WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:20.160 The spirit of radio. I would argue the greatest drummer of all time, 2 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:28.399 just my opinion, Neil Purton Rush. Welcome back XES and Bros. Monday 3 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:35.520 through Friday, from six until nine across the great state of Michigan and our 4 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:45.759 station affiliates TRX and Flint, KAD and Cadillac Max in Grand Rapids, Gry 5 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:49.920 and Grayling and Gaylord l u N one hundred point nine in Midland Sagona on 6 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:54.759 Bay City on the Ticket, Northern Mising w MBN one O four point seven 7 00:00:54.840 --> 00:01:00.359 FM thirteen forty AM in Pototski and Charlevoi, and in Traverse City WKAD ninety 8 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.959 three point seven FM. Glad you are with us, honored to be on 9 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:10.239 those great stations and throughout the entire state of Michigan eight six six eight three, 10 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:11.840 eight forty eight forty three. A week from today, I'll be at 11 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:17.480 Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort. The Getaway Reimagine will be up there for a 12 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.959 draft party on Thursday night and our show Friday morning. Hope you can join 13 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:26.359 us, our friend Bill Simon's and the huge show on many of these same 14 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:30.719 station affiliates Monday through Friday three to six will be at the Caucus Club in 15 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:37.239 downtown Detroit. So if you are coming to the draft in Detroit, swing 16 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:40.760 by and say hello. I think you have to get some type of pass, 17 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:44.920 some type of bracelet to join Billy. But at some point he's going 18 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:47.719 to be in and out of that place. Stick around, say hello, 19 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:52.400 thank him for all the fun conversation he has on a day to day basis 20 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:56.680 so in the last two decades plus, and don't forget put this on your 21 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:01.560 calendar if you can. June thirteen through sixteen. It is the LPGA Meyer 22 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:09.240 Classic, the tenth annual at Blifffield Country Club. A Lexi Thompson has won 23 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:13.719 the event. Brooke Henderson has woned a couple of times. Nelly Korda has 24 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:19.319 won it. It's a gorgeous track at almost sixty six hundred yards. We 25 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.759 are working. I don't have a lot of influence, but we are working 26 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:29.439 desperately to try and get out there and broadcast from the Mayer Classic in mid 27 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:34.039 June. That would be a lot of fun. And I'm not afraid to 28 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:37.879 admit, is there shame here? None? Because I love the sport of 29 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.759 golf. Do I want to play that track? You bet? I do. 30 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:46.639 Let's go to the phote lines eight six six eight three eight forty eight 31 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:50.840 forty three. Hey, people openly politic for stuff all the time, why 32 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:53.599 can't I do it for a round of golf? Who do we got Ben 33 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.280 waiting for us here on Exus and Brokes? You got Freddy on the line, 34 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.520 All right, Freddy? What's up, buddy? Yeah? I played 35 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:04.840 that golf course. I'll mentioned the golf myself to shop. I played that 36 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:07.520 golf course. Oh yeah, and how did you do? I just I 37 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.280 mean, you just tore it up, Danie, I mean beaver Pelt after 38 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:23.199 beaver Pelt. Yeah, I threw up the grass and that you probably would 39 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:25.800 Joe about thirty yards farther than me. But look, I had my beer, 40 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:29.560 a few beers. I don't drink much beer, but I have my 41 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.960 cigars right there, you go. I might be I might be the only 42 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:37.080 guy that can only shoot a golf club with a cigar in my mouth. 43 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:44.080 I have that. Hey, listen, you got your priorities straight. There's 44 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:46.520 nothing wrong with like it. We're not good enough. I played with a 45 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:50.560 pro one time, and I used to get pretty angry if I didn't had 46 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.759 a good shot, which was quite often and a pro one said to me. 47 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:54.560 He said, hey, man, you just can't do that. And 48 00:03:54.599 --> 00:03:57.840 I said, yeah, no, but you know, it just bothers that. 49 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:00.400 He's like, no, no, you don't understand. You're not good 50 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:04.199 enough to get that angry. And ever since then, I said to myself, 51 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:09.000 let's just go out and let's have certain goals. If I strike the 52 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:11.840 ball, well, if I hit the ball, well, I'm good. 53 00:04:12.280 --> 00:04:14.560 Now I will say this. I played with my son the other day, 54 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.800 and now I'm shooting. I think I shot like an eighty seven. We 55 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:21.519 played from the tips, where he likes to play from. I don't know 56 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:26.439 why, because he's not good enough to play from there. Usually I play 57 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:30.600 from whites. Actually, we played for the Blues and I had I counted 58 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:36.959 him up eight three putts eight And I said to myself, why do I 59 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:41.199 not practice putting more when it's the worst part of my game? Like I'm 60 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:46.040 on in regulation more oftentimes than not. I only double bogie two holes. 