play goals. It's just like yeah, he's only got one goal on this season, but he's playing beautiful hockey right now. Randon: Yeah, the so I want I was looking it up while you guys were were talking. Vinny Trochek, below Logan Cooley, Schmaltz, Krauss, and of course below Stenland, who leads the team with two minutes and twelve seconds of time on ice shorthanded per game. So you would have definitely expected Trochek to be up above Cooley for sure, who's been on and off the penalty kill unit. Nick Schmaltz was a big penalty killer, but but I would have expected Trotrick to be above him even. And but Lawson Krauss getting a lot of a lot of time, a lot of faith in his defensive efforts, which is probably good because his offensive efforts have not necessarily been there. And I'm curious to see how long it takes. If it will happen at all, maybe it won't. for fans to kind of say, hey, Lassen Krauss, I kinda kinda want you to do a little more because it's not like like Barrett

Hayden gets a lot of shit, but he's on line three putting up line two numbers. Lassen Krauss is on line one, putting up line four Dustin N: Ugh, he's playing good right now. Randon: numbers. So it's, you know I don't know. I I would have expected a change to happen, Dustin N: B Barrett Hayden Randon: but what are you gonna do? Dustin N: That man saw fans talking on social media about us matching that offer she from New Jersey and he's thought, Well, I'm gonna make you take every single letter of every single one of those words and shove down your fat gullets, and you're gonna eat it with crow and humble pie and everything else that you don't wanna eat, because I'm gonna be really good this year. And he's been Really good this year. I was one of them. Randon: Mm-hmm. Yep. Dustin N: I was one of those where as soon as we matched that, I'm like, that's so stupid. Why did we do that? And we we talked here with our preseason episode. Like, our lines are all screwed up because Barrett Hayden's here. We should like, why is he even here? We didn't have to match that sheet. And we've been wrong on some takes before, but so far we're I mean we're ten games in and he is making us look stupid. Randon: Mm-hmm. Yep. Barrett Hayton is an extremely impactful player this year, but I mean it's just like like if you were to look at it last year though, like He just wasn't as big of an impact as he's making now. And so I wonder if you're Barrett Hayden. Like, so here's actually my takeaway is we should just make sure everybody's in a contract year. Because when you are on the Utah Mammoth in a contract year, you play phenomenal hockey. We saw that out of Nick Schmaltz last year. And for all intents Ryan: Yeah. Randon: and purposes, this is a contract year for Barrett Hayden, and to see whether or not his future is with the Utah Mammoth. But one thing if I if I can jump ahead because it ties in perfectly with Barrett Hayden. And that is the news. If you guys saw it, Dylan Larkin expands his 10-team trade list to now include Utah. And one of the big storylines is: yeah, as with every player that seems to hit the market, it doesn't matter who they are, what position they play, how old they are, how young they are, if they are available, the rumor mill has Utah as a candidate. Like that Utah is in the mix for every possible player. Players who aren't even on the trade block for I've heard rumors that Utah is in the mix for him, right? And a lot of people are speculating that we may be targeting Dylan Larkin. Now here's the problem, right? I saw a really good trade proposal online. Can't happen because Barrett Hayton cannot be traded until next year. Late into next year, when we signed the offer sheet. So you've got him that has to stay. So now you've got to potentially just package futures for a Dylan Larkin guy. So I just gonna ask you guys straight up, would you trade if you could craft I it you don't need to necessarily say the trade, would you take a guy like Dylan

Larkin and put him on your team? Ryan: Yes, but it not the mammoth. And the reason is we don't necessarily need him without being able to give up Barrett Hayden to make a spot for him on the roster. Cause who's coming out with him? Barrett Hayden, you gonna bench him? That's stupid. You gonna move him to the fourth line? No. I would rather go for Connor Hellibuck than Bar than Dylan Larkin. Cause we can get we can trade for Melka. And that clears up the goalie spot for Hellibuck, and then you can package the kids. Whatever however you want to do it with the guys down in the minors and draft picks. Because we have a bunch of first round picks too. We have four in the next three years. So I'm not opposed to Dylan Narkin, but who you gotta give up somebody on the roster for him and Barrett Hayden, like