WEBVTT 1 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:18.879 Thirty five after the hour. Glad you're with us on this edition of Exes 2 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:22.079 and Bros. Throughout the great state of Michigan. On in Cadillac and Grand 3 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:26.160 Rapids and Flint and Grayland and Gaylord. We're up in Midland and Saginaw, 4 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:31.359 Bay City, Potoski, Charlavoi, Traverse City, all those areas. Obviously 5 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:35.359 read Max Boltman of the Athletic. If you want to know what's going on 6 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:38.640 with the Red Wings, that is where you go, and you can follow 7 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:43.840 him on Twitter on x at M Underscore Boltman. He joins us here on 8 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:48.159 Exes and Bros. Max. Thanks as always, appreciate your work, Appreciate 9 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:51.759 your diligence and your research and all the things that you've done. And I 10 00:00:52.479 --> 00:01:00.439 was really taken in by your article yesterday about the Red Wings and the not 11 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:04.959 just the draft, but by the free agency and the lack thereof and your 12 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:10.519 honesty with it. How do you grade I'm not looking for a letter grade, 13 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:12.799 I'm just looking for your opinion. How do you grade what the Red 14 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:17.319 Wings have done so far, even though it's early on in free agency? 15 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:21.319 Yeah, I think if you look at the moves that they have made, 16 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:26.040 everything's pretty fine. I think it's like a solid yet okay vision contract here, 17 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:30.879 you know, little value here. But where I struggle is when I 18 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:34.680 zoom out, I just don't see really other than goaltending, where I do 19 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:37.799 think they got better. I don't really see many other parts of the game 20 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:40.680 where I look at it and I see a team that's in a better spot 21 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:45.040 in the standings than they were last year. Now you may say, hey, 22 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:47.480 big picture, they may call some kids up, they may get some 23 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:49.280 guys playing time, and that's the better thing. I think that's a perfectly 24 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:56.040 reasonable argument. But in terms of competitiveness and you know, trying to improve 25 00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:57.640 on where they were at last year, where they were at tiebreak early from 26 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:02.680 the playoffs, I think a lot of their contributors went elsewhere yesterday and I 27 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:07.000 don't really see meaningful upgrades on any of those guys. Shane Dosispare walks away. 28 00:02:07.039 --> 00:02:10.960 He was their powerplay quarterback. He goes elsewhere for a pretty decent deal. 29 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.479 They replace him with Eric Custison, who I think is pretty similar to 30 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:19.520 Gosta Spaar but didn't have quite as much offense. Louise David Perron, huge 31 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:22.319 leader, huge party of power play, tough guy, one of the best 32 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:25.439 down low wall players and puck possessors in the league. He gets out of 33 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:30.199 town and I don't really see an obvious replacement for him. So right now, 34 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:31.560 you're right, it's still early. They've still got lots of time. 35 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:37.520 But I think there's a few different areas of their team where maybe you look 36 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:39.439 like, well, did they really get much better? What would you have 37 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:44.400 liked to have seen them done? It can't be just re signing Gosh, 38 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.759 Despair and Perne, because you're basically bringing the same team back. You don't 39 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:52.199 want that necessarily. What would you have liked to have seen them do to 40 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:55.400 improve this team? Yeah, it's a great point, and I think that 41 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:59.000 that is important to not get lost year. To me, I think what 42 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:01.360 it comes to to, I would have liked to see a a little bit 43 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:05.800 more meanness, particularly on the blue line. I think if they could have 44 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:08.560 added a real shutdown D on the right side and maybe they still will on 45 00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:12.280 the right side, to take some burden off, a more outsider to eat 46 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:15.479 some of those defensive minutes. To me, I think that's one of the 47 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:20.039 areas they really struggled last year, was was overburdening more excited was keeping the 48 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:22.759 tuck out of their own net. And I also think frankly, I would 49 00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:25.680 have probably tried to go out and added a forward defensively that could have given 50 00:03:25.719 --> 00:03:29.479 them a little bit more. You know, the number that Alex Wenberg ends 51 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:32.159 up getting is five million dollars at two years. That is a little steep, 52 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:35.479 so I can understand where they might have wanted to stay away, But 53 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:38.400 somebody of his profile is kind of what I would have been looking to do, 54 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:42.400 and maybe they still will. I think, you know, they needed 55 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:45.479 to improve their team defense. They did that a little bit with the goaltending, 56 