61 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:51.000 I think for the most part two or three. It's unbelievable. It's I 62 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:55.439 mean, part four or five. It's unbelievable. I'm on the green, 63 00:04:55.480 --> 00:04:59.439 and I'm on the green in two and on a long par three and I'm 64 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:02.839 within you know, twelve feet and I'm sitting there three pightting. It's ridiculous, 65 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:08.639 terrible. That's what makes the great ones great, you know, the 66 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:12.759 putting. Putting wins the money and uh you know I I you know when 67 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:15.360 we stick of great ones and any and any sports, that's why a lot 68 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:17.639 of them can't beat great coaches, because yeah, we're so great at it 69 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:23.279 that they don't understand how the well the player is not as great as them. 70 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:28.120 They just can't. They just can't figure it out. Well said, 71 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:30.279 that's well said. That's why you know Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky is Hey, 72 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:35.160 Thomas, Larry Bird. They just they were not great coaches. That's 73 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:41.480 such a good point. How many think of this? The great coaches in 74 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:46.399 history take one per sport. Let's just and you can even go right now. 75 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:50.319 Let's just say Andy Reid was Andy Reid an NFL player? No, 76 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:57.240 okay, because Bill Belichick's not he's not coaching and Bill it's not like Bill 77 00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:00.279 Belichick is a great, great coach or a great player. I should say 78 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:03.920 Scotty Bowman, Scotty Bowman in hockey great, But no, he was not 79 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:09.759 the only exceptions might be I mean Bill Russell way back in the day, 80 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:13.839 but they didn't have that many teams. Eight teams, maybe Phil Jackson, 81 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:17.639 pat Riley pretty good players. They were good players. They won championships, 82 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:23.360 but they were but they were great players. Like he brought up Larry Bird, 83 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:26.439 Larry Bird was great. Yes, I thought he was a pretty good 84 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:29.480 coach. I mean he took a team to the finals, so I I 85 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:31.600 thought he was a pretty good coach. But good point, yeah, good 86 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:35.800 point. Yeah. Yeah. Anyways, ere the Tigers. I'm glad you 87 00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:39.920 answered a little bit about AJ. I mean, I'm a fan of AJ. 88 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:44.040 I just think the town is seen losing for so long that they don't 89 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:47.040 know, you know, it's hard to gauge him, because you're right, 90 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:51.879 the one hundred and sixty two game schedule, a lot of you know, 91 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:56.560 it just it's just it was hard to gauge them. You know. I'm 92 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.560 I'm I'm always playing for the Tigers, and I'm a huge Tigers fan. 93 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:00.959 I mean, my favorite team. We've gone on it on the eighty four 94 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:05.920 team, you know. But here's speaking of the eighty four team. You 95 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:11.680 know, a lot of people are given the Tigers, a lot of crap 96 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:15.079 for not spending here and spending there this year. And I don't know if 97 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:16.839 it's right or wrong. It's not really the point of my call. But 98 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:25.560 my thing is I feel like this team, all the players are bringing up 99 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:30.560 from the miners, reminds me of the seventy eight seventy nine eighty Tigers, 100 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:32.000 that all these young kids came up at one time, and then when they 101 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:36.319 figured out who's good, who should stay, who should go, they started 102 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:40.959 trading some of those young guys and started bringing in those veterans that the team 103 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:44.480 really needed. Darryl Evans, Dave Bergman, Willie her Danas sweet All the 104 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:48.319 Dame is chet Lemon. Do you think this is what Scott Harris is doing. 105 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:53.839 They can figure out who should stay, who should go, and he'll 106 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:56.879 make those moves within the next year year and a half. Yeah, it's 107 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:59.800 a feeling out process. It's a really good point. And thanks for the 108 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.439 call, Freddy. It's a really good point. I do believe. Yah. 109 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:07.399 I think you have to sift your way through that. I don't think 110 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:13.399 you can necessarily know that right now. I just think in today's day and 111 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:18.240 age in baseball, and I look in all fairness to you. I use 112 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:22.279 the same example earlier in the week, or maybe it was last week about 113 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.720 the eighty four team and how we want all these young guys to come together 114 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:31.160 and go through growing pains and then have it turn around. Not everything is 115 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:37.639 guaranteed. I don't know how valued some of their talent truly is. When 116 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:41.759 you look at young talent throughout Major League Baseball, how many people are looking 117 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:45.799 at Detroit's roster and saying, anyone who's twenty five and under and as a 118 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:48.360 superstar, these are the guys I want fill in the blank and look at 119 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:56.639 all the Tigers. I don't know what people around the league how they view 120 00:08:56.080 --> 00:09:01.200 Detroit's young talent. And at one point, for ready, at one point 121 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:05.759 we've got to suggest it's no longer young talent. Right now, Parker Medows 122 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.279 is young, Riley Green is still young, Spencer Torkot is still young. 123 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:11.080 And when I say young, I mean they don't have a lot of major 124 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:16.799 league at bats and experience under their collective belt. Cole Keith obviously still young, 125 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:26.399 baiez Urshella Veerling Canna, They're not young anymore. I mean, is 126 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:30.480 Jake Rogers considered a young player? No, I don't think he is. 127 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:33.360 He was young when the Tigers got him, but he's not young anymore. 