you just said, can't be. So gotta clear cap space somehow for him. Actually I don't know. I think we have cap space. But that's not the point. Randon: I don't think we have quite enough. I think we still have to clear about three million. Dustin N: You know, and like I Ryan: You gotta get it rid of somebody. Dustin N: I talked about this last week about how like Utah is the ultimate like tool belt team, like every piece has its place and they they they all play their part. Like I we we talked about this in the in the group chat during the game the other day, how every single skater with the exception of of Simishev, and now since he's played the game D Simone, everybody has scored a goal, right? And and Simishev has two points like D. Simone's the only player who doesn't have a point yet, I believe. And other than that, everybody scored a goal. Everybody is playing their part. Everybody has kind of accepted the role that they have on this team. And the team is playing really, really well right now. Like you look at the team top to bottom, who do you not want out there? Like who do who would you want to give up? Like this isn't a a a an argument about like, no, we you don't want Larkin on the team. Like Because he's he's clearly a a a a talented, high level NHL player that you would want on your team, but who do you give up? And you don't wanna bust up team chemistry for somebody like I'm not gonna say that he's a problem child, but he's demanding a trade out of where he is, right? He wants out. So like do you wanna bring in an attitude like that to a team that seemingly has chemistry from top to bottom and bust that up? It just doesn't make sense to me. Randon: And I thought it when I wanted us to target Ryan: Mm-hmm. Randon: some high value, high price centerman in the off season, but that was under the assumption that we weren't gonna re-sign Barrett Hayden. I will give Andre Turney flowers for this. Is i I don't say positive things about him very often, but I will say he has found success in shifting people to positions that may not be their natural position and getting them to produce there and flip flopping them so centers can play the wing, wing

can play the center. And while I think you definitely want Dylan Larkin to play as a center position, I think you can flex others. Barrett Hayden can probably play the wing just as effectively as Dylan Larkin. but but yeah, you're you're looking at guys like if if it is true that Detroit does demand a player, but let's be honest, what the mammoth think we're gonna get him for and what Detroit Thinks they're gonna get out of him are two ends of the spectrum, right? It's not gonna be anywhere near what either of those fan bases think it's going to be. Detroit wants every single prospect that we have plus a roster player, and the mammoth are like, we'll give you future considerations, and that's about it, right? Like, but there are some in-betweens, but it's probably gonna cost you a guy like Kraus. It might cost you a guy like Yamamoto if they even want him, if he will even Ryan: No. Randon: find. Value in that system because I think he works so well in Utah. He's not exactly a one-for-one type guy for a Dylan Larkin type player. But you package like a Kraus with maybe a prospect or a draft pick, like even that's probably too much for GM Bill Armstrong. But it's not gonna be like it's not gonna cost us Desnoyers and a Ginla and a roster player and a pick. Like, there's no way we're never making Ryan: No. Randon: that trade. But it's gonna be more than just. Dylan Larkin, Barrett Hayden, the trade is one for one, right? Like, obviously you can't trade Barrett Hayten because of the the offer sheet. But like if we were to get him, I think Turney would find a way to switch up the lines and the rosters and make it work. It might not be a natural fit, but that is one thing that I do think Turney does excel at because he's got Ryan: Yeah. Randon: so much practice changing the lines, right? Like in his head, he's probably got 16,000 different line combinations. He can use, and so he knows. He's like, I don't, I you don't you don't need to worry about me in lines like I'll figure them out. So I think there's a world where we get Dylan Larkin. and you know what's so funny is I'm like balking at it now. Like at the deadline, I want to be in a position where we're talking about this team. All right, who are they gonna go get? They gotta get a difference maker. Team chemistry be damned. We're already in the top of the central, but we need a we need to put us over the top. And you guys know my opinions very well. I am not a guy who says we need to wait for this window to open. In my eyes, the window is opened. The window is open right now. So why should we not try to win now? Like, you don't have to give every single guy away, Ryan: Yeah. Randon: but you've also got a core intact for the next five years at least. So, like, we do it doesn't really matter to me if we lose one or the other of Desnoyers and Againla, who, by the way, are not exactly knocking my Socks off in the AHL. Desnoyers got three points in six games. Ginla's got two points in six games. So it's