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:47.439 but in terms of the blue line and even the forward core, where 57 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:51.199 I thought that you know, a lot of the issues actually started with having 58 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:54.599 a bunch of forwards who weren't all that defensively responsible. I think those are 59 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:58.240 kind of the two areas that I had point to. You can read them 60 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:01.319 on the avalatic at m unders score Boltman. He's Max Boltman joining us here 61 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:09.319 on Ex's m bros. Knowing that and understanding about the defense. Like you 62 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:14.639 said, where does this team stand with the possibility of trading for that type 63 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:19.360 of talent that they couldn't sign so far in free agency? Yeah, And 64 00:04:19.639 --> 00:04:23.959 I think that is kind of the key here, is yes, free agency. 65 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.199 You know, a lot of the top names have kind of started to 66 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:30.240 get off the board here, but you still have time if there's somebody comes 67 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:33.240 available now. You know, the name that I think was out there in 68 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.839 a lot of reports was Jacob Truba. Is that going to happen now? 69 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:41.680 It sounds like reading some of those same outlets as a New York Post has 70 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:45.879 really heavily reported on this one, first kind of to bring the trade delight 71 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.680 and then to really downplay it. So maybe that one's not actually as out 72 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:53.120 there as it sounded like a couple of days ago. If not that, 73 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:56.600 where else do you look? I don't know the answer to that question. 74 00:04:56.839 --> 00:05:00.399 So if it's not that, are there other ways they can get better? 75 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:02.160 Can they get a little tougher upfront? Can they try to replace some of 76 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:06.879 that I'm on the wing where they had bron playing. I think that's all 77 00:05:06.920 --> 00:05:11.480 possible. But in terms of like throwing a real obvious name out there for 78 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:14.439 you right now, there's not a big one that's jump into mind. And 79 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:16.959 I think that's kind of part of where you look at where they're at right 80 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.279 now, and you say, okay, we'll can Steve Weison then do here 81 00:05:21.079 --> 00:05:24.879 to get this team at least back to where they were at kind of entering 82 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:27.639 the off season. What do you think it would take to get Truba in 83 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:33.000 a Wings uniform. It's a great question. I don't know. To me, 84 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:36.120 I think that the biggest question I have. He's got a no trade 85 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:42.519 clause and he obviously has some control over his situation. I think the biggest 86 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.879 thing it would take is the New York Rangers retaining a lot of cap space 87 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:48.240 in Jacob True would be unwilling to come. I don't know the answer on 88 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:51.959 either of those two questions. I'm not saying that that I do. But 89 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:57.920 you know, to me, he did sit a profile that checked a lot 90 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:00.600 of those boxes they've talked about. He's a great dissensive sense me, one 91 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:02.279 of the most physical players in the NHL. When his name was out there 92 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:05.360 in some of those reports, I think there was a real obvious that, 93 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:11.680 especially because he didn't come too much term on the existing contract. But I 94 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.319 don't know if that is still on the table or if it ever was. 95 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:18.279 Frankly, so that's maybe that ship's kind of not sailing to again. I 96 00:06:18.279 --> 00:06:23.040 don't know how real it was or not, but it's certainly not seeming like 97 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:27.920 a likely avenue right now. What do you think they needed more of scoring 98 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:32.319 or defensive protection? It's a good question to me. The answer I think 99 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:35.759 would have been defense. I think you find others who would say scoring. 100 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:40.079 You look at when Dylan Larkin was out and how much they missed him. 101 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:43.360 I think that that's a reasonable time of the year where they could have used 102 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.439 more offense. But I think at the end of the day, I still 103 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.399 look at it and see they were the ninth highest scoring team in the NHL, 104 00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:50.839 and it was the defensive end where I think they really got dead. 105 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.879 So I think they ideally you want both, and you did find the way 106 00:06:55.879 --> 00:06:58.399 to keep Patrick Kane if you're the Red Wings, so that helps with the 107 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:00.519 scoring. It's on the way to keep Christian Fisher. That helps with some 108 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:05.279 of the the matchups. He he's a really nice matchup player for the Reverings. 