July 2, 2025 • 52 mins
Energy Line with Nate Thompson and Julie Stewart-Binks open up the show reacting to the NHL Draft. They discuss the big free agent moves, including Mitch Marner going to Las Vegas and some of the under the radar signings. Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman then joins the show. Friedman dives into the free agency frenzy, the stunning K’Andre Miller trade, breaking news and the behind the scenes of reporting during this time and what other moves could be coming.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Welcome to the Energy Line with Nate and JSB.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I'm Julie Sharp thinks he's former NHL R Nate Thompson
and we have had one crazy week in the NHL,
a decentralized draft and of course free agency frenzy which
Sportsnight Insider from Hockey Night in Canada. Elliott Friedman will
be joining us shortly to give us his thoughts on
the latest.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
News and Nate.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Four hours and twenty eight minutes was Round one of
the NHL Draft. I didn't catch the end of it
because it was time for me to go to bed.
But as a former player, how did you feel watching
the draft this year?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I didn't like it, Julie. I understand why they want
to do it.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
I'm sure a team saved a ton of money, you know,
not having to travel. But I think the reason why
the NHL is so unique and we only we're the
only league that did the draft that way right, And
part of the draft is it's about the players and
it's about the families.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
You know, and I know from getting drafted that it.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Takes a village, it takes there's a lot of people
that are involved over the course of these kids' careers
and lives and coaches and parents and other family members
and friends, and it's important for the kids who experience that.
And I think that you know, I know it was
you know, it was a little it was a little weird.
It was a little awkward at times, you know, when
you have a GM and the player talking to each
(01:38):
other right there. Yeah, obviously you know with Matthew Shaeffer
with I know you did with with Matthew Schaeffer like
that was an emotional and it was as it was
also awesome to see as well. But I think at
the same time, I think it's it's a special thing
for the player to walk down there, you know, the
way the draft used to be. The player to walk
down there, shake everyone's hand in the organization. You know,
(02:02):
you get to talk to them personally. No one gets
to hear that conversation, You get a jersey, you get
to you know, meet everyone, they get to meet your family.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And not only that, there's also usually you know, those
teams will have.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Some kind of dinner or party or something for them
right after, where you know those teams aren't there, so
like a lot of those, a lot of those players
and families.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I think from what I've heard, we're.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, walking around La Live trying to find restaurants
and stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
When I think that's.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And I think that's part of the
you know, the the novelty of getting drafted is getting
to you know, have that jersey and meet you know,
that owner and the GM and the coaches and all
that and get to experience that dynamic.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
And I know the NHL tried it. I know it
was you know, they wanted to see how it would go.
But I think it was a It's a pretty overall
landslide consensus that everyone wants to bring it back to normal.
So I hope they do. I understand what they were
trying to do, but I don't think it was uh.
I don't think it was successful. I think they got
to go back to how it was.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, And it seems like that's a consensus. It's good
to hear your perspective, though, from the player's perspective of like,
this is what it's like, this is the important stuff,
you know. I think a lot of us now realized
what was missing, like what we didn't know we missed
like that there are conversations when they go down the
line when they meet everyone, Like I never would have
(03:29):
thought about it like that. Instead we got just like
an awkward side hug with like Gary Bettman and like
someone maybe from like there the town they were going.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
To, if they were there, which I loved.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Like for me, I look at it from a broadcaster
perspective and I'm like, okay, ooh, like this is awkward.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
You know, the zoom. It felt like it was like
a COVID draft honestly in a way.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
But I'm thinking they're seventeen, they're young, you know, eighty whatever,
they're young, young young guys, Like they must feel scared shitless,
like in front of it's being aired across the world essentially,
and it's like what do you I don't know, like
would you how would you have felt? Because I'm sure
your draft wasn't like that.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
No, that No, I'm so.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Glad that you brought that up, because I don't know
if these kids were warned about having the mics on
them when they walk up there. But like, I don't
think I want to be miked up after I get
drafted and someone's asking me questions and everybody in the
Peacock Theater and the world they're listening to this.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
I think it was I got to give the kudos
to all those players though they handled it great.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
They handled it in stride. It was cool.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
A few of the celebrities that announced, like Happy Gilmour
announcing Hagens to the Bruins was.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Awesome, Like that was incredible. That was really cool.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
But you know, I think it was just it's tough
to have the players miked up and walk up and
have to like do this awkward interview. And I mean
just I don't know if you saw the tweet Pete
Blackprint put, but when the Bruins, like Sweeney they froz
with Haggins, yes, he wrote, he wrote, he wrote, Oh
they must have been on auto draft or something. And
(05:12):
I got the biggest chuckle from that.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Hilarious.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Is you can so good at these days.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I was good picking out the weird like nuances that happened.
There were some good gifts going out. I mean, I
actually really enjoy ex Twitter and like all these things
when it's like something like this has happened or is
going on, because you're like, wow, there's just so many
weird things happening, we can all sort of like.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Be in it together.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
And yeah, I think it's it's I think the guys
have to really grow up fast to have to be
able to deal with all that. And I will say
I love when they show emotion and they're crying about things,
and it's like, yes, this is good, Like like I
I like respect the players more that feel like it's
cool to feel things guys. And I'm hoping that like
(05:58):
that's like something that happens going forward. But I was
talking with a source because just like our guests coming
on here today, Elia Friedman, I have sources too, And
I said to my source, this draft is super odd,
and he said odd is one word.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Embarrassing fits too. Hopefully I one and done.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
And then he had said, I guess more than more
than twenty general managers are the reason that this happened.
And I know that Steve Eiserman came out and said
he liked it. I said they should release their names,
and he said accountability usually keeps people more honest. So
I was like, yeah, this is from someone from a
team who their general manager did not want this happening.
(06:45):
So I guess, you know, twenty gms really got to
check themselves, look in the mirror and see probably like
that wasn't a great idea, was it. But as Pete
Blackburn and others have said, it's something that the NHL tried.
It will go down as something the NHL tried, which
the NHL tries more things than any other league. I
(07:06):
give him credit for trying, but A Homer Simpson says,
you know you tried and you're failed, and the lesson
here is to never try it all. So it's like
one of my favorite quotes ever.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Anyway, never try it all, never try it all. We
have failed.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Okay, But speaking of trying, Mitch Marner's camp trying to
get warm and cozy with the Vegas Golden Knights during
the year, a little bit of tampering the whole league
does that. I've found out he's going over to Sin
City where in number ninety three, as you mentioned, Doug
Gilmour right in the Leaf's face. How do you feel
(07:42):
about Marner going to Vegas?
Speaker 6 (07:45):
Now?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
I think it was inevitable, Julia.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
I think that it just always seem like, you know,
he was going out west. You know, we had Frank on,
we talked about it, and it always seemed like it was.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It was always pointing to Vegas.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I mean, you know mccrimmin and how aggressive he is,
and you knew that when there was talk of the
Sign and Trade that it was it was inevitable and
he was going to go there. And then you hear
his interviews and he talks about how Vegas was a
place that he wanted to go, and you know, you
know that Mitch martinon he was going to be able
to go wherever he wants.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
He was able to write his own ticket, and he
he got a good one.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
He got a good one, Julie, he got a very
good He got a very good ticket. And I think
it's gonna be I think it's gonna be a really
good fit.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I do.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I think that you know, he's gonna be playing with
Jack Eichel most likely, and then insert whoever else on
that line you want to from. You know, their insanely
good depth of forwards they have, and I think it's
gonna be a good fit. I think it's gonna be
good for Mitch Marner. I think it's a completely different
(08:49):
outlook for him going from Fireball.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I guess you could say Fireball and then going to
Vegas where Yeah, that's the best I could come up
with right now.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, I don't want to be in a fire I.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Think that well, you know what I mean. I mean,
he's no media to Vegas.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I mean, the kid deserves some reprieve from that pressure.
God and the.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
I do.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
And I'm kind of rooting for Mitch Martner now because
I want to see him do well in Vegas. You know,
he's been through a lot. In Toronto, he's done. But
at the same time I gotta leave. Everyone's going to
look back and realize how good of a leaf he was, yep,
because he was an incredible leaf.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And I think this is going to be a good fit.
I really do.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And we'll see though, I mean there's a there's a
lot left to be done though, I think for the
Leafs as well.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
On the leaf side of things.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Yeah, I mean it's definitely got. Is this that dispatch
or dashboard confessional? Sorry, I don't know, but you know,
don't it always seem to go. You don't know what
you got till it's gone. And I feel as though
Leafs fans aren't going to regret like wanting to get
(10:01):
Mitch Marner out of town as quickly as they did,
because if I felt as though as soon as you
know game seven, Mitch is yelling at the team, Everyone's
like get out of here, like you know, I know
that they couldn't get it done in the playoffs and
that will always haunt this core four, which is now sadly,
I guess it's a new core for with nice. What
(10:22):
a steel there locking that guy up, Thank god. Oh also,
Johnny John Tavares, I heard he had been offered like.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Two years for eight mil. Takes a team friendly.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
I love that you brought that up, Julie. We have
to talk about that because people in Toronto should be
all over like worshiping JT for what he did. I
think how much of a discount he took and what
he could have gotten on the open market just shows
how much he wants to be a leaf and how
much he believes that they can win.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So kudos to.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
John Tavars for making that work, because I mean everyone can.
And yes, Brad Tree Living did a great job was
getting those guys a good deals. But it comes down
to those guys is wanting to be there, yeah, right,
and John Tavares wants to be there.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
He wants to be a leaf.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
So I mean, the guy had thirty eight goals last
year and he's making one for something now.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
I mean I know that's four four or whatever.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Like that's yeah, like that's that's crazy, right, Like that
is unbelievable and just goes to show you, Yeah, that's insane,
and that's kudos of John Tavares.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Kudos to him.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Yeah, and hopefully hopefully Tree Living is able to construct
something really good for getting those guys to you know,
because I think he got I think he got Matthew
Nice to a bargain too, Yes, I really do.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
JT got fleeced basically.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
No, But I mean that's we saw him give up
the sea, we saw him now take a team friendly.
If both of these don't show that he is ultimate
team guy, he certainly has shown it right now. Okay,
so we see, Okay, we got the big wagon down
in Florida. They get the three of them done. I
mean six years for Brade Marshawan. I had no idea
(12:04):
that it would ever go six years. What do you
think about this team trying to run it back? And
you think they can?
Speaker 4 (12:12):
They absolutely can they Julie they might win five in
a row. I'm serious, It's just crazy, like they I
mean never know. I mean, well, did you see did
you see the uh they don't have Core four there?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Yeah, Core ten they have guys.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah Core four lines.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
They have like ten guys locked into like twenty thirty
or something like that. Like that's I mean, you're set
up for success for a long time. And if they
don't win three in a row, maybe they win the
year after that, Like they are always going to be
in the mix. And the fact that bill Zido was
able to get every single one of those guys ex
Blad from I mean first Bennett, I mean you knew
Bennett was going to be back. I think you knew
(12:52):
how much he wanted to be there. Yeah, you knew
bill Zido was going to make sure he gets him
signed first. But to be able to get ec Blad
and Marshan and keep them, it's incredible. But I think
it all goes also goes to show those three guys
and their willingness to make it work. They want to
be there, These guys want to run it back, they
want to win, they believe that they can win. And
(13:16):
I think I don't know, I don't think there's anyone
else in the league that really kind of.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Did as well as the Panthers.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I really do, Like, I think the Florida Panthers are
a standard and everyone's chasing them still because I think
what bil Zito did being able to sign Marshan, I mean,
I mean Marshan to both him and x Blad, they
would have gotten the same thing on the open market.
They would have gotten like I think Exblad was closer
to like over eight. Someone would have offered him over eight.
Same thing with Marshan and her rumors of him getting
(13:45):
upwards of eight. And he's at five two five aav
Marshan and then Eckblad at six point one.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I mean, unbelievable job.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And they are the class of NHL, and good luck
to everyone that wants to try and beat them.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, and I think you make a great point.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
It's like we just saw them steamroll the entire league
win the Cup again, and then it's like we go
back and seeing all the teams draft free agency, and
it's like a reminder of.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Oh, yeah, Florida is fucking really good.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Why would we like, why would we think anyone else
could do something against them right now after what we've seen.