not like a, my god, they're two points per per game in the AHL. Get them up to the NHL now. Like they're gonna take all year. To get ready. So even if we moved on from one or the other, and at this point, I don't really care which one, if it brings in a bona fide star that immediately makes our team better and likely signs at least a five year deal here, yeah, like you take it, right? Like how how much time does does Dil Narkin have on his contract? Does he he still has five years, I believe, or is it three years? Ryan: I don't know. Randon: Dylan Larkin is in four year four of eight. So if you trade for Dylan Ryan: Yeah. Randon: Larkin, you get him for five, six, seven, eight, four more years at least, if you get him. Right? You already got him, and he's at 8.7. That's a pretty th I mean that's that that that that's Nick Schmaltz Ryan: It's reasonable. Randon: money. That's really good that's really good value. So if you were to trade an again la or a desnoyers and then you probably don't get too many other things, so I don't know. I take it because again we've talked about it. You know, Dylan Larkin is Dylan Larkin and our rookies, you're hoping that they turn into a Dylan Larkin. But you you got Dylan Larkin right there, we can forget Dylan Larkin for a moment because our guy, Connor Hallibuck, some news coming out that the Winnipeg Jets are going to try To move him by Friday, right? Today, at the launch of this episode, it is Thursday. It gives them one more day to move him. Otherwise, that situation gets even more awkward than it already is. Because right now he's currently suspended, not getting paid, but now that is over, and he is going to return to the team. So they are going to have to start paying him. And I don't know if anybody has seen, but the Winnipeg Jets aren't completely hopeless without him. And so you're sicking as Situation where now you've got to pay the best goalie in the world to sit in the press box, that's a lot less leverage than you Ryan: Yeah. Randon: had when he could sit at home not getting paid. Now you're paying him to not play, and the incentive to start looking for trade partners, even if it's not as good as you want, is now apparent. So the window to get hella buck is opening. I think again he's a he's an available player, so Utah's in the books. give me the odds, put a percent. Percentage on it. What do you think the percentage is that Connor Hellibuck is in a Utah Mammoth uniform this year? Ryan: Thirty percent. Dustin N: That probably feels about right. I d I just don't Ryan: There's a chance, but I'm not gonna bet anything serious on it. Randon: from everything we're reading, it will obviously require a third team in the mix. the New York Rangers were a potential, but now the New York Rangers, their AHL goalie is lighting it up, so are they willing to move too many pieces? But you from everything we know, you likely need a third team to make that deal because it veggie's from what we think we know, we don't know for sure, but we assume Veggie himself is not going to get traded to To the Winnipeg Jets. We assume that he has them on their no trade list, otherwise, it's likely that we would have already pulled the trigger on that. Dustin N: Yeah, I I remember talking about how the the start that the Jets had gotten off to that would factor into how desperate they were to make a move for a goalie and they got off to a really good start and Stuart Skinner is like, Hey, look I'm I'm a good goalie in the NHL now somehow and and and he's not like he hasn't completely come back to Earth. But they have lost three straight and Stuart Skinner lost two of those three and he he is kind of gummack down a little bit. So I don't know, maybe Winnipeg does kind of panic and say, okay, we we do need a goalie. We we do need one. Like we're not we're not gonna ride through this with Stu s Stuart Skinner, so maybe there is a a small chance that they're able to get the get Bamelka there, but I I just don't know Ryan: Yeah. Dustin N: How desperate GMB is to get a new goalie in here. I think that the franchise believes in Vimelka. Like they gave him that contract because they believed in him in him as the goalie of at least the near future of this franchise. So maybe there's just a whole bunch of belief in him within the front office and they don't wanna move anything. And they just like, Well, we don't wanna