109 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:10.199 They probably needed it to improve both, but I think the defense there 110 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:14.639 was more room for improvement, and so I think maybe that's why it stood 111 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:18.560 out to me as the top need. Max Boltman joining us from the athletic 112 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:24.519 here on Exus and bros. Read his stuff on the athletic and make sure 113 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:29.319 that you follow him on x at M Underscore Boltman. This opens the door 114 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:32.360 for younger players, and I love what you wrote. You basically said you 115 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:35.040 can't have it both ways. You can't say, hey, I want to 116 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:39.079 see the young guys, but on the other hand, I want to sign 117 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:42.399 all these veterans too. There has to be a nice mix, so it 118 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:46.680 opens the door. Who do you think this takes advantage of this scenario most 119 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:51.759 in terms of the younger players with the Red Wings who are vying for NHL 120 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:57.759 playing time. Yeah, and I think we have to see if the rest 121 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:00.600 of the off seam to play out to see if those spots hold. But 122 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:03.800 if so, two guys i'd point to, Carter Maser and Jonathan Bergrian are 123 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:07.839 both guys who I think we are kind of at the fringe of will they 124 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:11.439 be ready for the NHL to start the season or will they start the season 125 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:15.680 in green rapids. They both I thought had really good playoffs in the AHL 126 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.279 this year, and they both have a little bit more of that hard to 127 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:20.519 play against the profile. They are rookies, so you don't want to expect 128 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:24.319 too much of them in that way too fast. But I think they're both 129 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:28.360 tough kids. I think they're both smart kids, responsible hockey players, and 130 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:33.320 I think Maser in particular has shown some pretty nice goal scorings. Have actually 131 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.399 really praised his shot at his press conference a couple of weeks ago before the 132 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:41.120 draft. So maybe one of those guys is a guy who can carve out 133 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:43.799 more of a role than we were maybe expecting. And if that's the case, 134 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:48.279 I think there's something to be said for that. But you know, 135 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.519 they've also said they don't want to really leave spaces for some of these kids 136 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:56.360 yet, they want to make them bump somebody out. So we'll see if 137 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:58.799 there's any other moves coming and if those in Maine as clear a path as 138 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:03.120 right now. Yeah, Max, let me ask you. This pressure is 139 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:07.080 self induced, right, We all know that, but you write about it. 140 00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:11.159 I talk about it in regards to Steve Eisman and the job he's done. 141 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:15.559 How much pressure additional pressure, I should say, do you think will 142 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:20.679 be on the general manager going into this season knowing that sure they've gotten better 143 00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:26.039 in terms of points and they're getting closer to postseason play, but the East 144 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:30.200 is so tough and especially the division. How much more pressure does he do 145 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:35.480 you think he gets from the public and from you and your colleagues going into 146 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:39.960 this season. Yeah, I see, I think some now, you know, 147 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:46.039 coming into April and May, I did think it was possible something that 148 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:48.559 this would happen, just because of the salary cap. That the biggest obstacle 149 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:50.720 of the I think they're fighting right now is that they have to get more 150 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:56.759 excited Lucas Raymond two of their best young players on new contracts this year, 151 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:58.759 and those deals have not been done yet. We know they're going to take 152 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:05.200 up somewhere between ten and fifteen million more in cap space, and those two 153 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:09.720 guys counted for last year deals I think are going to come in somewhere between 154 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:11.600 like six and nine million for both of them, as what I would ballpark 155 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:16.120 right for each of them, I should say. So it gets harder when 156 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:20.320 you're concentrating that money there to also spend the other places. And I think 157 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:24.720 we do have to be conscious of that that they are those are the realities 158 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.360 of their cap situation. But when you come within a tiebreaker of the playoffs, 159 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.960 you know, expectations do go up, and with expectations comes pressure. 160 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:37.720 Especially for a team that's been after this for a while and is seeing some 161 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:41.399 of its young kind of core members keep ticking up an age, right, 162 00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:46.159 Dylan Larkin is going to be twenty eight this summer, and you know, 163 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.519 you haven't been to a playoff game since this first season with the Red Wings. 