So that's why I placed a nice little wager on
them to win the Cup next year because literally everyone
I listened to is like, well they could They just
like you saying they can win five Cups. I'm like, well,
why are we even having a season next year because
we're just gonna anoint these Panthers another Cup right now
(14:35):
because it seems as though if they are able to
keep the only the only thing is that they have
they got a lot of miles on them that other,
you know, teams don't. There is the Olympics that is
coming up as well, kind of like for nations, so
there could be some interesting bumps in the row. But
before we get to our guest, I want to know
other deals of the day that that maybe you were
(14:56):
interested in or surprised about.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Other deals of the day, you know, I think I
have to mention the one that's some more surprising as
Corey Perry. I think him going to the Los Angeles
Kings is just incredible.
Speaker 6 (15:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
You know, I obviously played.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
With Corey Perry and we know how much he was hated.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
I know I have done it, but I'm not Corey Perry.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I'm not Corey Perry, but yeah, he you know, he
was obviously hated by every Kings fans and and maybe
he still even though he's signed by them. But I
think that you know, you knew the writing was on
the wall. He wasn't probably gonna head back Debington. They
made it clear that they probably weren't gona be able
to resign him, and it was just kind of like
where's Where's Where's Perry.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Gonna end up?
Speaker 4 (15:41):
And he ends up on the Los Angeles Kings, which
is just crazy crazy, But I think he'll be a
good fit there. You know, he's shown over the years
that he can adapt pretty much wherever he plays or
wherever he ends up.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So I think that's a really good signing.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
And I really like the signing of Mikhail Grandlin to
the Ducks. I thought that that was you know, I
think the Ducks. I think they're a team that you know,
they might be they might be in the mix for
playoff spot next year. I mean, you look at what
Verbeak's done, you're kind of seeing their team kind of
shape into a pretty good team. You know, they have
(16:17):
all these pieces with Leo Carlson and Mason McTavish and
Troy Terry. Now they had Criter and you know, they
have all these guys, and now that Mikhail Grantlin, you're
starting to see their team kind of form together. And
you know, they have Lucas, Dostele and net and I
really like what Verbeek's doing and how they're teams shaping up.
I mean, there's a I thought that free agent signing
(16:38):
was really really good. Trying to think some other ones, Julie, what.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Else do you got Gavrikov to the Rangers?
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Oh? Gavercov? That's what I was in print.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Yes, Yes, that was another one I really liked too,
is you know, and to get him at a seven
aa V you know, I think that. I think Gavrikov,
from what I've heard, he really really wanted to go
to New York, and I think that's maybe why they
were able to get him at a relatively decent price,
because I expected Gabkov to get well over well over
(17:10):
eight That's what was what I thought his you know,
his market was at so for the Rangers to get him,
they obviously trade KeAndre Miller, but they bring in a
guy who I think is you know, I got to
watch him firsthand last year, and I think he's one
of the best defensive defensemen in the league.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I think he's a guy that's going to play with
Adam Fox and that top pairing, and he's going to
help Adam Fox. I think Adam Fox is going to
have a bounce back year because he's playing with Gavickov.
And I think that was a huge signing for the Rangers,
and Jury did a great job with that one.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, I agree with you on that, and I think that,
you know, just things weren't working out with KeAndre Millers,
but he's a great defenseman. But like the system, yeah,
truebo gone last year, everything was kind of shifted around
on d D was really tough for the Rangers even
the last couple of years. So I think that, yeah,
bringing him kind of some new life and also a
(18:00):
guy who is very skilled and has playoff fixperience, and
we'll bring in some new life to an organization that
has kind of been, uh, a little bit chaotic, I
would say, but I wanted to. I was thinking about
you with when you mentioned Corey Perry going to the Kings,
like just that scene in Billy Madison when he calls
up like uh Danny McGrath or whatever, and he's like, hey,
(18:23):
you know, I just want to say, like I said
some stuff to you back, you know, and like I
want to I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
For what I did.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
He's like yeah, no worries all good, Like yeah, okay,
so maybe we can grab a coffee sometime like yeah, sure,
and then like takes his name off the like people
to kill Liss Like I feel like Perry's like, hey, man, like, hey,
yeah I said.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Some stuff to you.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Well go, you know, because you're gonna have to call
a lot of teams to apologize for some shitty said
to them a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
But now it's.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Uh yeah, he really has to do that, Like yeah,
I was a jerk and uh now I'll be a
jerk on your side to other people, Like that's who
you want on your team, is worm you want to
be against him. We know that there's so many deals
that have gone on gone down. It's just like boom
(19:17):
boom boom, this guy here, this guy here, this guy here.
A reminder of what teams exists because we've been watching
like the same ones in the playoffs for a while
coaching all different things going down. Get too excited for
the year coming up, which is wild to think about
because the season just ended. But we are excited to
be able to welcome on someone who can help us
(19:39):
break down make sense of the everything free agency and beyond,
and that is Sportsnet Hockey Night in Canada insider Elliott Friedman,
who will be joining us on the other side of
this break. We are so lucky to be able to
(20:00):
get our next guest on this show during free agency frenzy.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
This guy is busy.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
His fingers are tweeting like there's no tomorrow. He is
the one and only insider for Sportsnet Hockey Night in Canada.
Elliott Friedman also dabbles in a little bit of canoe
kayak rowing for the Olympics from Paris twenty twenty four.
Because this guy does not ever sleep. Elliott Friedman, thank
you so much for joining us here today.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
We know that trade deadline.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I heard you said you're on your phone for twenty
one hours. How much much time were you on your
phone during the first day of free agency?
Speaker 6 (20:35):
You know what, Julie. To be honest, I haven't looked.
I don't want to know the answer.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
I've gotten the question, but it's like I didn't even
want to check.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
I didn't want to see. I haven't looked yet. I
don't know that I'm going to.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
Yeah, I don't blame you, Ellie, that's uh.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
I think you're the all Star of the league.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Like you do, how much work you put in, you know,
the inside information. I mean I'm always, I'm always I'm
following you because I want to see what's going on.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
And you know, we'll get into that.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
So how do you categorize the market now and what's
going on, what's about to happen?
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I mean, it's there hasn't been.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I guess any consistency in some of these signings has
kind of been all over the place from team to team.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Well, I think that, you know, Nate, like for we're
really in a lot of ways that the shackles are
off right, like to for all those years after COVID,
when the economics work certain ways, they had to wait
a long time for the cap to go up. And
now we're here and it's exploded, like we're going to
places we've never gone before. We're at ninety five and
then we're going to go to one hundred and what
(21:38):
four and then we're gonna go to one hundred and thirteen,
and it's I think people are still figuring out what
this all means. Nate like it was interesting, Like there's
some agents, like, I know Marner's representatives said to him,
you know, do four years and then you can do
another big deal when you're say thirty two years old,
and Marnor like, and everybody's different. Manor said, you know what,
(22:00):
I don't think I need another one of these processes
anytime so soon.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
And I'm happy to go to Vegas. And he took
his eight years.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
But I think there are some players who are still
trying to figure out what this new market means. I
think there's some teams who are still trying to figure
out what this new market means, Like nobody wants to
sign a deal, and then you, you know, in four years,
you find out that everybody else's zoom past you. So
it's a great time to be a free agent. Eight Like,
it really is a great time to be a free agent.
(22:28):
But I think I think everybody's still figuring out how
the economics of this are all going to work.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Right, And we were watching you obviously I have your
tweets pinned as like my news source essentially of what's
going on. And we were just joking before you came on,
like you just like two minutes ago.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
We're filming there.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
We're recording this Wednesday, midday around noon. That Elliott, it's
eight minutes ago. They said Saint Louis puts Nick Letty
on waivers. So you're like always consistently going you, I mean,
my whole it's everything you've broken, like every single thing.
It's amazing, like when you were doing free agency, even
beforehand and during what do you I think was maybe
the biggest surprise when you found the information out and
(23:08):
then you're putting it out and you're like, wow, this
is a bit of a shocker.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
I have to say, honestly, Juliet was the Caandre Miller one.
So I mean, I mean, we knew Gavrikov was going
to sign a big deal somewhere.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
We knew Marner was going to sign, and.
Speaker 7 (23:22):
I'd say the Florida stuff was pretty big too, that
happened the day before, especially with Marshand and Ed Blaid.
But the care Miller one, I did not see that
coming and I should have, Like I I was a
little annoyed at myself for not kind of being on
top of it before, because what happened was, let's go.
Speaker 6 (23:41):
Back to the trade deadline.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Carolina has Miko Ranton, and they know they're not going
to be able to keep them, so they start like.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Kind of putting them out there.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
And Edmonton was one of the teams that called and
they said, like, you know, if we were to do this,
like what are the possibilities and and what would you
be interested in? They and then they mentioned that Carolina
asked for Evan Bouchard, and you know, I think at
the end of the day, A, I don't know if
the others would have done it, and B I'm not
sure Ranton was going to Edmonton, but there were conversations
(24:09):
about it, and so.
Speaker 6 (24:10):
You know, you always file that in the back of
your head.
Speaker 7 (24:13):
Carolina likes Evan Bouchard, and I think what happened was
Evan Bouchard's deal got done really fast. Like there's not
always pressure to get RFAs done so early.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
But I think Carolina had.
Speaker 7 (24:24):
Reached out and said, hey, like we'd like to trade
for Evan Bouchard. The others are like no, and they said, well,
we might offer sheet them on July first, so you
might want to talk about trading for us, and I
think Edmonton recognized that threat was there and they got
Bouchard done well. What I should have seen coming was
that Carolina might try that somewhere else, and that's exactly
(24:46):
what they did. I think they went from Bouchard to
Kay Andrey Miller. They knew that the Rangers were tight
to the cap, they knew that they had to protect
themselves with Will Cooley, and I think everybody kind of
knew that Gavrakov's choice was New York, so they were vulnerable.
They were vulnerable to an offer sheet, and I think
we were all looking at Cooley, we forgot about Miller,
and then when I heard the Miller was going to Carolina,
(25:08):
I was like, that's what they did. They they went
to the Rangers and said trade us him, or we'll
offer shoot to set them, and that's exactly what happened,
and the Rangers said, okay, we'll work out a trade
with you, and they got basically the two picks they
would have gotten for an offer sheet, plus they got
Scott Morrow. So Julie, that was the biggest surprise to me.
But I have to admit I was a little annoyed
I didn't have a better idea it was coming.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Elliott, What did you like so far? And what what
made me?
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Raised some eyebrows In second part, this question I have
to ask because my former one of my many former teammates,
Corey Perry and ending up Los Angeles King. It's caused
some serious commotion here in California. So I'm curious how
how that transpired as well.
Speaker 7 (25:50):
Well, you know, I think this, I think this, Nay, Well,
first of all, you know, I'll say this. I think
I think the one that most people kind of looked
at and we're surprised at was the Tanners and O
deal with Boston. And I simply heard, like I heard,
the the race on Jeneau was fierce. Like I heard,
there were legitimately ten teams that were looking at him
(26:12):
and they wanted them bad like like like basically, you know,
and I understand like people are like Boston five years.
I just think Boston decided they were going to get
that player, and that was what it was going to
take because there was so much competition for him. We
all know it's supply and demand, right, and Genea was
the kind of guy the demand was very high for
him And as for Perry, I think if you take
(26:36):
a look at what some of the deals have been
signed with the guys who are eligible for bonuses, like
Tay's got seven million, Patrick Kane got a big.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
Deal, Clote Cherue got a little bit less than that.
And I think Perry, like he had a great.
Speaker 7 (26:51):
Playoff He scored almost twenty goals last year and what
ten in the playoffs, and you know, I think he
wanted something along those lines.