we don't wanna give up prospects. We obviously don't wanna give up anybody that that we that that we're skating right now and we just we don't have the pieces to go out and get Halibucks. So I would like to see it because I I I think he takes Utah from a really good team to like a contending team because he's he's just that good. He's one of the top five goalies on the face of the planet. But I I I just don't know how badly Utah wants to make that move and what they're willing to give up. They might just believe in veggie that much. Randon: You know, when we signed Veggie to his five year deal, I think we were all excited because A, it was one of those things that said, Thank you, Veggie, you've done great for this young franchise. We're happy for you, we're excited for you. And then the term excited us because to us, at least to me, it said, Okay, Veggie, you can get us through this step and you will be serviceable. You can get us to where we think we want to be, and then Michael Rabel will will take over from there, right? And he He's the future. And I believe that can still happen. With Connor Halibuck. Like, I think he can still be the number one. You can still have Kosa be the backup for a year or two. And then when Rabel's ready to make the jump, like, I don't need him to start as the number one guy immediately. Put him behind the best goalie in the world as the backup to come in when Halibuck needs a rest. Because he's aging. And the big criticism of him is the exact same thing we're doing to Veggie is that he gets ridden too hard in the regular season and

he sucks in the playoffs. What? Happened last year. We rode Veggie really hard in the regular season and he sucked in the playoffs. So right now we already kind of have Connor Hellibuck on our team, just a slightly worse version of him, if we're looking at it through that lens, right? Like anybody who says that Veggie was great in the playoffs, you're fooling yourself. He wasn't. He just wasn't, right? Like he just was not good enough in the playoffs. And I have to believe that part of that was because we played him as often as we did during the regular season, just like Like Hellibuck did. Plus, you put in the factor of we had a team that didn't have a whole lot of playoff experience anyway. And you've got Winnipeg in the same center boat where it's like, are they a complete team when they get to the playoffs? Like, sure, they win the president's trophy, but then they get to the playoffs and they shit the bed. So, like, I don't know. You pick your poison, and I would like the poison of Connor Hellibuck. I truly and honestly think he makes us better, and I don't care about his playoff stats because we're We're not we don't we haven't won the playoffs series yet, so who d why do I why do I care if somebody's good or bad in the playoffs? We weren't good enough in the playoffs last year. I trust that he can get there this year. But rumors be damned we've got hockey to play. And we've got three huge games coming up, which we didn't often get a chance to say a game against Seattle was huge, but this game against Seattle Ryan: Yeah. Randon: is pretty huge because we've got Seattle, Tampa Bay, Minnesota. I don't know if anybody's noticed, but Seattle's third in the Pacific, just one point behind Utah with 13. Utah has 14. Tampa Bay second in the Atlantic. Tied or I think they actually have 15 points to our 14. And then of course. Minnesota's right behind us at 14 points in the central. So right now we have a opportunity to create a little bit of distance early in the season, but we also have the opportunity to unfortunately slump. Two of those games are at home, but they are at Seattle tonight at the as this episode is being broadcast tonight, the game in Seattle. Guys, I've asked it every time right before we we take our week break, but Ryan: Yeah. Randon: But what are you thinking? 3-0, 2-1, 1-2, or disaster 0-3? Ryan: Three and Maybe two and one with the Minnesota game, but I feel like three and is is achievable. Randon: You have a speat in Tampa Dustin N: Two. Randon: Bay? Ryan: Yeah. No, I'm not afraid of Tampa Bay anymore. Nobody should be afraid of Tampa Bay anymore. Dustin N: Two two and one. We we we beat Seattle and and then it the tough games against Roadie against Tampa Bay and then on the road against Minnesota, like those are tough games. Like e even if Ryan's not afraid of Tampa Bay anymore. They're a good team. So like g going Ryan: That's fine. Dustin N: on the road for both for two good teams, like I'm not gonna predict just like I did