164 00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:52.080 So doesn't mean they have to rush. It doesn't mean they abandoned the 165 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:56.919 plan or anything like that. But I do think that that's where the pressure 166 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:01.039 comes from, is building a winner on schedule to get the most out of 167 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:03.399 some of their important pieces. What do you like or don't like about their 168 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:11.000 goalie situation with whoso lion now Talbot and Campbell. Well, I like Talbot, 169 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:16.159 especially in particularly the durability showed last year nine thirteen save percentage for LA 170 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:18.960 in fifty four games. You'll take that, a'll bait. That's an NHL 171 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.519 starting goalie, So I like that edition. I liked the contract. He's 172 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:24.679 thirty seven, but he was thirty six last year. It was pretty good, 173 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:28.399 right, So I'm not ready to write it off just yet in terms 174 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:33.000 of, you know, where's that age curve coming? What I am still 175 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:35.720 unsure about is they've now got a lot of money tied up there and they 176 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:39.279 have three guys tied up there, and it didn't sound like that was their 177 00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:43.480 hope to have three guys in the NHL again next year. Goalies don't always 178 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:48.600 like that. It's hard to share two nets between three guys at practices, 179 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:52.759 let alone in games. We'll see what if there's something else coming there, 180 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:56.039 and my guess would be that there would be, especially because they also went 181 00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:58.919 out and signed Jack Campbell. I think that one's more of a number three 182 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:03.559 at that He's probably in Grand Rapids with Sebastian Kosa. But there got a 183 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:05.960 lot of guys in the goalie room now, and so what I like, 184 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:09.039 I think they got better. What I'm not sure if I like is is 185 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:11.919 it all too crowded there right now? But they still got time. You 186 00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:16.799 brought up age, So I want your opinion on this. How old is 187 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:22.279 too old in the NHL. It's different based on the sport you play. 188 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:28.200 We've seen guys play deep into their late thirties, sometimes early forties and still 189 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:31.159 be very successful and very productive. And the reason I asked this is not 190 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.799 just because of what you said about Talbot, but also because of what Nashville 191 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:41.039 did with Stamkos and Marshashall, who are thirty four and thirty three respectively and 192 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:45.240 signed long term deals. Yeah, and I think that's the question that a 193 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:48.159 lot of teams are trying to work other it. I think some people would 194 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:52.799 tell you that it's a little different bar for the superstars right similar like the 195 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:56.480 Patrick Kane's thirty five. I don't think there's any reason to think Patrick Kane 196 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.840 slowing down in the next two or three years. Necessarily, He's got a 197 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:03.120 lead hockey brain, he's got great hockey hands. Stephen Stamkos has a great 198 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:07.240 shot. These these are things that we don't expect are leaving you with age, 199 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:11.960 but it does come for everybody. And I think probably even if they 200 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:15.159 have the exact same for every person, you are talking about kind of in 201 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:18.240 that thirty five ranges where you start to get worried. And if I had 202 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:22.360 to guess, why did the Red Wings not give Steven Stampost that same contract 203 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:24.960 that Nashville did, it's the term factor. Will be the first thing that 204 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.639 I would point to. They got Patrick Kane on the one year deal, 205 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.960 and I think when you look at what they wanted to do, that makes 206 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:35.759 a little more sense for them. They give them four years to Stephen stampos 207 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.399 Let alone. If they got Kane, that's less money. So I do 208 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:43.559 think that that term factor, that age factor that you're talking about, is 209 00:13:43.559 --> 00:13:46.200 probably one of the reasons why we didn't see the Red Wings in on some 210 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:48.840 of these top top names. And I think that's the perfectly reasonable decision to 211 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:52.559 make by them. It's just you got to find another way then to get 212 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:56.480 better if you're not going to do it by that avenue. I don't want 213 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:00.840 to say you were underwhelmed with their draft, but I'm not sure you were 214 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:03.480 raising the flag for the men they drafted either or the boys, the eighteen 215 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:09.200 year olds that they drafted. What was your overall take on the hall that 216 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:13.360 they pulled in on Draft day or Draft weekend? Well, I really liked 217 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.440 their first round pick, Michael Brantick neguard Is was one of my favorite prospects 218 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:20.840 in this draft. He's got some size and he plays a real complete game. 219 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:22.799 You'll get in on the fore check. He's a great defensive player, 220 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:26.440 and he's got one of the best shots in the draft. To me, 221 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:28.320 