Speaker 6 (26:58):
And Edmonton I just you know, couldn't do it.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
And and and I think what it basically came down
to was Corey Perry knows Ken Holland. Ken Holland brought
him back into the NHL last year, and I think
he was very comfortable with Holland, and obviously he's comfortable
with with California.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
I'm really curious. I'm really curious. They though, like that first.
Speaker 7 (27:26):
Game when they play in Anaheim, how are those Ducks
fans going to react seeing him in that uniform? And
like who's the first duck He's going to put his
stick through their nose?
Speaker 6 (27:37):
Like who gets the pick?
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Elliott, we know that you're it seems like maybe you're
getting some alerts, like we know you're an insider, you
still got lots coming through. What's what's it like right now,
Like you're trying to do an interview, but are people
trying to give you tips?
Speaker 6 (27:50):
Well, I think everybody is winning on Eelers, right, Julie.
So like you're you're you know, people are.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
Setting notes and and we'll see what what it comes
down to. But Elers is like he's the last kind
of big one, so everybody's waiting for him to come
off the board. It was so funny, like so last
night I was out for a walk with my wife
and my son. And at the end of every year,
when I, uh, I finished, like d end of July, first,
(28:15):
I always have a cigar. So I had this cigar
on my walk and my wife as she took a
video of it and she put it on her Instant
Stories and she's and she's like, it's disgusting, Like he
always has this cigar whenever he finishes. And I said,
hurry up, Dealers signed so I can go on vacation.
And like a couple of people in the league saw
(28:36):
it and they were.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
They were laughing. It was that's the last thing I'm
waiting for here is Ealers.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Okay, So if if things come up about Elers, you
go for it.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
We're still going to keep the pod going. But like
we're like watching an animal.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
In action, right, Like we're observing you as an insider
because I think what you what what you do is
more interesting to me than like the content, because I
think I have you know, I would just love to
watch how you do it, like Entrade Deadline Day and
on free Agency Fanzy, Like how many computers and setups
(29:10):
and iPads and telephones do you have?
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Like how do you manage it?
Speaker 6 (29:14):
Actually, I got to tell you something I don't.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
I'm pretty minimalistic truly, because I think that there's so
much going on that day.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
The more you enter it, like, the.
Speaker 7 (29:24):
More chaos you have, Right, so I try to limit
the chaos. It's one phone and it's one laptop screen,
and I can process that.
Speaker 6 (29:33):
I like, I believe in life, you know.
Speaker 7 (29:36):
You can't control everything, but the less of variables you introduce,
you know, I find it's better for me. Like I
sent one text to the wrong person this week, and
I like.
Speaker 6 (29:48):
I live in fear of that.
Speaker 7 (29:49):
It's like that scene in Succession when the guy sends
the text.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
To the he thinks he's setting it to the to
the woman at the firm, and he sends it to
his dad.
Speaker 7 (29:59):
So like, I live in fear of moments like that,
and I kind of had one like that this week,
So I think it's better to be minimalist.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, I want to ask that.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
So have you ever sent a text to like a
GM or anyone that like you're like, oh shit, that
was to the wrong team.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
That was that was to the wrong person.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
I meant that, Yes, it's very rare.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
It's very rare nate, but it's happened before, like for example,
like there, I don't want to say what it was,
but there was one this week I sent to the
wrong person. It wasn't damaging but I or anything like that,
but I had to explain it and it was actually
not even It was intended for someone at our work
(30:39):
so they could have details on something that was going on.
And it was one of those things where this other
person sent you a text and it was the same
thing that happened on succession. This other person sends you
a text and you move it out of the way,
and without realizing it, you hit that person's name and
you send them that text.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
So that. That's I'll tell like that that sucks. That sucks.
It's knock on wood. It's been very rare, but it
sucks when that happens.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Ooh yeah, that's human nature when you start typing in
someone's name, that is the text is about them or
something like that. I've done that before, but the stakes
have been a lot lower. Okay, so Elliott, I'm I'm
interested just about I remember in twenty ten when at
CBC you were working as an insider and I was
on a big, big like computer just tweeting, like when
(31:31):
tweets were just a thing, like what you guys were saying.
As as a production assistant.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
I remember you guys.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
You wouldn't remember this because, like I mean, this is
a core memory for me. You guys let me come
out with you guys afterward for beers, which I was like,
oh my gosh, like the cool TV people like, let
me come out with them. And like the roundabout way
of this is saying I remember in twenty ten you
being an insider. It's twenty twenty five now, so fifteen
years and you've been obviously working.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
In sports for a lot longer than that.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
But what's maybe like the biggest lesson that you have
learned about breaking news and being an insider from now
obviously like that you would tell yourself back in twenty ten.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
You know, that's a great question, Julie.
Speaker 7 (32:17):
I'll say this, and number one is it's for everything
in life is try to treat people the way you
would like to be treated. Like it's it's always that way,
Like this is a high intensity job. And you know,
I like, like I like to give people heads up,
like if I'm hearing something, I like to tell people
in advance. On days like yesterday, you can't do that,
(32:40):
you know, you can't do it because there's just too
many people.
Speaker 6 (32:43):
But I always try to give people heads up.
Speaker 7 (32:45):
Like I'm hearing this, this is going out, or this
is what's going on days like yesterday. Like I said,
it's much harder to do it, but like this is
a hot like it's a high intensity thing, and not
everybody in the NHL likes what I do. And you know,
it's like life, like you want people to like you,
but you're recognize that not everybody will and some people
(33:06):
never will under any circumstances, and you just have to understand.
Speaker 6 (33:10):
That that's just the way it goes.
Speaker 7 (33:11):
Like I always tell people, if you're gonna do what
I do, or you're visible on social you're gonna hear
a lot of nasty things. Like people are gonna say
tough things to you. People are gonna say things that
to you that are mean about your appearance or anything
like that, or just the work you do and that
or that. People might say or believe things about you
(33:34):
that aren't true, and you can't believe any You can't
believe anything everything you reader hear, and you have to
have a thick skin. And I've developed that over the
years and I can handle ninety nine point nine percent
of the things. But I always say to people, like,
try to treat people like you would like to be treated.
Try to be fair, Try to be honest, even if
(33:55):
you're telling someone something they don't want to hear. It's
better to be honest than not.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
Tell the truth, even if you couch it a little bit.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
And I always say too, Julie, Like, the biggest change
between now and then is social media.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
Like I have a process I like to do.
Speaker 7 (34:08):
I hear something, check it, inform people this is what
I'm doing, you know, Like you can't always do that
in the social media age. I don't like it, but
you have to try to do it as best you can.
So I still think like that was true when I
was born in nineteen seventy. It's still true in twenty
twenty five. You try to treat people right, You're not
(34:29):
always going to be successful. Some day people are going
to be mad at you. But at the end of
the day, if you try to treat people right, then
you're always farther ahead.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Then farther ahead than not.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
That's funny.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
We were talking on the show but before the show
with our producer Jake, and he was asking about it,
and I said, you know, Elliott's most respected guy in
the league for his job and what he does.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
When I was playing, guys loved him. You know, He's
always very.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
Well respected and respected the players in that sense too.
And you know, I want to talk about your coworker.
You know, we had him on earlier on the show
when we asked about you know, his team and what
it meant to him and how it's been. And we
want to ask you the same thing, and I'm talking
about Kevin b x Uh.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
We want to ask you this.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
I want to ask you the same thing, and you
know being on that team, and you know, I've watched
you guys plenty of times, and you guys do a
fantastic job and obviously you guys have all have great chemistry.
Speaker 7 (35:23):
Well, first of all, Nate, that's kind of you to say,
I appreciate that. I'll deny ever saying this, even though it's.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
On tape, But I love b Exa. I really I
love the guy. I love dealing with him as a player,
I love dealing with him as a co worker.
Speaker 7 (35:38):
You know, I think, you know, he brought something that
we needed at the time, Nate, which was some edge,
some bite, you know. You know, it's it's just there
were a lot of things going on back then and
he came at the right time. And you know, like
like I think the thing is, like you know, Nate,
like one of the things I've learned, I learned it
(35:59):
very quickly. Like if you play one game in the NHL,
you are an elite hockey player, right, and that like
a lot of hockey players, they have great minds for
the game, Like like some of the smartest guys, like
obviously you think like you know, Kelly Rudy played sixteen years.
Gary Gally played nineteen years, Glen Glenn Healy played fifteen years.
(36:21):
I think even more maybe so you know that those
guys are some of the smartest guys, some of the
smartest guys ever worked with.
Speaker 6 (36:27):
But PJ.
Speaker 7 (36:28):
Stock scored five goals in the NHL. But his mind
for the game was incredible, Like he really he really
knew the game well, like and BX, like Paul Bisonette,
Like everybody looks at Bisinette for all the crazy stuff
he does, but when you watch him break down plays,
like he has a really good understanding of the game,
and Kevin's Kevin has a great understanding for like he
can do anything.
Speaker 6 (36:49):
He can go on there and he can tear.
Speaker 7 (36:50):
You to shreds, or he can go on there and
he can break down face off plays. Like Also, like
the amazing thing about what I do is I get
to sit with guys like Kevin, like Kelly, like Luke Gazdik,
like Colby and just see what they say about a
play that happens. And like, honestly, Nate, that's when I
realize how much I still have to learn, Like they
(37:12):
see things instinctively that I just don't see.
Speaker 6 (37:15):
And Kevin's like that you know, people say to me all.
Speaker 7 (37:17):
The time, you got to go back Adam harder, You
got to go back at him harder.
Speaker 6 (37:21):
And I say two things.
Speaker 7 (37:23):
Number One, there's a team aspect to this and he
needs to get his shots in and I can just
laugh it off and the viewers love it so like
I understand that, like there's a role to play.
Speaker 6 (37:36):
But the second thing is I have a governor. He
does not have a governor, and he will always get
me worse. Like the one thing he said to me
once is you know you can.
Speaker 7 (37:45):
Take shots at me about twenty eleven, and I said,
I will never.
Speaker 6 (37:50):
Take shots at you, like that is the limit.
Speaker 7 (37:53):
I will never take shots at him about that Stanley
Cup final, because I know how hard it is to lose.
Speaker 6 (37:58):
Like if it was me and I play on the
Conucks on that team, he would tear me at half
and he'd rip me. I can't do it that. I
can't that's my line. I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
I think your chemistry is incredible. I watch I obviously
stream you guys here in the States, and I think
it's an interesting dynamic. I love that you're on the
panel because it provides a different perspective and that it's
not just sort of all former players, but like you're
giving a lot of analysis and sort of just a
different perspective. So I think that I like that that's
what Hockey Night in Canada does. And of course you know,
(38:29):
we're obviously really like big fans of you, or try
not to be like too super fandumb about you right now,
but we really appreciate you and everything that you do.
And so we know that there's other insiders out there,
and we know that Bob McKenzie announced and he's retiring.
If you have any sort of memories that stand out
just about Bob and the industry that you'd like to share.
Speaker 7 (38:52):
There've always been insiders in other sports like Peter Gammon's
and baseball was one of the first ones, Chris Mortenson
and football was one of the first ones.
Speaker 6 (39:00):
But Bob was.
Speaker 7 (39:00):
Really the first big one in hockey, Like if when
when TSN brought him in full time about twenty five
years ago, if they if he failed at that, I
don't know that anybody else would have done it, Like, uh,
hockey and can't always had the satellite hotstole with like
John Davidson and Al Strachan, but nobody really had like
(39:23):
a first time person dedicated to it.
Speaker 6 (39:26):
So Bob was the real test run.
Speaker 7 (39:28):
And I think that's probably the greatest legacy he leaves
is that if he doesn't do as good a job
at it as he does, then in hockey there aren't
there isn't anybody to that level. So I think that's
the greatest thing he did. Like, you know, the thing
I liked about Bob too was he was competitive.
Speaker 6 (39:47):
He hated to lose, like the smallest waiver transaction.
Speaker 7 (39:50):
And I and I think, like, like, you know, the
world works a certain way, like sometimes you meet the
bear and sometimes the bear eats you right, like you're
not gonna win everything.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
But you you've got it.