128 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:39.440 I do want to bring up what Freddy just kind of alluded to. He 129 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:43.679 said the point of his call wasn't necessarily how much money they're spending fair enough, 130 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:46.879 but I think it's fair to expect them to spend more than they are. 131 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.559 We'll get to that when we come back. And don't forget. Max 132 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:52.320 Boltman of the Athletic joins us to talk hockey is about out of the hour 133 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:58.759 on exes and bros across the great data Michigan in them step up to the 134 00:09:58.759 --> 00:10:03.480 play with the Eagle Casino in Sports, the mobile sportsbook app that you can 135 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:07.639 bet on all your favorites all year round, including of course our national passed 136 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:11.519 time. So download the app and start winning today at Eagle Casino in Sports 137 00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:15.080 Made in Michigan, Made for Michigan. Must be twenty one years or older 138 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:18.360 and in Michigan to play. This date, April eighteen is big in Tiger's 139 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:22.919 history. On this date in eighteen eighty, Tiger's Hall of Famer Sam Crawford 140 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.679 was born in Wahoo, Nebraska. He played fifteen of his seventeen Major League 141 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:30.759 seasons in Detroit and helped the team win three American League pennants. He also 142 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:35.159 owned the Major League Baseball record for career triples roughly one hundred years later, 143 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.720 in nineteen eighty three. Miguel Cabrero was born in Merrichai, Venezuela. The 144 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:43.000 soon to be Hall of Famer was a twelve time All Star, won four 145 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:46.519 batting titles, seven Silver Sluggers, and a Triple Crown. He also retired 146 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:50.759 as one of just seven players in history to record three thousand hits and five 147 00:10:50.840 --> 00:10:58.679 hundred home runs in a career. 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Reimagine going up there for a draft party hosted 157 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:18.759 by Herman Moore formerlyon Great And then Friday morning we will be broadcasting live from 158 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:22.360 a send. They're at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, a fantastic venue. 159 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:26.080 I just cannot wait. That's going to be a blast next week. Meanwhile, 160 00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:31.000 my friend Bill Simonson you can hear on these same radio stations, and 161 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:33.840 the Huge Show Monday through Friday three to six will be at the Caucus Club 162 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:39.240 in Detroit. Our phone number eight six six eight three eight forty eight forty 163 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:46.200 three. About fifteen minutes from now, Max Boltman will join us from the 164 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:54.679 Athletic and he will talk of the Red Wings season, future seasons, and 165 00:12:54.720 --> 00:13:00.879 I do want his thoughts on who wins the Heart after Niki Kutcherov got a 166 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:03.720 goal on an assist last night and has one hundred assists on the year. 167 00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:09.360 He and Connor McDavid, with one hundred assist seasons, hadn't had one in 168 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:11.960 the NHL in thirty two years and then you have two in the same season. 169 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:16.960 Ben our producer, what do you got for us? On a text? 170 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.960 This one is over to the Tigers. Since the Tigers started the season 171 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.840 with a six and one record, their record is four and seven. They 172 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:31.519 must start a hitting Yeah. Absolutely, we talked about it earlier. The 173 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:37.919 offense is just it's just not good right now. This is up to every 174 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:46.320 individual. I don't have a magical number. Okay, but remember Sparky Anderson 175 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:52.360 said, don't judge us until forty games. Many people in baseball would tell 176 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:56.039 you this one hundred and sixty two game season, you're gonna have sixty wins. 177 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:01.759 You're gonna have sixty losses. That's one hundred and twenty. See, 178 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:07.320 I'm really good at math. That means the forty two in between or the 179 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:13.879 forty two around those games matters. Those are the ones you have to watch 180 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:18.440 out for. What are you gonna do with those because you're gonna kind of 181 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:26.720 fall into the sixty one games or sixty games one way or the other. 182 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:31.559 Even the best team in the American League a year ago regular season wise now 183 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:37.159 lost sixty one games. That was Baltimore, by the way. Even the 184 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:46.440 world champion lost seventy two games. The best team in baseball record wise, 185 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:52.120 not the American League, but all of baseball, the Atlanta Braves lost fifty 186 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:56.399 eight games. So there goes the sixty sixty. But it's still pretty damn 187 00:14:56.440 --> 00:15:01.519 close. The Dodgers, for example, lost sixty two games. So there's 188 00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:03.759 your sixty sixty for the most part, and then what are you looking for? 189 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:07.720 What are you gonna do with the other forty two? Now what the 190 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:09.159 other forty two is, I don't know. I'm not saying it's the first 191 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:15.840 one hundred and twenty. Then what do you do with the last forty two 192 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:20.519 games? That's not what I'm suggesting. I'm just saying during the season, 193 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:24.759 because it's such a long season, and it's so unique, right, I 194 00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:26.919 mean, we see hockey and basketball each of eighty two games. Football is 195 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:31.519 on an island because it's once a week. Baseball is very unique in the 196 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:33.480 sense that it's one hundred and sixty two. It's every single day for the 197 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:39.039 most part. It gets long, it gets tough, it gets challenging mentally 198 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:46.240 and physically. You're gonna lose. You're probably gonna lose sixty games. Who 199 00:15:46.279 --> 00:15:50.240 those and what those games are and how they go about it. That's when 200 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:54.600 you start to judge, right, I get it for sure, and it's 201 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:58.120 something that you know, we kind of get, we kind of look at 202 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:02.679 and we kind of see that it continues. That's just the way it is. 203 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:06.200 There's unique circumstances. A couple of years ago, the Dodgers one hundred 204 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:10.840 and eleven games, lost only fifty one. That's an incredible season. They 205 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:14.679 didn't win the entire thing. It didn't help them, it didn't help them 206 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:21.879 in the win the World Championship. But what we're judging right now is all 207 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:27.440 we can judge. And I don't think our Texter is suggesting, oh my 208 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:33.000 gosh, we're not twenty games in and I'm pushing the panic button. No, 209 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.200 that's not what they're suggesting. They're just saying, at some point, 210 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:45.960 the offense becomes what it is. At some point, it's no longer yeah, 211 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.759 this is what I'm observing. At some point it's you know what, 212 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:53.559 this is who they are. That's when you start to worry. You're not 213 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:57.200 winning this division, even though it's a weak division. You're not gonna win 214 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:04.599 the division if you're ranked in the bottom four and runs average OBP slugging an 215 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:07.839 OPS throw out average. Forget that even mentioned that. I don't even know 216 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:14.599 why why I even research that. Forget it. It's about getting on base 217 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:19.359 on base percentage. Only four teams are worse. It's about driving them in. 218 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:26.480 Only three teams are worse. It's about having pop in your lineup. 