that's a player that you can find a use for in a bunch of different 222 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:31.320 places in your lineup, I think the most likely is in your top six. 223 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:35.840 So I really like that pick at fifteen, and I was impressed by 224 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:39.519 Max Plant their second round pick. He wasn't somebody that was maybe as much 225 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:43.879 on my radar at that spot in the draft coming in, But after talking 226 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:46.360 to a few people about him right after that pick, I can kind of 227 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:50.120 see what they're going for there. He's a playmaker. He's a guy who's 228 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:52.039 showing he's got a lot of offense, and that's something that they lack in 229 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:56.759 their system. In terms of being underwell, I would say it's like a 230 00:14:56.759 --> 00:15:01.519 solid B draft. I don't think there's anything wrong with it that I do 231 00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:05.200 think, you know, you're still kind of wondering can they find in the 232 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:09.639 draft this guy who's going to outperform where they were drafted. I think that 233 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:13.399 that's something you need in the NHL if you're just going and you're hitting on 234 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:18.639 your first round picks and you're not really getting a big find later in the 235 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.360 draft, and I think it's really hard to get better quickly. They have 236 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:24.600 one of those guys that's who I mentioned earlier in Carter Maser. He was 237 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.360 a third round pick. A couple of years back, and he definitely looks 238 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:31.320 like he's going to make the NHL. He's going to outperform where he was 239 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:33.080 picked. They got a couple of defense and they've picked him the sick round. 240 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:37.399 I do believe we're going to make the NHL, but I still think 241 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:39.840 you're kind of looking for a little bit more of that. But the deal 242 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:43.240 with the NHL draft check is, you know this, obviously, it takes 243 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:46.080 these guys so much longer after the first round. Once you get beyond the 244 00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:50.639 first round, you're talking about probably four or five years before you're going to 245 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.399 see these kids in the NHL. So I guess we're just going to have 246 00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:56.399 to kind of see where it goes, all right. Lastly, real quick, 247 00:15:56.840 --> 00:16:00.799 overall NHL free agency. You know, whether it be I don't care, 248 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:06.480 Mantha going to you know, where do you go Calgary, or whether 249 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:12.720 it be Marciuso going to Tampa or Gensel going or Marshlso going to Nashville or 250 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:18.440 Genssell going to Tampa. What was your thoughts overall on on the NHL free 251 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:22.399 agency and the biggest surprise perhaps, well, I think I saw that it 252 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:26.679 was the first time that a billion dollars was spent on July one and in 253 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:32.559 total contracts, so that was a one big headline a lot of term. 254 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:36.080 Washington, I think was a team that I didn't expect to go the route 255 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:38.000 that they did. You know, they were the team that got in the 256 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:42.120 playoffs on that tiebreaker over Detroit last year, and they brought in some win 257 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:45.759 now guys and Jacob Chickrin who they traded for at a pretty good price, 258 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:48.879 and then Matt Roy who was a defenseman. I think a lot of people 259 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:52.440 saw as fitting that, you know, shut down right the role the Red 260 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:56.279 Wings needed. He's a local product. A lot of people thought that could 261 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:59.440 be a fit. Well, he got a whopper of a contract from the 262 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:03.119 Capitals seven years and I think it was five or five and a half alliable 263 00:17:03.119 --> 00:17:07.400 with the AAV So you can see why the Revans probably wouldn't have gone to 264 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:11.279 that number with him, but the Capitals all of a sudden, I think 265 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:15.519 what you will about Pilot du Bois and the gamble that they make in trading 266 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:19.559 for him. There they are a team that looks like they should be better 267 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:22.640 than they were this last year when they got into the playoffs. So from 268 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:26.359 a Red Wings perspective, I think my big takeaway with a lot of the 269 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:29.880 team that the Reddings are trying to catch did not make it any easier to 270 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:33.200 catch them. Well, threw a lot at you this morning, and you 271 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:37.279 handled it all exceptionally well, no surprise. They're great stuff with the athletic 272 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:40.759 great stuff on x or on Twitter, Max, thanks for the time today, 273 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:41.440 man, really appreciate it. Keep up the great work. But I 274 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:47.599 appreciate you listening and appreciate you joining us and educating our listeners a little bit 275 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:49.440 more. Hey, my pleasure, Matt. Thanks so much for having me 276 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:51.599 and appreciate your reaching out.