Speaker 7 (40:01):
Like like day I remember watching you play, like you know,
at the best, you're gonna win fifty six percent of
your face offs, but the forty four you lost.
Speaker 6 (40:10):
A lot of them, probably not at you.
Speaker 7 (40:11):
And you know, Julia, I know when you were running
track at Central Tech and you were talking.
Speaker 6 (40:16):
About how intimidating that that.
Speaker 7 (40:18):
Track was in the middle of Toronto, like you were
probably just like I don't care what intimidating is. If
I finished second, I'm going to be pissed off at it.
And that's the kind of the way that Bob was
And I like that about him, Like I like the
other insiders.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
I think they're great people. I really like seeing them socially.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
But we all want to kill each other, and you know,
I really like the nature of that.
Speaker 6 (40:38):
I think it's good to.
Speaker 7 (40:40):
Have competition in your life. And Bob was a super
competitive guy. He hated to lose anything. And I really
liked that about him.
Speaker 4 (40:47):
The Bob Father as they call him, right just I
never I've never heard that that perspective, and I love
hearing that. And the thing I want to talk about,
and it's it kind of irked me a little bit.
And I know there's a big sentiment throughout the league
was the draft and how how it was done this year.
You know, I know that it humanized some of the
(41:08):
players obviously, uh, you know, especially Matthew Schaeffer. But you know,
is this something that's never gonna happen again? Are they
gonna stick to this? Eliott, They're gonna bring it. They're
gonna bring it back. They're gonna bring back the old way.
They're gonna they're gonna bring back the old way.
Speaker 7 (41:21):
I gotta say, though, like, despite like it didn't go
as well as I think everybody hoped, but there were
some great moments there, like the Matthew Shaffer stuff.
Speaker 6 (41:31):
I mean, it's all for the it's all for the
wrong reasons, right, but it's not.
Speaker 7 (41:38):
It's unfortunate about it, but it's just a sad story.
But you make the best out of a rough situation, right,
And I mean, the kid's a fantastic kid. The people
in the building like, and the people out there watching, like,
it doesn't matter if you like the Islanders or not,
you're rooting for that kid.
Speaker 6 (41:54):
And like, I'll tell.
Speaker 7 (41:56):
You what else really stuck with me was there were
a few things like Bailey who was ann the w
w ee wrestler who was announcing this Sharks pick when
she came out the second time, and she talked about
how incredible it was to just see all the kids
have their dreams come true. Like sometimes I think us
on the inside, we take that for granted.
Speaker 6 (42:15):
And that really stuck with me.
Speaker 7 (42:16):
But I'll say this, I think we're going back and
thank God God, Yeah, definitely if ours.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Oh he's doing something.
Speaker 6 (42:25):
I gotta check something. Please excuse me.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Oh you're excused.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
He's gone. I was hoping that we could observe him
in the wild.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
I hope I was hoping the same thing too, ireaking news,
he's going to come back.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
Well, so we got to tell.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
You, no, he's not coming back.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I mean we kept him on for an extra ten
minutes longer because we were just like kids in a
candy store.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Wow, why what we want?
Speaker 1 (42:50):
So what is happening right now is I'm thinking Ellie
Friedman is going to break this Nick Letty trade and
or or sorry Nick Letty news. Let's actually let's all
check our phones in this moment and see if he's
putting it out because I only have notifications on for
hockey insiders. He's probably typing it.
Speaker 4 (43:10):
It could be something about Nikola Eelers too breaking right,
that could be another one.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Oh sorry, sorry sorry Nick?
Speaker 3 (43:19):
Is that who you meant?
Speaker 1 (43:19):
And then yeah, that's the undiagnosed aslexia creeping up right there,
Nick Letty, Nick Eelers, it's a good thing. I'm not
an insider, but it would be pretty would be pretty
fun trip down down the yellow brick road with me. Okay,
all right, well, well you will wrap this thing up
and we will We'll see what Elliott has in store,
(43:45):
all right, So that was Elliot Friedman, of course from.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Sportsnets Hockey Night in Canada.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
And we still don't know at the time of us
recording this what Elliott was leaving for, but he did
say it was for calls. And I think Nate, we
could we were hoping he was going to be able
to break to trade. But when maybe when you listen
to this it will be about Eelers or something like that,
like maybe this is We'll be able to come back
(44:10):
to this and be like this was the moment.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Yeah, I mean, Nikolai Eelers is the big fish left
on the open market. So I think we should know
hopefully this afternoon. I mean, but that was I mean,
that was great, wasn't it. I mean, having lat On
and you know, him breaking news, jumping off right as
we're in the middle of the pod with him. So,
I mean, that guy, he's just a wealth of knowledge
and how much information he has. And I love how
(44:33):
he talked about you know, his the way he you know,
how he he wants to be treated.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
He treats everyone the same way.
Speaker 4 (44:41):
And he talks about you know, talking to gms and
how how respected he is in the league and you know,
his his his overall insight. I mean that's why. I
mean I always when I go to Twitter, I follow
and I look at Elliott Freeman always. Uh he just
has all the good stuff and all and he do
you find too, Julie, Like he's like every time he talks,
(45:01):
he's such a good storyteller. You just feel like captivated
by his stories.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Right, Yeah, it feels like he's telling you something for
the first time ever, Like he's like, I got to
tell you this one thing that happened, and then you're like,
oh my gosh, like what's Elliott about to say? Like
you just feel as though, I don't know, I got
like I feel like I got like starstruck. When I
was like talking to him there, I was like, why, Julie,
you know Elliott Freeman, Like why are you Because he
(45:26):
is like such a big deal and because he is
always working breaking news, breaking trades and you just.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
See like I just I want to watch him.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
I want to do like because what they do is
so fascinating, Like you got to be like fast fingers,
like you know, like going I remember Bob McKenzie telling
me a long time ago when there were blackberries, like
you know, the BlackBerry pin you could like you could
you could message with people and so then it was untraceable,
like it was encrypted. So I guess maybe they might
(45:56):
do a lot of stuff over WhatsApp because that would
be encrypted or signal because a lot of these like
sources don't want to be known or like GM or
any of this. And then it's like when to press
like send, like the fact that he can tell us, Oh,
I have to I'm going to give this GM a
heads up. I'm going to give these people heads up.
But within that time of him giving a heads up,
another insider whosh, just soup on in and take it,
(46:20):
you know. I like how he did say they're competitive,
because that's what I imagined it would be.
Speaker 2 (46:25):
Like, like I was going to ask.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
Him, do you guys, like do you have someone else
say it?
Speaker 2 (46:31):
At Sportsnet?
Speaker 1 (46:32):
I don't even think there would be anyone else really,
but like if you guys kind of work together, like hey,
maybe you're working on this. I got a bit more
on it. Can you help me out in this way
like kind of a little deal.
Speaker 4 (46:46):
I don't know, because he said they're so competitive, and
I don't think they're I mean, they're different networks, right,
but I have an idea I think that I mean,
maybe they've already done this, but like can they do
a like a like the sports net do a day
a day following Elliot around on trade deadline or like
just a shit, oh, just behind the scenes of Elliott
on the phone.
Speaker 5 (47:07):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Like I think that would be unbelievable,
like an insider past.
Speaker 4 (47:11):
Sports exactly exactly following him on days of trade deadline
or free agency. They just follow Ela around all day,
like phone calls, everything, just behind the scenes, Like I
think that would be incredible.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
And at the end of the day, at the end
of the day, Eliott is so good for hockey.
Speaker 2 (47:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:29):
Yeah, they'd have to bleep out like take out everyone's
names and stuff, but honest, it would just be him
at like a computer and on his phone for like
twenty four hours, just like.
Speaker 2 (47:40):
Looking at it like it's.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
It's it's probably not that interesting the human eye, but
you'd be like curious to see what even like what
potential deals might happen that fall through, right, Like we're
hearing now about so many things that potentially happen around
trade deadline, Like the whole Marner and Rand and whatever
else like stuff going on, and you and I were
(48:04):
talking off air about another one that we won't say,
but that could have happened, but someone might not have
been picking up their phone.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
We don't know, like just.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Stuff that's maybe they're on do not disturb, like you
decided to go watch a movie, or if you're on
a plane that didn't have Wi Fi, things that you
don't want to be doing when things are important for
all of this kind of stuff. But I think what
it's amazing we're able to talk to Elliot Friedman like
(48:32):
his phone was going off, but like the guy's busy
as fuck and he's a lot, like he's giving us
his time. But I still don't know how he even
had time.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
It's impressive.
Speaker 4 (48:43):
I don't know how he allocates his time because I
it seems it seems like he's just like you said,
on the phone all day every day and and you
know he's he's the best.
Speaker 3 (48:53):
For a reason.
Speaker 4 (48:55):
It was like you said, the fact that we can
get him is for as long as we could on
what is it July second, you know, in a pretty
busy time NHL. Yeah, was I mean that's awesome and
he's a guy that I think too. I told you,
I mean he after I retired, I talked to Elliot
a little bit because you know, I wanted to get
into this avenue, you know, with the media, and he
was super helpful and gave me great advice and just
(49:17):
overall just a really, really good guy.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
Is there anything you remember in particular that he told
you that stuck with you?
Speaker 3 (49:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (49:24):
He did.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
He he talked about how, you know, obviously being myself,
he said, Nate, you got to be you, you know,
and he thought that you know, it would it would
go well for me. And he just talked about how
when I'm telling a story, you know, doing the how
and why and you know, just the little details and
being prepared. You know, I think more than anything learning
and hearing from Elliott Freeman and us hearing him on
(49:46):
Hockey Night in Canaday, can you know how well prepared
that guy is and how much information he takes in
And you know, like I said, he just he has
so much knowledge. So I think from hearing from him
and hearing his input, that's what I took from him.
Speaker 3 (50:01):
He's a smart, smart man.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (50:04):
And you mentioned that you were surprised that he knew
your face off percentage too.
Speaker 3 (50:11):
He knew it right off the hop.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
Didn't He Yeah, And then I said, I was surprised
you knew I ran track.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
We were like, who don't you just feel completely undressed?
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Like wow, he's an insider on everything, like an everything insider.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
He just can't he just knows.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
It's like he's like got some sort of Harry Potter
like mind reading type of situation going on.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
I mean, he's great.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
One memory I have of Elliott is when I went
to barstool, he came up.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
We were in a McDonald's in Toronto.
Speaker 1 (50:42):
I think he must live near me in like North Toronto,
and I was somehow with like I think my mom
and my brother maybe, and he just came up. I
think he was holding a mcflurry and he just kind
of popped his head over and he was like, Hey,
just want to let you know, really think the move
to barstool is a great idea. And then he's like yeah, okay,
so yeah, and I was like, what was that.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
I was like, Elliot Freeman just popped.
Speaker 1 (51:04):
Out of the bush, is like, out of a McDonald's
with a pick flurry to tell me that my move
to Barsool was a good idea.
Speaker 2 (51:11):
I'll like, never ever ever.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Forget that in my mind because it was just so
out of context. I never thought i'd see him there
in that moment. So maybe I'll see him walking around
my mom's neighborhood with a cigar on July first, as
is his tradition. As he said, all right, guys, we
know that free agency is still going on. There's still
gonna be a lot going on this summer. We're excited
(51:34):
to see even some surprises that might happen. Maybe guys
that are not their contracts might not be up yet,
but could be deals being in the works.
Speaker 2 (51:42):
We never know. Aka Connor McDavid. But other than that, we.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
Want to thank you guys for listening to episode twenty
nine of The Energy Line with A and JSB. Energy
Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Thanks to Elliot Friedman for joining us. Thanks to Jake
Brown for producing the show. Subscribe to show on Apple, Spotify,
wherever get your podcast, or listen on the iHeartRadio app.