219 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:33.039 Only two teams are worse. You and I are not going to freak out 220 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:36.960 about this. You and I are not going to bite our nails down to 221 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:40.839 the quick and say, oh my gosh, this season they're in deep trouble. 222 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:48.240 No, there's no reason to do that, none whatsoever. But if 223 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:52.440 this is the pattern that continues, if this is what this team is, 224 00:17:53.200 --> 00:18:00.759 there is a good reason to be concerned. That's okay too. Now here's 225 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:04.039 what I somebody had said just before or via text just before the break, 226 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.680 or no, it was Freddy who called in and said, the point that 227 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:11.960 I call isn't about how much money they spend, fair enough, And I 228 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:17.839 appreciate that because throwing money at things doesn't always work. It really doesn't. 229 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:21.200 People think you have to spend money, you have to spend it wisely. 230 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:32.559 Last year, last year in Major League Baseball, the Mets, the Yankees, 231 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:38.079 the Padres. Those are your top three spending teams. They didn't win 232 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:45.359 it all. Rangers were fourth, they did win it all. I'm not 233 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:51.279 saying you've got to spend a slew of money to get it done. Angels 234 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:53.880 are a pretty good example. Did make the playoffs. They were terrible year 235 00:18:53.920 --> 00:19:00.319 ago. They're in the top ten at spending from last year. The teams 236 00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:06.680 that are reaching the postseason oftentimes, oftentimes are the teams that are willing to 237 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:11.720 spend money. Where do you think the Tigers rank. I don't expect Detroit 238 00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:17.960 to go out and spend what the New York Mets are spending. It's borderline 239 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:26.160 irresponsible. Three hundred and eight million dollars. The Texas Rangers a few years 240 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:32.400 ago spent one hundred fifty million dollars on two players, Corey Seeger and Marcus 241 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:37.200 Simeon. People in Dallas don't give a crap about that right now. You 242 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:41.960 know why because it paid off because they won. But how much do you 243 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.920 think they should be spending. Here's what my guess was. I thought they 244 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:48.680 should be somewhere in the neighborhood of one hundred and forty to one hundred and 245 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:55.400 fifty million dollars easy to say, it's not my money. The league average 246 00:19:56.079 --> 00:20:02.079 this year is roughly one hundred and sixty five million. That's what the league 247 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:07.960 averages. The team that won the National League Arizona is slightly above that. 248 00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:18.519 The team that won it All is far exceeded that. The Tigers are at 249 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:27.319 one hundred and six million. They ranked twenty second. Here's the argument, 250 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:36.079 the argument against it. Brewers have been successful there below, Orioles have been 251 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:45.400 successful there below. Cleveland's been successful there below, Tampa, Cincinnati all below 252 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:49.400 the Tigers. Who says you can't win, I'm not saying you can't draft, 253 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:56.440 develop, and then sprinkle in what you need. I just think Detroit 254 00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:00.160 is in a position where they could be. Tampa's kind of a bad example 255 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:03.319 because they don't draw many people. Detroit's in a good position. Detrich should 256 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:07.000 be spending more than they have. Max Bowman on the other side to talk 257 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:11.119 Red Wings, NHL, and a whole lot more when we wrap up this 258 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:14.440 Thursday edition of Exies and Bros. Across the Great State of Michigan. Bill 259 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.720 Simonson here from my good friend Josh Garvey. Now he's a managing shareholder at 260 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:22.359 Dorn Mayhew's Grand Rapids office. 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Eight thirty five. 277 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:06.559 Welcome back on this Thursday to Xus and Brose. We are on throughout 278 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:10.559 the great State of Michigan and Flint and Cadillac at Grand Rapids and Grayland and 279 00:23:10.599 --> 00:23:14.960 Gaylord in Midland and Saginaw Bay City. We're on in Petasky and Charlottevoi, 280 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:18.279 We're on in Traverse City, and we're on with you Monday through Friday from 281 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:22.440 six and till nine. Glad to have you on board. It was a 282 00:23:22.519 --> 00:23:29.119 disappointing way to end the season watching watching the Washington Capitals beat the Flyers in 283 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:33.000 Philadelphia two to one, while the Red Wings stage and another incredible comeback, 284 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:38.640 the fourteenth comeback of the season in order for them to win the final game 285 00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:42.119 of the year at the Bell Center in Montreal. Max Boltman has covered the 286 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:48.079 Wings done a fabulous job with it for years now with the Athletic. You 287 00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:56.000 can follow him on x His handle is m Underscore Boltman and it's really been 288 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:59.319 a to a certain extent of fun season. I don't know what it has 289 00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:03.680 been like for you, but here's what I said yesterday, and I love 290 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:07.799 the debate. For me, it was a disappointing one because of expectations that 291 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:11.440 changed. I don't know how many people thought the Red Wings are going to 292 00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:15.240 reach the playoffs at the beginning of the year. But when you have a 293 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:19.279 nine point lead at the end of February and you have that momentum going your 294 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:23.319 way, to not reach the postseason was a disappointment. How do you view 295 00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:29.480 the twenty twenty four campaign for the Red Wings. Yeah, that's a great 296 00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:33.039 question. I just put actually on an article this morning on this exact topic. 