with with Edmonton, like I'm not gonna predict we win both of those games, but we we go two d two and one at least in those three games. Like and then this is the problem like you talked about how like the they're they're nipping at our heels only one point back of where we are, right? The Seattle Krakenar. Like then but that's the problem with looking at just records and points this early in the season. Like you look at h who Seattle has actually played. They've beaten Calgary twice. Calgary is ass. They've beaten Detroit. Detroit is ass. They've beaten Philadelphia. Philadelphia's ass. They've beaten Washington. Washington is mid And then they beat Detroit again, and Detroit's still ass. So like four of their wins are Calgary, Calgary, Detroit, Detroit. Like they they're beaten up on ass teams. So like it like of course they're gonna win. Like they're if you're a mid team like Seattle, you're gonna beat the ass teams like Calgary and Detroit, right? Like this is what you're gonna do. So we're good. Seattle is mid, we're better than Seattle. We beat Seattle at home, and then we probably split the two on the road, but two and one at worst. But I at least give us like a fifty seven percent chance of going of going three and I went fifty seven as I was doing this. I should've went sixty seven percent. Randon: Would it change your mind? But so split it or reverse it. We're away, we're in Seattle Thursday, and then we get Tampa Bay and Minnesota at home. We get in the we get in the Delta Center. Mm. First is at home. So does Dustin N: shit, you're right. I forgot that at is on the road and Burse is at home. I'm dumb. Randon: that change your opinion? Dustin N: So we still beat Seattle. I don't care if we're in your bar Randon: Right. Dustin N: in your mid, we're good, we win. Probably still split. But maybe, maybe I do take that fifty-seven and turn it into like a sixty-seven percent chance that we that we go three and So Randon: But if we beat Dustin N: I guess that means I'm predicting three and right? Because that's that's b like more often than not we go three and if I'm predicting a sixty-seven percent chance. So yeah. I'll just but instead of like dipping my toe into the waters of undefeatedness, I'm just gonna cannonball my ass right into the lake and just say, Yep, we're going three and Screw it, we're beating them both. Three and On the road and then two at home, because that now I know what the the a the the little at sign. Like Dustin at isstupid.com The at means we're on the road and the verse means that we're at home. I know that now. So so yeah. Three and baby Randon: both the Lightning losses Ryan: Hmm. Randon: have come to the New York Rangers who are shockingly great this year. the Lightning have beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights. They have beat the Minnesota Wild. And then played a couple of mid-team. They beat Philadelphia. They beat Seattle. They beat Vancouver, who hasn't. They beat the Islanders and then they beat Washington as

well. So some good teams thrown in in the mix. And the goalie situation looks almost identical. with the exception of a slightly better save percentage, and their backup is is doing much better than ours. But both Vasilevsky and Karel Vemelko, who battled it out last year for the most wins in the season, both five and two. Andre's underlying stats slightly better, but Ryan: Thank you. Randon: Vamilka has a shutout, so that that takes Ryan: Mm. Randon: precedence so it'll be interesting to see. I guess here's another question. Speaking of the goalies, so one of the things we wanted to see was a more even split between Kosa and Veggie. it took a little longer to get Kosa his start, but he did start against Pittsburgh for his second of the season, gets that win. three big games. Do you think we see Kosa at all? Or does Veggie go all three games? Ryan: He'll get one. I hope. Dustin N: Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday. We've got two g three three days before Seattle. And then two and then three again. So like may maybe we see him against Tampa Bay at home. But there's such a the there's such a good break in between each one of these games. Like there's no three to like three games and four nights, Ryan: Hmm. Dustin N: two games and three nights, back to back, anything like that. There's There's nothing tight like that, so may we could see just veggie for all three of these. Cause Tyranny did say he was asked about what Cosa what Cosa needs to do better, right? And that he's seeing the he's seeing the plays, he's following the plays, and he's just making his moves just a fraction too slow, right? You saw that on in in the last game against against Pittsburgh. They they had a breakaway where one of our defenders lost their stick. I think it was Sim Shim Shimish Simoshev lost his stick and then Uyghur kinda the like couldn't stop the pass back and they beat they they beat Kosa with a one timer and he saw it and he made the move