Please give us a five star rating and write in
a nice review.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
I'm Julie sure Banks. He's Nate Thompson.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
We're back next week, reacting to free agent moves. I
will be coming back from Turks and Kikos. Thank you
so much for tuning into the Energy Line, and we
all catch you next week. Energy Line is the production
of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
(52:32):
your podcasts.
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Welcome to the Energy Line with Nate and JSB.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I'm Julie Sharp thinks he's former NHL R Nate Thompson
and we have had one crazy week in the NHL,
a decentralized draft and of course free agency frenzy which
Sportsnight Insider from Hockey Night in Canada. Elliott Friedman will
be joining us shortly to give us his thoughts on
the latest.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
News and Nate.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Four hours and twenty eight minutes was Round one of
the NHL Draft. I didn't catch the end of it
because it was time for me to go to bed.
But as a former player, how did you feel watching
the draft this year?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I didn't like it, Julie. I understand why they want
to do it.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
I'm sure a team saved a ton of money, you know,
not having to travel. But I think the reason why
the NHL is so unique and we only we're the
only league that did the draft that way right, And
part of the draft is it's about the players and
it's about the families.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
You know, and I know from getting drafted that it.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Takes a village, it takes there's a lot of people
that are involved over the course of these kids' careers
and lives and coaches and parents and other family members
and friends, and it's important for the kids who experience that.
And I think that you know, I know it was
you know, it was a little it was a little weird.
It was a little awkward at times, you know, when
you have a GM and the player talking to each
(01:38):
other right there. Yeah, obviously you know with Matthew Shaeffer
with I know you did with with Matthew Schaeffer like
that was an emotional and it was as it was
also awesome to see as well. But I think at
the same time, I think it's it's a special thing
for the player to walk down there, you know, the
way the draft used to be. The player to walk
down there, shake everyone's hand in the organization. You know,
(02:02):
you get to talk to them personally. No one gets
to hear that conversation, You get a jersey, you get
to you know, meet everyone, they get to meet your family.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And not only that, there's also usually you know, those
teams will have.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Some kind of dinner or party or something for them
right after, where you know those teams aren't there, so
like a lot of those, a lot of those players
and families.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I think from what I've heard, we're.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, walking around La Live trying to find restaurants
and stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
When I think that's.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And I think that's part of the
you know, the the novelty of getting drafted is getting
to you know, have that jersey and meet you know,
that owner and the GM and the coaches and all
that and get to experience that dynamic.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
And I know the NHL tried it. I know it
was you know, they wanted to see how it would go.
But I think it was a It's a pretty overall
landslide consensus that everyone wants to bring it back to normal.
So I hope they do. I understand what they were
trying to do, but I don't think it was uh.
I don't think it was successful. I think they got
to go back to how it was.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, And it seems like that's a consensus. It's good
to hear your perspective, though, from the player's perspective of like,
this is what it's like, this is the important stuff,
you know. I think a lot of us now realized
what was missing, like what we didn't know we missed
like that there are conversations when they go down the
line when they meet everyone, Like I never would have
(03:29):
thought about it like that. Instead we got just like
an awkward side hug with like Gary Bettman and like
someone maybe from like there the town they were going.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
To, if they were there, which I loved.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Like for me, I look at it from a broadcaster
perspective and I'm like, okay, ooh, like this is awkward.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
You know, the zoom. It felt like it was like
a COVID draft honestly in a way.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
But I'm thinking they're seventeen, they're young, you know, eighty whatever,
they're young, young young guys, Like they must feel scared shitless,
like in front of it's being aired across the world essentially,
and it's like what do you I don't know, like
would you how would you have felt? Because I'm sure
your draft wasn't like that.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
No, that No, I'm so.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Glad that you brought that up, because I don't know
if these kids were warned about having the mics on
them when they walk up there. But like, I don't
think I want to be miked up after I get
drafted and someone's asking me questions and everybody in the
Peacock Theater and the world they're listening to this.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
I think it was I got to give the kudos
to all those players though they handled it great.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
They handled it in stride. It was cool.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
A few of the celebrities that announced, like Happy Gilmour
announcing Hagens to the Bruins was.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Awesome, Like that was incredible. That was really cool.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
But you know, I think it was just it's tough
to have the players miked up and walk up and
have to like do this awkward interview. And I mean
just I don't know if you saw the tweet Pete
Blackprint put, but when the Bruins, like Sweeney they froz
with Haggins, yes, he wrote, he wrote, he wrote, Oh
they must have been on auto draft or something. And
(05:12):
I got the biggest chuckle from that.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Hilarious.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Is you can so good at these days.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I was good picking out the weird like nuances that happened.
There were some good gifts going out. I mean, I
actually really enjoy ex Twitter and like all these things
when it's like something like this has happened or is
going on, because you're like, wow, there's just so many
weird things happening, we can all sort of like.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Be in it together.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
And yeah, I think it's it's I think the guys
have to really grow up fast to have to be
able to deal with all that. And I will say
I love when they show emotion and they're crying about things,
and it's like, yes, this is good, Like like I
I like respect the players more that feel like it's
cool to feel things guys. And I'm hoping that like
(05:58):
that's like something that happens going forward. But I was
talking with a source because just like our guests coming
on here today, Elia Friedman, I have sources too, And
I said to my source, this draft is super odd,
and he said odd is one word.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Embarrassing fits too. Hopefully I one and done.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
And then he had said, I guess more than more
than twenty general managers are the reason that this happened.
And I know that Steve Eiserman came out and said
he liked it. I said they should release their names,
and he said accountability usually keeps people more honest. So
I was like, yeah, this is from someone from a
team who their general manager did not want this happening.
(06:45):
So I guess, you know, twenty gms really got to
check themselves, look in the mirror and see probably like
that wasn't a great idea, was it. But as Pete
Blackburn and others have said, it's something that the NHL tried.
It will go down as something the NHL tried, which
the NHL tries more things than any other league. I
(07:06):
give him credit for trying, but A Homer Simpson says,
you know you tried and you're failed, and the lesson
here is to never try it all. So it's like
one of my favorite quotes ever.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Anyway, never try it all, never try it all. We
have failed.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Okay, But speaking of trying, Mitch Marner's camp trying to
get warm and cozy with the Vegas Golden Knights during
the year, a little bit of tampering the whole league
does that. I've found out he's going over to Sin
City where in number ninety three, as you mentioned, Doug
Gilmour right in the Leaf's face. How do you feel
(07:42):
about Marner going to Vegas?
Speaker 6 (07:45):
Now?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
I think it was inevitable, Julia.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
I think that it just always seem like, you know,
he was going out west. You know, we had Frank on,
we talked about it, and it always seemed like it was.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It was always pointing to Vegas.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I mean, you know mccrimmin and how aggressive he is,
and you knew that when there was talk of the
Sign and Trade that it was it was inevitable and
he was going to go there. And then you hear
his interviews and he talks about how Vegas was a
place that he wanted to go, and you know, you
know that Mitch martinon he was going to be able
to go wherever he wants.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
He was able to write his own ticket, and he
he got a good one.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
He got a good one, Julie, he got a very
good He got a very good ticket. And I think
it's gonna be I think it's gonna be a really
good fit.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I do.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I think that you know, he's gonna be playing with
Jack Eichel most likely, and then insert whoever else on
that line you want to from. You know, their insanely
good depth of forwards they have, and I think it's
gonna be a good fit. I think it's gonna be
good for Mitch Marner. I think it's a completely different
(08:49):
outlook for him going from Fireball.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I guess you could say Fireball and then going to
Vegas where Yeah, that's the best I could come up
with right now.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, I don't want to be in a fire I.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Think that well, you know what I mean. I mean,
he's no media to Vegas.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I mean, the kid deserves some reprieve from that pressure.
God and the.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
I do.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
And I'm kind of rooting for Mitch Martner now because
I want to see him do well in Vegas. You know,
he's been through a lot. In Toronto, he's done. But
at the same time I gotta leave. Everyone's going to
look back and realize how good of a leaf he was, yep,
because he was an incredible leaf.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And I think this is going to be a good fit.
I really do.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And we'll see though, I mean there's a there's a
lot left to be done though, I think for the
Leafs as well.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
On the leaf side of things.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Yeah, I mean it's definitely got. Is this that dispatch
or dashboard confessional? Sorry, I don't know, but you know,
don't it always seem to go. You don't know what
you got till it's gone. And I feel as though
Leafs fans aren't going to regret like wanting to get
(10:01):
Mitch Marner out of town as quickly as they did,
because if I felt as though as soon as you
know game seven, Mitch is yelling at the team, Everyone's
like get out of here, like you know, I know
that they couldn't get it done in the playoffs and
that will always haunt this core four, which is now sadly,
I guess it's a new core for with nice. What
(10:22):
a steel there locking that guy up, Thank god. Oh also,
Johnny John Tavares, I heard he had been offered like.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Two years for eight mil. Takes a team friendly.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
I love that you brought that up, Julie. We have
to talk about that because people in Toronto should be
all over like worshiping JT for what he did. I
think how much of a discount he took and what
he could have gotten on the open market just shows
how much he wants to be a leaf and how
much he believes that they can win.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So kudos to.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
John Tavars for making that work, because I mean everyone can.
And yes, Brad Tree Living did a great job was
getting those guys a good deals. But it comes down
to those guys is wanting to be there, yeah, right,
and John Tavares wants to be there.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
He wants to be a leaf.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
So I mean, the guy had thirty eight goals last
year and he's making one for something now.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
I mean I know that's four four or whatever.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Like that's yeah, like that's that's crazy, right, Like that
is unbelievable and just goes to show you, Yeah, that's insane,
and that's kudos of John Tavares.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Kudos to him.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Yeah, and hopefully hopefully Tree Living is able to construct
something really good for getting those guys to you know,
because I think he got I think he got Matthew
Nice to a bargain too, Yes, I really do.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
JT got fleeced basically.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
No, But I mean that's we saw him give up
the sea, we saw him now take a team friendly.
If both of these don't show that he is ultimate
team guy, he certainly has shown it right now. Okay,
so we see, Okay, we got the big wagon down
in Florida. They get the three of them done. I
mean six years for Brade Marshawan. I had no idea
(12:04):
that it would ever go six years. What do you
think about this team trying to run it back? And
you think they can?
Speaker 4 (12:12):
They absolutely can they Julie they might win five in
a row. I'm serious, It's just crazy, like they I
mean never know. I mean, well, did you see did
you see the uh they don't have Core four there?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Yeah, Core ten they have guys.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah Core four lines.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
They have like ten guys locked into like twenty thirty
or something like that. Like that's I mean, you're set
up for success for a long time. And if they
don't win three in a row, maybe they win the
year after that, Like they are always going to be
in the mix. And the fact that bill Zido was
able to get every single one of those guys ex
Blad from I mean first Bennett, I mean you knew
Bennett was going to be back. I think you knew
(12:52):
how much he wanted to be there. Yeah, you knew
bill Zido was going to make sure he gets him
signed first. But to be able to get ec Blad
and Marshan and keep them, it's incredible. But I think
it all goes also goes to show those three guys
and their willingness to make it work. They want to
be there, These guys want to run it back, they
want to win, they believe that they can win. And
(13:16):
I think I don't know, I don't think there's anyone
else in the league that really kind of.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Did as well as the Panthers.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I really do, Like, I think the Florida Panthers are
a standard and everyone's chasing them still because I think
what bil Zito did being able to sign Marshan, I mean,
I mean Marshan to both him and x Blad, they
would have gotten the same thing on the open market.
They would have gotten like I think Exblad was closer
to like over eight. Someone would have offered him over eight.
Same thing with Marshan and her rumors of him getting
(13:45):
upwards of eight. And he's at five two five aav
Marshan and then Eckblad at six point one.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I mean, unbelievable job.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And they are the class of NHL, and good luck
to everyone that wants to try and beat them.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, and I think you make a great point.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
It's like we just saw them steamroll the entire league
win the Cup again, and then it's like we go
back and seeing all the teams draft free agency, and
it's like a reminder of.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Oh, yeah, Florida is fucking really good.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Why would we like, why would we think anyone else
could do something against them right now after what we've seen.