297 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:36.000 Right of it, it was progress. Does that make it a success? 298 00:24:36.039 --> 00:24:40.279 And I think you know, when you look at it just on playoffs, 299 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:41.839 it has to be a letdown from where they work at the end of 300 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:47.000 February. But I think the season is also more than whether or not going 301 00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:48.720 made the playoffs. Right, Like I put in the article, it's the 302 00:24:48.759 --> 00:24:52.240 difference in whether the season was a success or not with those same ninety one 303 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:56.920 points is what happened in that Washington Philly game. That's a tough way to 304 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:00.720 judge. But if you look at smaller segments, right, did they make 305 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:03.279 progress? Yeah, I think they did. Did they get to their ultimate 306 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:07.400 goal? No, I don't think they did. And then the toughest question 307 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:10.599 is do they set themselves up for the future. I think you can argue 308 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.559 in some ways that they did, but you can look at other things that 309 00:25:12.680 --> 00:25:15.880 the only time Evason only got sixteen games, a lot of other guys in 310 00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:22.319 Great Rapids didn't get up and play any you know, it's an itchy feeling. 311 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:26.359 I think to be a team that both didn't make the playoffs and only 312 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:30.519 played one rookie for meaningful games this year, I think there's a lot that 313 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:33.400 you have to parts us to figure out if the season with the success and 314 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:37.680 so I know that's not the great radio answer here, but I think it's 315 00:25:37.799 --> 00:25:40.480 really new month that we're going to need weeks to figure out, you know, 316 00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:42.039 with this season a success or not. I'm very curious to see what 317 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:45.039 Steve Weiserman has to say, whatever we hear from him. Yeah, listen, 318 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:48.559 there is no perfect answer. I mean that's not Look. Can people 319 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:52.279 who think are to tune into sports radio and think, oh Max is going 320 00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:55.559 to have the answer for me right right off the hop and that's going to 321 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:57.799 be the be all endal. We don't know sometimes, and that's okay, 322 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:03.440 there's nothing wrong with that. It's an educated guess. It's what you have 323 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:07.279 gathered from talking with players that coach it throughout the season. But I do 324 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:11.839 wonder what they were missing this year because I think when people look at the 325 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:15.519 Red Wings they go wow, but the defense isn't very good, so they 326 00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:18.559 immediately could look at the blue line. When defense is a team game, 327 00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:22.160 it's not just defenseman. What do you think they were lacking and why they 328 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:26.079 missed out? Yeah, I think you're spot on. I think last summer 329 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:30.119 they went into the offseason knowing they needed to add scoring, and they did 330 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:32.960 it, but it came at a cost, right, and it was that 331 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:37.200 the forward group that they assembled was more skilled, It had more scoring talent, 332 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:41.039 it was not very responsible, and so all year long they started to 333 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:45.559 find lines that could play kind of a balanced hockey. I guess at the 334 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.039 top, obviously you know what you're asking for from from market to brink, 335 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:52.960 it tain guys like that. Most of it does come in the offensive end, 336 00:26:52.440 --> 00:26:56.799 but down the lineup it just couldn't get enough guys to create avable matchups, 337 00:26:56.839 --> 00:27:00.880 either at home or on the road. In some cases, when the 338 00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:03.680 hockey got harder, when the checking got tighter, when you weren't going to 339 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:08.279 have the splashy rush offense needed to be able to a score ugly goals around 340 00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:12.680 the net and be limit your risks that you're not giving up the offense the 341 00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:15.440 other way when you look at that Mark stretch. In addition to the Dylan 342 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:19.359 market injury, which is obviously a big factor, it was their identity that 343 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:25.599 the DNA of their game was not weird enough to the defensive side of the 344 00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:27.319 pocket. There's some goaltending stuff too, I think they'll have to address. 345 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:32.000 But I think you're spot on its defense and that doesn't just mean defenseman. 346 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:36.559 He is Max Boltman. He writes for The Athletic, A great follow on 347 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:41.359 x at M Underscore Boltman the article today, the Red Wings made real progress 348 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:45.039 this season, that much is clear. Does that make the season a success? 349 00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:49.400 Though it's at the Athletic NHL check it out. He's joining us here 350 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:53.640 on XES and Bros. With that said, and I think so many people 351 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:57.799 feel like they have guys on this team who don't have playoff experience, and 352 00:27:57.799 --> 00:28:02.359 that's why a postseason put was important. I said they do. Sure, 353 00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:06.359 most Cider doesn't, Evanson doesn't, Raymond doesn't. There's plenty of guys who 354 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:11.920 had playoff experience. What do they need moving forward? What has to be 355 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:18.519 corrected? Yeah? I think we mentioned goaltending a second ago. I think 356 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:22.079 that's an area. When we saw this team at their best in January and 357 00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:26.880 February, they were getting excellent goaltending play from Alex Lyon. Is that reasonable 358 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:30.440 to expect from him year round? Probably not for a guy who has had 359 00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:33.880 to bounce around. I think I've been really impressed by Alex Yo this season. 