but he didn't he didn't butterfly fast enough, right? His his his his pads didn't drop fast enough. And he sees it coming. He's just a fraction too slow, Ryan: Okay. Dustin N: so maybe the the the The confidence isn't there from Tyranny quite yet. so maybe we see Veggie for all three just because there is enough space Ryan: Yeah. Dustin N: between all three games that I think he could go for all three, but hopefully we see him. Right? We want what what what do we want? Like a a three three games to one? Like for every three that Veggie gets, Sikosa gets one? Or do we want like a four to one split? Randon: With a couple extra for a couple extra for Kosa, because a three and one would put Kosa at about twenty-two starts. and I think we need him at 30. But here here's the nice thing. If you do start Veggie for these three, then you get Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as the next two. And so you could legitimately start Kosa against both those teams and not be worried. And then you can go ahead and start Veggie for the next four. the last bit

of that is a the Las Vegas Golden Knights game that I will be in attendance at. and then a back to back right after the Golden Knights you play Saint Louis. So you could start Veggie for his fourth straight start against the Knights, and then you start Cosa in the the second half of the back to back against Saint Louis. And then you got the Sharks, Vancouver, Colorado, so you could go, you know, you could again go Kosa back to back, or you can do Veggie Kosa, and then you can start Veggie against the the Avs. But that's probably getting too far ahead of ourselves. as much Dustin N: Yeah, we're all we're all the way into mid November with that. So I Randon: Yeah. As much as I shit on Turney for not playing Kosa fast enough, I wouldn't mind it if Veggie got the n all three of these starts and Kosa takes Pittsburgh and Philly. I would enjoy that very much. Dustin N: Th w as you go through that, since we are like immediately we're recording this immediately after Ecosa start, I I would suspect we see Veggie in the next three, just because there there there has been a three-day break, and then we've only got like Ryan: Hmm. Dustin N: we've got three games in what is it, five six nights? Something like that. Three Randon: Mm-hmm. Dustin N: games in six nights. That's enough space, so we probably see Veggie, Veggie, Veggie. And then you start Casa against Pittsburgh, who we already know you can beat Pittsburgh with him in net. So I th that's probably what we see. Veggie for the next three and then Casa. Randon: Yep. Perfect. Ryan, does that does that help or you just we gotta we gotta get more out of our goalies overall, but does that split seem okay? Ryan: We just need more out of our goalies overall. It doesn't matter who we're playing, we can't be giving up three goal leads late into the third. You know what I mean, where you gotta make crazy saves at the goal line. we can't be getting blown out by e even the best of teams like Edmonton after beating them the game before. so yeah, I just need a little bit more out of the goalies just overall in general. I am not completely sold on this combination of Veggie and Kosa. Dustin N: And I will say it has been kind of nice that the majority of the time where we lose a game, it just gets out of hand so quickly you can just kind of emotionally check out of it, right? It's Randon: Mm-hmm. Dustin N: like we're we're not holding like a what a a tight one goal lead through the second and into the third and then blowing it with five minutes left in the third and losing by one or anything like that, or like we're not giving up a goal. with two minutes left and thinking, well, at least we're gonna go to O T and we're gonna lock up at least a point. And then they blow that we go from expecting two to not getting any. It's just like if we lose, it's over quick, right? This the the that happened against Boston where they just boom boom boom. And then it happened against Edmonton where where Big Jesus is just like, Yep,

this one, we're not losing you guys twice. Boom boom boom. So it's just right out of the gate. Yeah, Veggie, we don't like to see you giving up three goals on four shots. And same thing for you Cosa but At least we're not going Ryan: Hmm. Dustin N: through the stress of like heartbreaking losses. It's just they they rip our heart Randon: Mm-hmm. Dustin N: out quickly and we're like, Cool, this one's a loss, chalk it up, let's just see what we can learn from it and enjoy watching some stress free hockey. Ryan: No, but minor goaltender Randon: And if you want Ryan: annoyances are just under heartbreaking losses. And giving up three goal leads are minor goaltender annoyances. Randon: Hey, if it makes you feel any