So that's why I placed a nice little wager on
them to win the Cup next year because literally everyone
I listened to is like, well they could They just
like you saying they can win five Cups. I'm like, well,
why are we even having a season next year because
we're just gonna anoint these Panthers another Cup right now
(14:35):
because it seems as though if they are able to
keep the only the only thing is that they have
they got a lot of miles on them that other,
you know, teams don't. There is the Olympics that is
coming up as well, kind of like for nations, so
there could be some interesting bumps in the row. But
before we get to our guest, I want to know
other deals of the day that that maybe you were
(14:56):
interested in or surprised about.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Other deals of the day, you know, I think I
have to mention the one that's some more surprising as
Corey Perry. I think him going to the Los Angeles
Kings is just incredible.
Speaker 6 (15:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
You know, I obviously played.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
With Corey Perry and we know how much he was hated.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
I know I have done it, but I'm not Corey Perry.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I'm not Corey Perry, but yeah, he you know, he
was obviously hated by every Kings fans and and maybe
he still even though he's signed by them. But I
think that you know, you knew the writing was on
the wall. He wasn't probably gonna head back Debington. They
made it clear that they probably weren't gona be able
to resign him, and it was just kind of like
where's Where's Where's Perry.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Gonna end up?
Speaker 4 (15:41):
And he ends up on the Los Angeles Kings, which
is just crazy crazy, But I think he'll be a
good fit there. You know, he's shown over the years
that he can adapt pretty much wherever he plays or
wherever he ends up.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So I think that's a really good signing.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
And I really like the signing of Mikhail Grandlin to
the Ducks. I thought that that was you know, I
think the Ducks. I think they're a team that you know,
they might be they might be in the mix for
playoff spot next year. I mean, you look at what
Verbeak's done, you're kind of seeing their team kind of
shape into a pretty good team. You know, they have
(16:17):
all these pieces with Leo Carlson and Mason McTavish and
Troy Terry. Now they had Criter and you know, they
have all these guys, and now that Mikhail Grantlin, you're
starting to see their team kind of form together. And
you know, they have Lucas, Dostele and net and I
really like what Verbeek's doing and how they're teams shaping up.
I mean, there's a I thought that free agent signing
(16:38):
was really really good. Trying to think some other ones, Julie, what.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Else do you got Gavrikov to the Rangers?
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Oh? Gavercov? That's what I was in print.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Yes, Yes, that was another one I really liked too,
is you know, and to get him at a seven
aa V you know, I think that. I think Gavrikov,
from what I've heard, he really really wanted to go
to New York, and I think that's maybe why they
were able to get him at a relatively decent price,
because I expected Gabkov to get well over well over
(17:10):
eight That's what was what I thought his you know,
his market was at so for the Rangers to get him,
they obviously trade KeAndre Miller, but they bring in a
guy who I think is you know, I got to
watch him firsthand last year, and I think he's one
of the best defensive defensemen in the league.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I think he's a guy that's going to play with
Adam Fox and that top pairing, and he's going to
help Adam Fox. I think Adam Fox is going to
have a bounce back year because he's playing with Gavickov.
And I think that was a huge signing for the Rangers,
and Jury did a great job with that one.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, I agree with you on that, and I think that,
you know, just things weren't working out with KeAndre Millers,
but he's a great defenseman. But like the system, yeah,
truebo gone last year, everything was kind of shifted around
on d D was really tough for the Rangers even
the last couple of years. So I think that, yeah,
bringing him kind of some new life and also a
(18:00):
guy who is very skilled and has playoff fixperience, and
we'll bring in some new life to an organization that
has kind of been, uh, a little bit chaotic, I
would say, but I wanted to. I was thinking about
you with when you mentioned Corey Perry going to the Kings,
like just that scene in Billy Madison when he calls
up like uh Danny McGrath or whatever, and he's like, hey,
(18:23):
you know, I just want to say, like I said
some stuff to you back, you know, and like I
want to I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
For what I did.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
He's like yeah, no worries all good, Like yeah, okay,
so maybe we can grab a coffee sometime like yeah, sure,
and then like takes his name off the like people
to kill Liss Like I feel like Perry's like, hey, man, like, hey,
yeah I said.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Some stuff to you.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Well go, you know, because you're gonna have to call
a lot of teams to apologize for some shitty said
to them a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
But now it's.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Uh yeah, he really has to do that, Like yeah,
I was a jerk and uh now I'll be a
jerk on your side to other people, Like that's who
you want on your team, is worm you want to
be against him. We know that there's so many deals
that have gone on gone down. It's just like boom
(19:17):
boom boom, this guy here, this guy here, this guy here.
A reminder of what teams exists because we've been watching
like the same ones in the playoffs for a while
coaching all different things going down. Get too excited for
the year coming up, which is wild to think about
because the season just ended. But we are excited to
be able to welcome on someone who can help us
(19:39):
break down make sense of the everything free agency and beyond,
and that is Sportsnet Hockey Night in Canada insider Elliott Friedman,
who will be joining us on the other side of
this break. We are so lucky to be able to
(20:00):
get our next guest on this show during free agency frenzy.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
This guy is busy.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
His fingers are tweeting like there's no tomorrow. He is
the one and only insider for Sportsnet Hockey Night in Canada.
Elliott Friedman also dabbles in a little bit of canoe
kayak rowing for the Olympics from Paris twenty twenty four.
Because this guy does not ever sleep. Elliott Friedman, thank
you so much for joining us here today.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
We know that trade deadline.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I heard you said you're on your phone for twenty
one hours. How much much time were you on your
phone during the first day of free agency?
Speaker 6 (20:35):
You know what, Julie. To be honest, I haven't looked.
I don't want to know the answer.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
I've gotten the question, but it's like I didn't even
want to check.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
I didn't want to see. I haven't looked yet. I
don't know that I'm going to.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
Yeah, I don't blame you, Ellie, that's uh.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
I think you're the all Star of the league.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Like you do, how much work you put in, you know,
the inside information. I mean I'm always, I'm always I'm
following you because I want to see what's going on.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
And you know, we'll get into that.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
So how do you categorize the market now and what's
going on, what's about to happen?
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I mean, it's there hasn't been.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I guess any consistency in some of these signings has
kind of been all over the place from team to team.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
Well, I think that, you know, Nate, like for we're
really in a lot of ways that the shackles are
off right, like to for all those years after COVID,
when the economics work certain ways, they had to wait
a long time for the cap to go up. And
now we're here and it's exploded, like we're going to
places we've never gone before. We're at ninety five and
then we're going to go to one hundred and what
(21:38):
four and then we're gonna go to one hundred and thirteen,
and it's I think people are still figuring out what
this all means. Nate like it was interesting, Like there's
some agents, like, I know Marner's representatives said to him,
you know, do four years and then you can do
another big deal when you're say thirty two years old,
and Marnor like, and everybody's different. Manor said, you know what,
(22:00):
I don't think I need another one of these processes
anytime so soon.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
And I'm happy to go to Vegas. And he took
his eight years.
Speaker 7 (22:07):
But I think there are some players who are still
trying to figure out what this new market means. I
think there's some teams who are still trying to figure
out what this new market means, Like nobody wants to
sign a deal, and then you, you know, in four years,
you find out that everybody else's zoom past you. So
it's a great time to be a free agent. Eight Like,
it really is a great time to be a free agent.
(22:28):
But I think I think everybody's still figuring out how
the economics of this are all going to work.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Right, And we were watching you obviously I have your
tweets pinned as like my news source essentially of what's
going on. And we were just joking before you came on,
like you just like two minutes ago.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
We're filming there.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
We're recording this Wednesday, midday around noon. That Elliott, it's
eight minutes ago. They said Saint Louis puts Nick Letty
on waivers. So you're like always consistently going you, I mean,
my whole it's everything you've broken, like every single thing.
It's amazing, like when you were doing free agency, even
beforehand and during what do you I think was maybe
the biggest surprise when you found the information out and
(23:08):
then you're putting it out and you're like, wow, this
is a bit of a shocker.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
I have to say, honestly, Juliet was the Caandre Miller one.
So I mean, I mean, we knew Gavrikov was going
to sign a big deal somewhere.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
We knew Marner was going to sign, and.
Speaker 7 (23:22):
I'd say the Florida stuff was pretty big too, that
happened the day before, especially with Marshand and Ed Blaid.
But the care Miller one, I did not see that
coming and I should have, Like I I was a
little annoyed at myself for not kind of being on
top of it before, because what happened was, let's go.
Speaker 6 (23:41):
Back to the trade deadline.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Carolina has Miko Ranton, and they know they're not going
to be able to keep them, so they start like.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Kind of putting them out there.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
And Edmonton was one of the teams that called and
they said, like, you know, if we were to do this,
like what are the possibilities and and what would you
be interested in? They and then they mentioned that Carolina
asked for Evan Bouchard, and you know, I think at
the end of the day, A, I don't know if
the others would have done it, and B I'm not
sure Ranton was going to Edmonton, but there were conversations
(24:09):
about it, and so.
Speaker 6 (24:10):
You know, you always file that in the back of
your head.
Speaker 7 (24:13):
Carolina likes Evan Bouchard, and I think what happened was
Evan Bouchard's deal got done really fast. Like there's not
always pressure to get RFAs done so early.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
But I think Carolina had.
Speaker 7 (24:24):
Reached out and said, hey, like we'd like to trade
for Evan Bouchard. The others are like no, and they said, well,
we might offer sheet them on July first, so you
might want to talk about trading for us, and I
think Edmonton recognized that threat was there and they got
Bouchard done well. What I should have seen coming was
that Carolina might try that somewhere else, and that's exactly
(24:46):
what they did. I think they went from Bouchard to
Kay Andrey Miller. They knew that the Rangers were tight
to the cap, they knew that they had to protect
themselves with Will Cooley, and I think everybody kind of
knew that Gavrakov's choice was New York, so they were vulnerable.
They were vulnerable to an offer sheet, and I think
we were all looking at Cooley, we forgot about Miller,
and then when I heard the Miller was going to Carolina,
(25:08):
I was like, that's what they did. They they went
to the Rangers and said trade us him, or we'll
offer shoot to set them, and that's exactly what happened,
and the Rangers said, okay, we'll work out a trade
with you, and they got basically the two picks they
would have gotten for an offer sheet, plus they got
Scott Morrow. So Julie, that was the biggest surprise to me.
But I have to admit I was a little annoyed
I didn't have a better idea it was coming.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Elliott, What did you like so far? And what what
made me?
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Raised some eyebrows In second part, this question I have
to ask because my former one of my many former teammates,
Corey Perry and ending up Los Angeles King. It's caused
some serious commotion here in California. So I'm curious how
how that transpired as well.
Speaker 7 (25:50):
Well, you know, I think this, I think this, Nay, Well,
first of all, you know, I'll say this. I think
I think the one that most people kind of looked
at and we're surprised at was the Tanners and O
deal with Boston. And I simply heard, like I heard,
the the race on Jeneau was fierce. Like I heard,
there were legitimately ten teams that were looking at him
(26:12):
and they wanted them bad like like like basically, you know,
and I understand like people are like Boston five years.
I just think Boston decided they were going to get
that player, and that was what it was going to
take because there was so much competition for him. We
all know it's supply and demand, right, and Genea was
the kind of guy the demand was very high for
him And as for Perry, I think if you take
(26:36):
a look at what some of the deals have been
signed with the guys who are eligible for bonuses, like
Tay's got seven million, Patrick Kane got a big.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
Deal, Clote Cherue got a little bit less than that.
And I think Perry, like he had a great.
Speaker 7 (26:51):
Playoff He scored almost twenty goals last year and what
ten in the playoffs, and you know, I think he
wanted something along those lines.
Speaker 6 (26:58):
And Edmonton I just you know, couldn't do it.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
And and and I think what it basically came down
to was Corey Perry knows Ken Holland. Ken Holland brought
him back into the NHL last year, and I think
he was very comfortable with Holland, and obviously he's comfortable
with with California.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
I'm really curious. I'm really curious. They though, like that first.