360 00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:37.519 I think he has clearly established himself as an NHL goaliade. But in 361 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:40.640 order to have that kind of fifty to fifty five game horse that you see 362 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:44.240 most of these playoff teams have, I don't know that the Red Rings can 363 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:47.680 say they have that right now. Certainly who's those injuries? I think it 364 00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:49.920 would have to be an uncomfortable feeling to go into next year with just Husho 365 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:53.640 and Lyon were the two guys they have under contract, So I think an 366 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:57.279 upgrading goal is the quickest way for them to really take the next step if 367 00:28:57.279 --> 00:29:03.119 they can, and there are some avail a guy like Jacob Markstrom in Calgary 368 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:06.119 was a top five goaltender of this season, lean as all Mark and Boston 369 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:10.000 won the vesdent of last year. UC Sorrows in Nashville has been excellent for 370 00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:12.000 a long time now. All three of those guys have had their names come 371 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:15.640 up in trade conversations lately, and I think it's possible we see at least 372 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:18.839 one, if not two, or maybe even three of them moved. I 373 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:22.720 think if the Redvends can get into one of those mixes, that's the quickest 374 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:26.200 path in terms of an offseason upgrade to getting this team back to where they 375 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:30.799 were in that hot run where they can they know they can lean on an 376 00:29:30.839 --> 00:29:34.440 above average goal center Max. It's really unfortunate that in today's society this is 377 00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:37.799 just the way it is. This is the mindset of many fans and many 378 00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:41.039 members of the media. Quite honestly, you experienced it on a regular basis 379 00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:44.759 too, So I don't want to add to it. But everybody wants to 380 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:49.559 point fingers. Who is to blame. It's shared throughout. But Steve Eisman, 381 00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:53.960 as good as he has been in building this team through the draft with 382 00:29:55.039 --> 00:30:02.000 some young prospects. Since sprinkling in some free agent pickups, he has misfired 383 00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:04.200 on a lot of the goalies that he has brought in. Did Jelkovic, 384 00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:08.839 for example, is one of them. Whoso you just mentioned and Lion are 385 00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:14.960 both more like twos rather than ones. How much of this is on Steve 386 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:18.759 Eisman, do you think in the inability to reach the postseason this year? 387 00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:22.000 Well, he's a general manager, so he builds the roster. I think, 388 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:27.039 you know, obviously he gets a healthy slice of the responsibility. I 389 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:33.160 guess we'd call it for that situation and building the roster with the goalie specifically. 390 00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:37.799 I think this is really interesting because I was having a conversation on podcast 391 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:40.839 earlier this year and we're talking about, you know, league average. League 392 00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:42.839 average is going down, right, Do you look at safe percentage? It 393 00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:47.279 was trending up for a long time there in the mid twenty tens up to 394 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:49.119 the twenty twenty it's going down now. And I don't know if that's because 395 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:53.279 of expansion and there's more teams which means more goalies in the NHL, which 396 00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:57.200 de lootes the pool, or if it's something else. But the number of 397 00:30:57.240 --> 00:31:02.519 teams that have that rock solid number one goaltender is going down. Some of 398 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:04.559 that's probably just you know, shooting talent, much like in baseball, like 399 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:07.440 you know, hitting having a hard time catching up to pitching. I think 400 00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:11.839 Bolten's having a hard time catching up to the offense. To scale the shooting 401 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:15.119 of the modern NHL, I don't I think most teams are looking for a 402 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:18.799 goalie now. I think there's really only eight to twelve, maybe fifteen guys 403 00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:22.119 in the NHL. The teams are going to feel really really good about going 404 00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:26.880 into a playoff series with and so it's a scarcity issue in that position in 405 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:29.559 particular. That's not the whole deal with the doings, right, I think, 406 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:30.319 you know we talked about. I think they need to get harder. 407 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:34.400 I think they need to get more defensively responsible, especially from the forward group. 408 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:37.920 I think they need a number two right defenseman behind Morris Sider to help 409 00:31:37.960 --> 00:31:41.440 take some burden off him. But it's a really interesting, especially in goal, 410 00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:45.400 a really interesting issue, you know, Max, I compared to quarterbacks 411 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:49.880 in the NFL, because those are two key positions they can make a difference 412 00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:53.720 in a game. I don't think there's better than ten quarterbacks in the NFL 413 00:31:53.720 --> 00:31:56.400 that you'd really want to have. And I think it's the same thing with 414 00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:01.759 goalies, and they're such important positions. I have this discussion with a good 415 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:06.480 friend of mine yesterday, Sean Beleachan, who loves a lot of hockey. 416 00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:09.799 He watches it all the time. We're wondering, I love Dylan Larkin. 