better, here's some improvements Ryan: It doesn't. Randon: season to season. So season one is the Utah Hockey Club. We give up leads, we lose in overtime. Second year, Utah Mammoth, we give up leads, but we win in overtime. And then the third year, Mammoth, though, we still have not gone to overtime. Seven regulation Dustin N: Yeah. Randon: wins. So I'm just saying we may give up the leads, but we never let fully back into it. That's an improvement from last season when we would let back into it. This year we're stopping just Ryan: I guess baby steps. Randon: shy of letting them get back into it. Final thoughts, guys. We got some big games coming up. what do you any any final thoughts before we get on out of here? Ryan: Yeah I got one. what do you call or what did the hungover ghost say? What did the hungover ghost say? Randon: I don't want any more booze. Ryan: It's it was I gotta lay off the booze, but you did. No Randon: I'm sorry, I I stole your punchline. Do it again, do it again, do it again, do it again. Ryan: No, no, it'll it won't be real. Dustin N: Ha ha. Ryan: The face is giving it away. What's a pirate's Randon: What did the What did the hungover ghost say, Ryan? Dustin N: Ha ha ha. Ryan: favorite letter of the alphabet? you would think Dustin N: Ur you no, you'd think that. Ryan: so, but it's actually the C Randon: Ha ha ha ha I served it up. Dustin N: Did you guys Ryan: There's my final thought. Dustin N: the Randon you went to school with me? Did you know like all throughout high school I was terrified of fractions? Randon: I did not know that. Dustin N: Yeah, like in math class, half the Randon: in my head, in my Dustin N: It's so terrible. Randon: I was trying to project what the punchline was gonna be and I didn't expect Ryan: So was I. I was Randon: it and so then it took my brain a second to be like, that was the punchline And I had to hurry and think Ryan: It's like Dustin N: Yeah, it's one of those like Randon: about it and I was like a half that's a good one Dustin N: You're like wait what? half. Yep. That's that is prob probably one of the stupidest jokes I've ever heard and wanted to retell. I just like inhaled a dust bunny or something like that. That was nuts. Ryan: It was a fraction. You inhaled a fraction. Randon: Don't die on us. You were you were a Dustin N: It's true. Mm. Randon: fraction away a a half an inch away from death. but guys, hey, it's been fun today. We've talked about the rumors, we talked about the games, we got some big ones upcoming. none bigger than the one right in front of us with the Seattle Kraken. So everybody get out there, support the support the mammoth, watch them on the Utah 16. before I go, SEG Plus on the Roku is infinitely better than Utah 16 in quality. If you can deal with being 30 seconds behind live, it they've fixed it. It's a it's full HD for me. So I don't know if Roku's the thing but on mammoth plus in on my Roku I'm full HD no more 720p on Utah 16 for me. I'm just gonna deal with being you know get s texts or the the Twitter spoilers before before it happens. But good job SEG Plus. Dustin N: With with Mammoth Plus on ES on on SEC, SEG cheese. by the way, you can change the broadcast from like the standard one to like a tracking one and it ups the quality a a little bit. And then it also like if if you're someone who has trouble like knowing who has the puck, whoever has the puck it usually pops up like the little nameplate. And if you're somebody Randon: Mm-hmm. Dustin N: like like like my parents, who have a hard time with their frail old person eyes following the puck, it gives it just a little like tracer of blue behind it. Like there was like a time in the early 2000s, I feel like ESPN did this thing with their broadcasts Randon: Mm-hmm. Dustin N: where they had a a chip in the puck and it would trail it on the TV and it looked terrible. Like this Randon: Terrible. Dustin N: one's just the faintest little blue trail behind it and it doesn't like take away from anything. It's not bad like it was back in the days when they tried to do that with the with the tracker chip in the puck and everything like that when they did that. I don't know if people who are listening to the sound of my voice are old enough hockey fans to remember that. But but that's that's that's a good way to watch it on SCG Plus. Randon: Yep. it's fantastic. And if they if they s also incorporated what the lab was that showed like the time on ice and who's on the ice in totality, I'd watch that broadcast Dustin N: Mm-hmm. Randon: every time. It would be amazing. So consider it. Consider it, SCG Plus. But otherwise, we just appreciate what you're giving us. And we appreciate you out there listening. Thanks so much for joining us and everybody out there. Have a great night.