Speaker 7 (27:26):
Game when they play in Anaheim, how are those Ducks
fans going to react seeing him in that uniform? And
like who's the first duck He's going to put his
stick through their nose?
Speaker 6 (27:37):
Like who gets the pick?
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Elliott, we know that you're it seems like maybe you're
getting some alerts, like we know you're an insider, you
still got lots coming through. What's what's it like right now,
Like you're trying to do an interview, but are people
trying to give you tips?
Speaker 6 (27:50):
Well, I think everybody is winning on Eelers, right, Julie.
So like you're you're you know, people are.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
Setting notes and and we'll see what what it comes
down to. But Elers is like he's the last kind
of big one, so everybody's waiting for him to come
off the board. It was so funny, like so last
night I was out for a walk with my wife
and my son. And at the end of every year,
when I, uh, I finished, like d end of July, first,
(28:15):
I always have a cigar. So I had this cigar
on my walk and my wife as she took a
video of it and she put it on her Instant
Stories and she's and she's like, it's disgusting, Like he
always has this cigar whenever he finishes. And I said,
hurry up, Dealers signed so I can go on vacation.
And like a couple of people in the league saw
(28:36):
it and they were.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
They were laughing. It was that's the last thing I'm
waiting for here is Ealers.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Okay, So if if things come up about Elers, you
go for it.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
We're still going to keep the pod going. But like
we're like watching an animal.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
In action, right, Like we're observing you as an insider
because I think what you what what you do is
more interesting to me than like the content, because I
think I have you know, I would just love to
watch how you do it, like Entrade Deadline Day and
on free Agency Fanzy, Like how many computers and setups
(29:10):
and iPads and telephones do you have?
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Like how do you manage it?
Speaker 6 (29:14):
Actually, I got to tell you something I don't.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
I'm pretty minimalistic truly, because I think that there's so
much going on that day.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
The more you enter it, like, the.
Speaker 7 (29:24):
More chaos you have, Right, so I try to limit
the chaos. It's one phone and it's one laptop screen,
and I can process that.
Speaker 6 (29:33):
I like, I believe in life, you know.
Speaker 7 (29:36):
You can't control everything, but the less of variables you introduce,
you know, I find it's better for me. Like I
sent one text to the wrong person this week, and
I like.
Speaker 6 (29:48):
I live in fear of that.
Speaker 7 (29:49):
It's like that scene in Succession when the guy sends
the text.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
To the he thinks he's setting it to the to
the woman at the firm, and he sends it to
his dad.
Speaker 7 (29:59):
So like, I live in fear of moments like that,
and I kind of had one like that this week,
So I think it's better to be minimalist.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, I want to ask that.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
So have you ever sent a text to like a
GM or anyone that like you're like, oh shit, that
was to the wrong team.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
That was that was to the wrong person.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
I meant that, Yes, it's very rare.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
It's very rare nate, but it's happened before, like for example,
like there, I don't want to say what it was,
but there was one this week I sent to the
wrong person. It wasn't damaging but I or anything like that,
but I had to explain it and it was actually
not even It was intended for someone at our work
(30:39):
so they could have details on something that was going on.
And it was one of those things where this other
person sent you a text and it was the same
thing that happened on succession. This other person sends you
a text and you move it out of the way,
and without realizing it, you hit that person's name and
you send them that text.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
So that. That's I'll tell like that that sucks. That sucks.
It's knock on wood. It's been very rare, but it
sucks when that happens.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Ooh yeah, that's human nature when you start typing in
someone's name, that is the text is about them or
something like that. I've done that before, but the stakes
have been a lot lower. Okay, so Elliott, I'm I'm
interested just about I remember in twenty ten when at
CBC you were working as an insider and I was
on a big, big like computer just tweeting, like when
(31:31):
tweets were just a thing, like what you guys were saying.
As as a production assistant.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
I remember you guys.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
You wouldn't remember this because, like I mean, this is
a core memory for me. You guys let me come
out with you guys afterward for beers, which I was like,
oh my gosh, like the cool TV people like, let
me come out with them. And like the roundabout way
of this is saying I remember in twenty ten you
being an insider. It's twenty twenty five now, so fifteen
years and you've been obviously working.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
In sports for a lot longer than that.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
But what's maybe like the biggest lesson that you have
learned about breaking news and being an insider from now
obviously like that you would tell yourself back in twenty ten.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
You know, that's a great question, Julie.
Speaker 7 (32:17):
I'll say this, and number one is it's for everything
in life is try to treat people the way you
would like to be treated. Like it's it's always that way,
Like this is a high intensity job. And you know,
I like, like I like to give people heads up,
like if I'm hearing something, I like to tell people
in advance. On days like yesterday, you can't do that,
(32:40):
you know, you can't do it because there's just too
many people.
Speaker 6 (32:43):
But I always try to give people heads up.
Speaker 7 (32:45):
Like I'm hearing this, this is going out, or this
is what's going on days like yesterday. Like I said,
it's much harder to do it, but like this is
a hot like it's a high intensity thing, and not
everybody in the NHL likes what I do. And you know,
it's like life, like you want people to like you,
but you're recognize that not everybody will and some people
(33:06):
never will under any circumstances, and you just have to understand.
Speaker 6 (33:10):
That that's just the way it goes.
Speaker 7 (33:11):
Like I always tell people, if you're gonna do what
I do, or you're visible on social you're gonna hear
a lot of nasty things. Like people are gonna say
tough things to you. People are gonna say things that
to you that are mean about your appearance or anything
like that, or just the work you do and that
or that. People might say or believe things about you
(33:34):
that aren't true, and you can't believe any You can't
believe anything everything you reader hear, and you have to
have a thick skin. And I've developed that over the
years and I can handle ninety nine point nine percent
of the things. But I always say to people, like,
try to treat people like you would like to be treated.
Try to be fair, Try to be honest, even if
(33:55):
you're telling someone something they don't want to hear. It's
better to be honest than not.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
Tell the truth, even if you couch it a little bit.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
And I always say too, Julie, Like, the biggest change
between now and then is social media.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
Like I have a process I like to do.
Speaker 7 (34:08):
I hear something, check it, inform people this is what
I'm doing, you know, Like you can't always do that
in the social media age. I don't like it, but
you have to try to do it as best you can.
So I still think like that was true when I
was born in nineteen seventy. It's still true in twenty
twenty five. You try to treat people right, You're not
(34:29):
always going to be successful. Some day people are going
to be mad at you. But at the end of
the day, if you try to treat people right, then
you're always farther ahead.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Then farther ahead than not.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
That's funny.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
We were talking on the show but before the show
with our producer Jake, and he was asking about it,
and I said, you know, Elliott's most respected guy in
the league for his job and what he does.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
When I was playing, guys loved him. You know, He's
always very.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
Well respected and respected the players in that sense too.
And you know, I want to talk about your coworker.
You know, we had him on earlier on the show
when we asked about you know, his team and what
it meant to him and how it's been. And we
want to ask you the same thing, and I'm talking
about Kevin b x Uh.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
We want to ask you this.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
I want to ask you the same thing, and you
know being on that team, and you know, I've watched
you guys plenty of times, and you guys do a
fantastic job and obviously you guys have all have great chemistry.
Speaker 7 (35:23):
Well, first of all, Nate, that's kind of you to say,
I appreciate that. I'll deny ever saying this, even though it's.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
On tape, But I love b Exa. I really I
love the guy. I love dealing with him as a player,
I love dealing with him as a co worker.
Speaker 7 (35:38):
You know, I think, you know, he brought something that
we needed at the time, Nate, which was some edge,
some bite, you know. You know, it's it's just there
were a lot of things going on back then and
he came at the right time. And you know, like
like I think the thing is, like you know, Nate,
like one of the things I've learned, I learned it
(35:59):
very quickly. Like if you play one game in the NHL,
you are an elite hockey player, right, and that like
a lot of hockey players, they have great minds for
the game, Like like some of the smartest guys, like
obviously you think like you know, Kelly Rudy played sixteen years.
Gary Gally played nineteen years, Glen Glenn Healy played fifteen years.
(36:21):
I think even more maybe so you know that those
guys are some of the smartest guys, some of the
smartest guys ever worked with.
Speaker 6 (36:27):
But PJ.
Speaker 7 (36:28):
Stock scored five goals in the NHL. But his mind
for the game was incredible, Like he really he really
knew the game well, like and BX, like Paul Bisonette,
Like everybody looks at Bisinette for all the crazy stuff
he does, but when you watch him break down plays,
like he has a really good understanding of the game,
and Kevin's Kevin has a great understanding for like he
can do anything.
Speaker 6 (36:49):
He can go on there and he can tear.
Speaker 7 (36:50):
You to shreds, or he can go on there and
he can break down face off plays. Like Also, like
the amazing thing about what I do is I get
to sit with guys like Kevin, like Kelly, like Luke Gazdik,
like Colby and just see what they say about a
play that happens. And like, honestly, Nate, that's when I
realize how much I still have to learn, Like they
(37:12):
see things instinctively that I just don't see.
Speaker 6 (37:15):
And Kevin's like that you know, people say to me all.
Speaker 7 (37:17):
The time, you got to go back Adam harder, You
got to go back at him harder.
Speaker 6 (37:21):
And I say two things.
Speaker 7 (37:23):
Number One, there's a team aspect to this and he
needs to get his shots in and I can just
laugh it off and the viewers love it so like
I understand that, like there's a role to play.
Speaker 6 (37:36):
But the second thing is I have a governor. He
does not have a governor, and he will always get
me worse. Like the one thing he said to me
once is you know you can.
Speaker 7 (37:45):
Take shots at me about twenty eleven, and I said,
I will never.
Speaker 6 (37:50):
Take shots at you, like that is the limit.
Speaker 7 (37:53):
I will never take shots at him about that Stanley
Cup final, because I know how hard it is to lose.
Speaker 6 (37:58):
Like if it was me and I play on the
Conucks on that team, he would tear me at half
and he'd rip me. I can't do it that. I
can't that's my line. I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
I think your chemistry is incredible. I watch I obviously
stream you guys here in the States, and I think
it's an interesting dynamic. I love that you're on the
panel because it provides a different perspective and that it's
not just sort of all former players, but like you're
giving a lot of analysis and sort of just a
different perspective. So I think that I like that that's
what Hockey Night in Canada does. And of course you know,
(38:29):
we're obviously really like big fans of you, or try
not to be like too super fandumb about you right now,
but we really appreciate you and everything that you do.
And so we know that there's other insiders out there,
and we know that Bob McKenzie announced and he's retiring.
If you have any sort of memories that stand out
just about Bob and the industry that you'd like to share.
Speaker 7 (38:52):
There've always been insiders in other sports like Peter Gammon's
and baseball was one of the first ones, Chris Mortenson
and football was one of the first ones.
Speaker 6 (39:00):
But Bob was.
Speaker 7 (39:00):
Really the first big one in hockey, Like if when
when TSN brought him in full time about twenty five
years ago, if they if he failed at that, I
don't know that anybody else would have done it, Like, uh,
hockey and can't always had the satellite hotstole with like
John Davidson and Al Strachan, but nobody really had like
(39:23):
a first time person dedicated to it.
Speaker 6 (39:26):
So Bob was the real test run.
Speaker 7 (39:28):
And I think that's probably the greatest legacy he leaves
is that if he doesn't do as good a job
at it as he does, then in hockey there aren't
there isn't anybody to that level. So I think that's
the greatest thing he did. Like, you know, the thing
I liked about Bob too was he was competitive.
Speaker 6 (39:47):
He hated to lose, like the smallest waiver transaction.
Speaker 7 (39:50):
And I and I think, like, like, you know, the
world works a certain way, like sometimes you meet the
bear and sometimes the bear eats you right, like you're
not gonna win everything.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
But you you've got it.
Speaker 7 (40:01):
Like like day I remember watching you play, like you know,
at the best, you're gonna win fifty six percent of
your face offs, but the forty four you lost.