417 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:14.400 I want him on my team every single time. I think as a hell 418 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:16.640 of a leader. I think he plays really hard. I wonder if he's 419 00:32:16.680 --> 00:32:22.400 a number one center Lucas Raymond probably too early to judge. If he's a 420 00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:27.839 top line guy, Alex to brinkt on Their top line needs a facilitator, 421 00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:31.079 right I look at the great teams, the teams that are contending. Their 422 00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:36.680 number one centers are really impressive. I mean, look at Vancouver their number 423 00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:39.119 two centers. J T. Miller's got what thirty seven goals on hundred three 424 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:44.359 points. How much do they need to add to their top six? In 425 00:32:44.400 --> 00:32:49.200 your mind? Well, if they can, right, Like, that's always 426 00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:52.319 the key, right, it's the You know, Dylan Larkin I think is 427 00:32:52.359 --> 00:32:55.160 a number one center? Is he a number one center on a steel The 428 00:32:55.160 --> 00:32:59.720 Cup winner that's a that's kind of another question, right, Like I think 429 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:01.079 when you look at the East field this year, I was talking about this 430 00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:05.039 with with a buddy the other day. Uh, you know, there's only 431 00:33:05.079 --> 00:33:07.960 really three, maybe four centers in the East that you can say, you 432 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:10.720 know, that guy's ahead a doubt mark and that's awesome. Matthews at Alexander 433 00:33:10.759 --> 00:33:15.839 Barkov and I'm blank and here at the end here but well well, Sidney 434 00:33:15.880 --> 00:33:21.839 Cross, Sidney Crosby and Sam Ryan Hart. Well Crosby didn't make the playoff 435 00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:23.759 field, and Ryan Hart's I think playing on the on the wing there. 436 00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:28.240 So but but yes, I get your point, like I I just mean, 437 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:30.119 you know, in terms of the Eastern Conference playoff field at the time, 438 00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:34.319 I'm sorry, okay, yeah, was it Braiden? Was it Braiden? 439 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:37.559 Point point yes, that's exactly so, yes, And so I think 440 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:40.200 you know him and Sebastianaho and Carolina are are pretty comparable to me. So 441 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:44.000 I think, like you can be competitive in that field with Larkin as your 442 00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:46.200 one seat, but every team wants to add more to their top six. 443 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:49.920 And I think when you talk about J. C. Miller as a number 444 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:52.480 two, that's really the key it's not so much Larkin as the one who 445 00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:55.000 do you have right behind him? And you saw that when he was out, 446 00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:58.519 you know he was he was asking us so much a J. T. 447 00:33:58.640 --> 00:34:00.559 Comford to step up, And even when Larkin's in, you're asking a 448 00:34:00.559 --> 00:34:04.240 lot of JT. Tom for to be you know, go ahead to head 449 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:06.720 with a guy like JT. Miller and win that battle. Right. So 450 00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:09.599 I do think if you had another guy at Dylan Larkin, though, I 451 00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:13.320 think of like, you know what New York's doing. They got Meek as 452 00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:15.880 avantage At, who I think is pretty comparable. That's the team that won 453 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:19.360 the President's Trophy. Pretty comparable to Larkin is their number one center. But 454 00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:22.559 behind him they have Vincent Trochek, who's like a point per game player with 455 00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:24.800 great defensive impacts. To mean, that's where it is. It's really that 456 00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:29.920 number two center. But it's a fair argument because obviously there are Austin Matthews 457 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:31.679 and Connor McDavid and Nathan McKinnon's out there, and that's a different level of 458 00:34:31.719 --> 00:34:36.280 player totally. Yeah. I mean, look, everybody wants those, every 459 00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:38.440 team wants those. I mean, Steven Stamkos might be in that conversation just 460 00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:43.440 because Tampa's reached the postseason. But yeah, again, I can't reiterate enough 461 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:45.880 how much I love Dylan Larkin. He's probably my favorite player. I just 462 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:49.880 wonder, that's all. I mean. If you're looking at a Stanley Cup 463 00:34:49.880 --> 00:34:53.719 contending team, I think the depth is important. We're talking with Max Boltman, 464 00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:58.599 he of the Athletic. You can follow him on x M Underscore. 465 00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:01.840 Boltman read stuff in the Athletic, you can follow the Athletic. It's great 466 00:35:02.000 --> 00:35:06.119 theater for sure when you read it, and you can email him m Boltman 467 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:08.880 at the Athletic dot com. He's always wanting to take that and get into 468 00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:14.320 that bag of conversation with hockey. Who's the Heart Trophy winner? I mean, 469 00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:19.119 last night Nikita Kucherov had a go on and assist picked up his one 470 00:35:19.239 --> 00:35:22.280 hundred assists. It had been thirty two years since the NHL had a player 471 00:35:22.760 --> 00:35:27.400 with one hundred assists in a season. Now the NHL has two. The 472 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:32.000 conversation is down to four players. Who gets your vote? It's the best 473 00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:37.239 Heart Trophy race that I have voted in. It is the tightest for sure, 474 00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:40.159 and there are four, in my mind, deserving winners. The two 475 00:35:40.199 --> 00:35:45.159 guys you mentioned Nathan McKinnon and Austin Matthews, who came really close to seventy 476 00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:49.639 goals. The one thing I kind of struggle with is when you have all 477 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:52.639 those statistical you know, oh, it's the first time a guy's done this 478 00:35:52.719 --> 00:35:53.880 since then it's the first time a guy has done this since the right the 479 00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:58.519 one hundred assist thing. Yeah, first time in however long and two guys 480 00:35:58.519 --> 00:36:00.199 did it. I tell me a little bit about where the game has been 481 00:36:00.199 --> 00:36:05.079 headed offensively, and that not that it cheapens it by any means, but 482 00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:07.679 I do think it speaks to kind of an overall trend in the game. 483 00:36:07.239 --> 00:36:10.079 When I took a step back from it and I was doing my voting, 484 00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:13.719 I just said, there was not a player I watched this year that was 485 00:36:13.760 --> 00:36:17.920 as dominant as consistently as Nathan McKinnon. He's right there in terms of statistics 486 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:22.159 with all those guys. I don't know that he hit the round number benchmark 487 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:25.800 and either goals or assists that a Matthews, area McDavid or Kutrov did, 488 00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:30.480 but he was really close in the final production, and he was as dominant 489 00:36:30.519 --> 00:36:31.960 shift to shift as anybody I saw. I'm one of the best teams in 490 00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:37.079 the league. So I intend to vote for Nathan McKinnon. It's hard to 491 00:36:37.239 --> 00:36:42.000 argue that you're wrong. I mean, I love watching Connor McDavid. He's 492 00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:45.719 probably my favorite player in the NHL to watch. But when you see what 493 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:50.280 McKinnon did, you see what Kucharov did, you see what Matthews did. 494 00:36:50.320 --> 00:36:52.960 Look at some point people forget ted Williams hit over four hundred. He didn't 495 00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:58.760 