Speaker 6 (40:10):
A lot of them, probably not at you.
Speaker 7 (40:11):
And you know, Julia, I know when you were running
track at Central Tech and you were talking.
Speaker 6 (40:16):
About how intimidating that that.
Speaker 7 (40:18):
Track was in the middle of Toronto, like you were
probably just like I don't care what intimidating is. If
I finished second, I'm going to be pissed off at it.
And that's the kind of the way that Bob was
And I like that about him, Like I like the
other insiders.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
I think they're great people. I really like seeing them socially.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
But we all want to kill each other, and you know,
I really like the nature of that.
Speaker 6 (40:38):
I think it's good to.
Speaker 7 (40:40):
Have competition in your life. And Bob was a super
competitive guy. He hated to lose anything. And I really
liked that about him.
Speaker 4 (40:47):
The Bob Father as they call him, right just I
never I've never heard that that perspective, and I love
hearing that. And the thing I want to talk about,
and it's it kind of irked me a little bit.
And I know there's a big sentiment throughout the league
was the draft and how how it was done this year.
You know, I know that it humanized some of the
(41:08):
players obviously, uh, you know, especially Matthew Schaeffer. But you know,
is this something that's never gonna happen again? Are they
gonna stick to this? Eliott, They're gonna bring it. They're
gonna bring it back. They're gonna bring back the old way.
They're gonna they're gonna bring back the old way.
Speaker 7 (41:21):
I gotta say, though, like, despite like it didn't go
as well as I think everybody hoped, but there were
some great moments there, like the Matthew Shaffer stuff.
Speaker 6 (41:31):
I mean, it's all for the it's all for the
wrong reasons, right, but it's not.
Speaker 7 (41:38):
It's unfortunate about it, but it's just a sad story.
But you make the best out of a rough situation, right,
And I mean, the kid's a fantastic kid. The people
in the building like, and the people out there watching, like,
it doesn't matter if you like the Islanders or not,
you're rooting for that kid.
Speaker 6 (41:54):
And like, I'll tell.
Speaker 7 (41:56):
You what else really stuck with me was there were
a few things like Bailey who was ann the w
w ee wrestler who was announcing this Sharks pick when
she came out the second time, and she talked about
how incredible it was to just see all the kids
have their dreams come true. Like sometimes I think us
on the inside, we take that for granted.
Speaker 6 (42:15):
And that really stuck with me.
Speaker 7 (42:16):
But I'll say this, I think we're going back and
thank God God, Yeah, definitely if ours.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Oh he's doing something.
Speaker 6 (42:25):
I gotta check something. Please excuse me.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Oh you're excused.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
He's gone. I was hoping that we could observe him
in the wild.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
I hope I was hoping the same thing too, ireaking news,
he's going to come back.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
Well, so we got to tell.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
You, no, he's not coming back.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I mean we kept him on for an extra ten
minutes longer because we were just like kids in a
candy store.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Wow, why what we want?
Speaker 1 (42:50):
So what is happening right now is I'm thinking Ellie
Friedman is going to break this Nick Letty trade and
or or sorry Nick Letty news. Let's actually let's all
check our phones in this moment and see if he's
putting it out because I only have notifications on for
hockey insiders. He's probably typing it.
Speaker 4 (43:10):
It could be something about Nikola Eelers too breaking right,
that could be another one.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Oh sorry, sorry sorry Nick?
Speaker 3 (43:19):
Is that who you meant?
Speaker 1 (43:19):
And then yeah, that's the undiagnosed aslexia creeping up right there,
Nick Letty, Nick Eelers, it's a good thing. I'm not
an insider, but it would be pretty would be pretty
fun trip down down the yellow brick road with me. Okay,
all right, well, well you will wrap this thing up
and we will We'll see what Elliott has in store,
(43:45):
all right, So that was Elliot Friedman, of course from.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Sportsnets Hockey Night in Canada.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
And we still don't know at the time of us
recording this what Elliott was leaving for, but he did
say it was for calls. And I think Nate, we
could we were hoping he was going to be able
to break to trade. But when maybe when you listen
to this it will be about Eelers or something like that,
like maybe this is We'll be able to come back
(44:10):
to this and be like this was the moment.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Yeah, I mean, Nikolai Eelers is the big fish left
on the open market. So I think we should know
hopefully this afternoon. I mean, but that was I mean,
that was great, wasn't it. I mean, having lat On
and you know, him breaking news, jumping off right as
we're in the middle of the pod with him. So,
I mean, that guy, he's just a wealth of knowledge
and how much information he has. And I love how
(44:33):
he talked about you know, his the way he you know,
how he he wants to be treated.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
He treats everyone the same way.
Speaker 4 (44:41):
And he talks about you know, talking to gms and
how how respected he is in the league and you know,
his his his overall insight. I mean that's why. I
mean I always when I go to Twitter, I follow
and I look at Elliott Freeman always. Uh he just
has all the good stuff and all and he do
you find too, Julie, Like he's like every time he talks,
(45:01):
he's such a good storyteller. You just feel like captivated
by his stories.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Right, Yeah, it feels like he's telling you something for
the first time ever, Like he's like, I got to
tell you this one thing that happened, and then you're like,
oh my gosh, like what's Elliott about to say? Like
you just feel as though, I don't know, I got
like I feel like I got like starstruck. When I
was like talking to him there, I was like, why, Julie,
you know Elliott Freeman, Like why are you Because he
(45:26):
is like such a big deal and because he is
always working breaking news, breaking trades and you just.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
See like I just I want to watch him.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
I want to do like because what they do is
so fascinating, Like you got to be like fast fingers,
like you know, like going I remember Bob McKenzie telling
me a long time ago when there were blackberries, like
you know, the BlackBerry pin you could like you could
you could message with people and so then it was untraceable,
like it was encrypted. So I guess maybe they might
(45:56):
do a lot of stuff over WhatsApp because that would
be encrypted or signal because a lot of these like
sources don't want to be known or like GM or
any of this. And then it's like when to press
like send, like the fact that he can tell us, Oh,
I have to I'm going to give this GM a
heads up. I'm going to give these people heads up.
But within that time of him giving a heads up,
another insider whosh, just soup on in and take it,
(46:20):
you know. I like how he did say they're competitive,
because that's what I imagined it would be.
Speaker 2 (46:25):
Like, like I was going to ask.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
Him, do you guys, like do you have someone else
say it?
Speaker 2 (46:31):
At Sportsnet?
Speaker 1 (46:32):
I don't even think there would be anyone else really,
but like if you guys kind of work together, like hey,
maybe you're working on this. I got a bit more
on it. Can you help me out in this way
like kind of a little deal.
Speaker 4 (46:46):
I don't know, because he said they're so competitive, and
I don't think they're I mean, they're different networks, right,
but I have an idea I think that I mean,
maybe they've already done this, but like can they do
a like a like the sports net do a day
a day following Elliot around on trade deadline or like
just a shit, oh, just behind the scenes of Elliott
on the phone.
Speaker 5 (47:07):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Like I think that would be unbelievable,
like an insider past.
Speaker 4 (47:11):
Sports exactly exactly following him on days of trade deadline
or free agency. They just follow Ela around all day,
like phone calls, everything, just behind the scenes, Like I
think that would be incredible.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
And at the end of the day, at the end
of the day, Eliott is so good for hockey.
Speaker 2 (47:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:29):
Yeah, they'd have to bleep out like take out everyone's
names and stuff, but honest, it would just be him
at like a computer and on his phone for like
twenty four hours, just like.
Speaker 2 (47:40):
Looking at it like it's.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
It's it's probably not that interesting the human eye, but
you'd be like curious to see what even like what
potential deals might happen that fall through, right, Like we're
hearing now about so many things that potentially happen around
trade deadline, Like the whole Marner and Rand and whatever
else like stuff going on, and you and I were
(48:04):
talking off air about another one that we won't say,
but that could have happened, but someone might not have
been picking up their phone.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
We don't know, like just.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Stuff that's maybe they're on do not disturb, like you
decided to go watch a movie, or if you're on
a plane that didn't have Wi Fi, things that you
don't want to be doing when things are important for
all of this kind of stuff. But I think what
it's amazing we're able to talk to Elliot Friedman like
(48:32):
his phone was going off, but like the guy's busy
as fuck and he's a lot, like he's giving us
his time. But I still don't know how he even
had time.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
It's impressive.
Speaker 4 (48:43):
I don't know how he allocates his time because I
it seems it seems like he's just like you said,
on the phone all day every day and and you
know he's he's the best.
Speaker 3 (48:53):
For a reason.
Speaker 4 (48:55):
It was like you said, the fact that we can
get him is for as long as we could on
what is it July second, you know, in a pretty
busy time NHL. Yeah, was I mean that's awesome and
he's a guy that I think too. I told you,
I mean he after I retired, I talked to Elliot
a little bit because you know, I wanted to get
into this avenue, you know, with the media, and he
was super helpful and gave me great advice and just
(49:17):
overall just a really, really good guy.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
Is there anything you remember in particular that he told
you that stuck with you?
Speaker 3 (49:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (49:24):
He did.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
He he talked about how, you know, obviously being myself,
he said, Nate, you got to be you, you know,
and he thought that you know, it would it would
go well for me. And he just talked about how
when I'm telling a story, you know, doing the how
and why and you know, just the little details and
being prepared. You know, I think more than anything learning
and hearing from Elliott Freeman and us hearing him on
(49:46):
Hockey Night in Canaday, can you know how well prepared
that guy is and how much information he takes in
And you know, like I said, he just he has
so much knowledge. So I think from hearing from him
and hearing his input, that's what I took from him.
Speaker 3 (50:01):
He's a smart, smart man.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (50:04):
And you mentioned that you were surprised that he knew
your face off percentage too.
Speaker 3 (50:11):
He knew it right off the hop.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
Didn't He Yeah, And then I said, I was surprised
you knew I ran track.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
We were like, who don't you just feel completely undressed?
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Like wow, he's an insider on everything, like an everything insider.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
He just can't he just knows.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
It's like he's like got some sort of Harry Potter
like mind reading type of situation going on.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
I mean, he's great.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
One memory I have of Elliott is when I went
to barstool, he came up.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
We were in a McDonald's in Toronto.
Speaker 1 (50:42):
I think he must live near me in like North Toronto,
and I was somehow with like I think my mom
and my brother maybe, and he just came up. I
think he was holding a mcflurry and he just kind
of popped his head over and he was like, Hey,
just want to let you know, really think the move
to barstool is a great idea. And then he's like yeah, okay,
so yeah, and I was like, what was that.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
I was like, Elliot Freeman just popped.
Speaker 1 (51:04):
Out of the bush, is like, out of a McDonald's
with a pick flurry to tell me that my move
to Barsool was a good idea.
Speaker 2 (51:11):
I'll like, never ever ever.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Forget that in my mind because it was just so
out of context. I never thought i'd see him there
in that moment. So maybe I'll see him walking around
my mom's neighborhood with a cigar on July first, as
is his tradition. As he said, all right, guys, we
know that free agency is still going on. There's still
gonna be a lot going on this summer. We're excited
(51:34):
to see even some surprises that might happen. Maybe guys
that are not their contracts might not be up yet,
but could be deals being in the works.
Speaker 2 (51:42):
We never know. Aka Connor McDavid. But other than that, we.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
Want to thank you guys for listening to episode twenty
nine of The Energy Line with A and JSB. Energy
Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Thanks to Elliot Friedman for joining us. Thanks to Jake
Brown for producing the show. Subscribe to show on Apple, Spotify,
wherever get your podcast, or listen on the iHeartRadio app.
Please give us a five star rating and write in
a nice review.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
I'm Julie sure Banks. He's Nate Thompson.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
We're back next week, reacting to free agent moves. I
will be coming back from Turks and Kikos. Thank you
so much for tuning into the Energy Line, and we
all catch you next week. Energy Line is the production
of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
(52:32):
your podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Nate Thompson
Julie Stewart-Binks
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