win the MVP that year. Joe Demagio did. So you're going to have 496 00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:05.039 some discrepancies with people's opinions on this. It's a good question to have, 497 00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:07.679 right, I mean, it's a good problem to have. I mean, 498 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:10.920 David Pasternak's unbelievable. He had another one hundred point season. He's not even 499 00:37:10.920 --> 00:37:15.719 in the discussion. So it's really fun to have. Tell me about the 500 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:20.079 Red Wings prospects. When you see and we were just talking about top six 501 00:37:20.119 --> 00:37:22.239 forwards, we're talking about trying to show up the blue line a little bit. 502 00:37:22.360 --> 00:37:28.199 Questions in net, how do you view Detroit's minor league system? Who 503 00:37:28.239 --> 00:37:32.360 can help this team at the ready? It's a great question. It's maybe 504 00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:37.559 the most important question that going into this summer because they're not going to have 505 00:37:37.599 --> 00:37:40.519 as much cap space anymore as they have recently. They got big raises to 506 00:37:40.559 --> 00:37:44.920 do for Cider and Raymond, and the best antidote to that is being able 507 00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:47.639 to bring up your prospects on those really cheap entry level deals. So you 508 00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:52.679 got a couple guys who I think can help fairly soon. Carter Maser in 509 00:37:52.760 --> 00:37:55.519 Grand Rapids. He's a little skinny, but he's got that kind of hard 510 00:37:55.639 --> 00:38:00.639 test game to him in addition to some offense. Marco kaspers Deal, although 511 00:38:00.679 --> 00:38:04.039 he's a little younger. And then Nate Danielson in the Western Hockey League was 512 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:07.800 their top ten pick last year, and he made a real nice run in 513 00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:09.360 the preseason this season. I don't think you ever really had a shot at 514 00:38:09.400 --> 00:38:13.320 making the team, but he stuck around to the very end and he was 515 00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:16.639 way more productive than I expected. If one or even two of those guys 516 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:21.519 could make a real run of making this team next year and contributing, I 517 00:38:21.559 --> 00:38:23.079 think that would be a big deal for them. The thing is, though 518 00:38:23.239 --> 00:38:25.920 I don't think he answers that question. You raised a couple of go about 519 00:38:27.079 --> 00:38:30.280 is there a star level player there? I think Daniel think could be a 520 00:38:30.360 --> 00:38:32.519 good number two center. I think Casper and Mazer are going to be really 521 00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:37.880 effective, probably third line players. But I think the question for the Redvands 522 00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:39.880 going forward is going to be do you have another star, especially at the 523 00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:44.800 center position, to complement Dan Larkin and to really get this team to where 524 00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:46.280 it needs to go. Those guys are young. I don't want to put 525 00:38:46.320 --> 00:38:50.920 ceilings on anybody, but I don't know that you can say when you're projecting 526 00:38:50.920 --> 00:38:53.960 it that they definitely have that at the least. Final thought, Derek Lalone 527 00:38:54.920 --> 00:39:00.280 great his performance as a head coach this year, and where does he need 528 00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:04.480 to improve if and when he's back next season? Yeah, And I think 529 00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:07.000 everyone's going to look at the two things. The people that really like Lalone 530 00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:10.239 are going to look at the improvement the eleven points going from eighty to ninety 531 00:39:10.239 --> 00:39:13.760 one. And the people that really don't are going to look at the month 532 00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:16.000 of March winning three out of fourteen games, not being able to beat even 533 00:39:16.119 --> 00:39:21.440 the Arizona Coyotes when one of those wins would have put Detroit in the playoffs 534 00:39:21.719 --> 00:39:27.280 twice. Larkin and so yet it's a tough reality to me. It's like 535 00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:30.239 it's around probably a B minus. I think you have to give real credence 536 00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:34.960 to the improvement, to the fact that they did exceed. Certainly my preseason 537 00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:37.960 prediction, which was eighty eight points, they get to ninety one. I 538 00:39:37.960 --> 00:39:39.840 didn't think that ninety one would get you to the cusp of the playoff race, 539 00:39:40.280 --> 00:39:44.119 but they were right there. But at the same time, I think, 540 00:39:44.280 --> 00:39:46.559 you know, the coaching staff has to eat a share of the blame, 541 00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:51.519 a decent share of the blame when you talk about what happened in March, 542 00:39:51.559 --> 00:39:54.480 would not being able to do anything without Dylan Larkin. Players are the 543 00:39:54.480 --> 00:39:58.119 ones on the ice, but you know there's got to be a couple more 544 00:39:58.119 --> 00:40:00.079 buttons the coaches can press to get a lit more juice out of the month 545 00:40:00.119 --> 00:40:02.599 of March than they did, and that's the month that did them in in 546 00:40:02.719 --> 00:40:06.639 the end. So I'll say it B minus. I think that'll be too 547 00:40:06.679 --> 00:40:08.599 high for some people, and I think there'll be some people that say I'm 548 00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:12.920 knocking them unfairly for March. So I guess that that probably tells me I'm 549 00:40:12.920 --> 00:40:16.760 in the right area. So well said and so well crafted all season long, 550 00:40:16.880 --> 00:40:21.199 every year on the Athletic Max Boltman, thanks for the time today, 551 00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:24.079 really appreciate what you do. Thanks for your professionalism. Thanks for all the 552 00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:28.199 great articles and keeping us engaged with bred Wings, hockey and the NHL in 553 00:40:28.239 --> 00:40:30.960 general. Talk to you soon, Okay, Hey, great to hear from 554 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:34.440 MI Chef anytime. Yeah you bet man, Max Bowman, great job on 555 00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:38.519 the athletic at m Underscore Boltman, follow them, you'll get to you'll be 556 00:40:38.559 --> 00:40:43.280 smarter. You'll be smarter when it comes to hockey. So really appreciate that 557 00:40:43.320 --> 00:40:46.000 insight. Very interesting. I think something we can pick up again tomorrow. 558 00:40:46.280 --> 00:40:50.920 This show went by quickly here today. A lot of it has to do 559 00:40:51.039 --> 00:40:54.239 with you, because of your texts, because of your phone calls. We 560 00:40:54.400 --> 00:40:59.519 enjoy it. We hope you do too. Tell your friends we look forward 561 00:40:59.559 --> 00:41:04.159 to talking with you every Monday through Friday from six until nine throughout the great 562 00:41:04.159 --> 00:41:07.639 state of Michigan in Flint and Cadilloc and Grand Rapids and Grayling and Gaylord and 563 00:41:07.679 --> 00:41:10.960 Midland and Sagoa On Bay City and Petuski and Charlievo and Trevors City. Hi 564 00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:15.679 to everybody up there, thanks for your patronage and we'll see you back here 565 00:41:15.719 --> 00:41:20.280 tomorrow. Or thanks to Ben our producer Max Boltman of the Athletic and to 566 00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:24.599 you for listening to ex'es and bros Here on the Michigan Sports Network throughout the 567 00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:30.480 great State of Michigan. See tomorrow morning, June, the world's most notorious 568 00:41:30.599 --> 00:41:38.920 rock band is coming to Soaring Eagle Casino. 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