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<v Speaker 1>This is Neil Smith, former president and GM of the

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<v Speaker 1>New York Rangers and the New York Islanders, join me

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<v Speaker 1>and my co host Vic Morn for our podcast NHL

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<v Speaker 1>Wrap Around for all the important news and views around

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<v Speaker 1>the NHL.

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<v Speaker 2>How about a.

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<v Speaker 3>Little Utah Hockey Club as the Utah Hockey Club is

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<v Speaker 3>in Saint Louis to take on the Blues, which is

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<v Speaker 3>just hilarious for so many different reasons.

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<v Speaker 2>Been a rough stretch for the guys.

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<v Speaker 3>Our next guest joins us on a weekly basis, the

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<v Speaker 3>great Neil Smith, former GM of the Rangers the Islanders.

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<v Speaker 3>He's a hockey lifer.

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<v Speaker 2>Neil.

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<v Speaker 3>First of all, Happy Thursday. Second of all, how are

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<v Speaker 3>you feeling.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm feeling a little bit better, but my voice doesn't

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<v Speaker 4>sound like it. But yesterday I got to tell you, Spence,

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<v Speaker 4>was an amazing awakening when I was sitting in my computer,

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<v Speaker 4>looking at stats, looking at things, ready for your call,

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<v Speaker 4>and then realized I can't talk. I have no voice,

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<v Speaker 4>so we had to delay this. But I'm feeling good.

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<v Speaker 4>How about you.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm well and I feel that because being in this business,

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<v Speaker 3>like the voice is the moneymaker. So if I run

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<v Speaker 3>into some allergies, or a cold, it changes the entire thing.

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<v Speaker 3>You've only been in this business for a little while, Neil.

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<v Speaker 3>Back in the day, you could lose your voice and

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<v Speaker 3>still go build a hockey club.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a different thing when you're talking to a mike.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, Yo, for sure it's and when you're on TV

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<v Speaker 4>it's it's even more complicated. But radio, you're only a voice,

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<v Speaker 4>that's all you are. So if you've got no voice

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<v Speaker 4>or a Larnux trouble, stay off the radio.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes sir, all right.

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<v Speaker 3>After a red hot start, things have crashed pretty mightily

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<v Speaker 3>for the Utah Hockey Club. They're two and eight in

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<v Speaker 3>their last ten games and Connor Ingram and I'm gonna

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<v Speaker 3>need you to help me understand this because I don't

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<v Speaker 3>want to put it all. I understand in hockey you

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<v Speaker 3>can't put it all on the goaltender. And Connor is

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<v Speaker 3>a quality goalie, He's gonna be fine. But five to

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<v Speaker 3>two and three with an eight eight one say percentage

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<v Speaker 3>and a three point five to seven goals against average.

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<v Speaker 3>According to stat Elites, he has a minus set having

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<v Speaker 3>goals saved above expected, after finishing with a plus three

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<v Speaker 3>point four goals saved above expected last year. How much

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<v Speaker 3>of the leaky defense is on the goalie and how

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<v Speaker 3>much of it's on the group.

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<v Speaker 2>They just can't stop teams right now?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I thought, I think that there's enough to go around.

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<v Speaker 4>I think there's some on Connor Ingram. He's not playing

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<v Speaker 4>up to the level that he can play at in

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<v Speaker 4>the NHL. To be a starting goaltender, you've got to

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<v Speaker 4>be at nine hundred save percentage, which means an easy

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<v Speaker 4>math that you're allowing one goal on every ten shots.

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<v Speaker 4>You can't be letting more than that, and you can't

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<v Speaker 4>have a goals against some three point five seven. Now,

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<v Speaker 4>having said that, with Dursey out and Marino out and

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<v Speaker 4>them trying to fill that void with other guys, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>they're trying to get better defensively with their defenseman, but

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<v Speaker 4>it's going to have to be a team effort. It's

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<v Speaker 4>going to have to be everybody locking down the opposition,

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<v Speaker 4>because when you're missing two key defensemen like that, the

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<v Speaker 4>forwards can't take the chances that they would normally take.

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<v Speaker 4>So they've got to be a little bit more conservative

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<v Speaker 4>and help out.

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<v Speaker 2>So the offense continues to be fine.

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<v Speaker 3>It was never going to be what it was to

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<v Speaker 3>start the year, because what it was to start the

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<v Speaker 3>year was historic, but you know, more often than not

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<v Speaker 3>they did get shut out.

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<v Speaker 2>And I will get to Winnipeg in a moment.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know what's going on with Winnipeg, but you

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<v Speaker 3>know the Utackey Club was able to get three against

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<v Speaker 3>the gold Knights, four against the Sharks.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, but it hasn't been what it was.

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<v Speaker 3>So if we moved to the other side of the

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<v Speaker 3>equation and leave the defense behind, and I'm sure they're

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<v Speaker 3>all intertwined, why do you think the offense has not

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<v Speaker 3>been able to keep up with the pace it's set

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<v Speaker 3>to start the year, which again was very very good.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, remember who you're playing too. I mean you got

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<v Speaker 4>to give those teams credit. I mean they're playing against

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<v Speaker 4>two really good teams. For playing Winnipeg, they're playing Vegas.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, those are good teams. But the other thing is,

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<v Speaker 4>I think Spence, I'll go back to what I said before,

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<v Speaker 4>and that is when you're back on your heels because

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<v Speaker 4>you're not sure if you make a mistake. You don't

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<v Speaker 4>have the defenders back there that you used to have,

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<v Speaker 4>and you also your goalies a little bit leaky, like

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<v Speaker 4>the Milka and Ingram have binn. Then you're not taking

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<v Speaker 4>those offensive chances to score goals the way you do

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<v Speaker 4>when you're very confident and when the group is confident,

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<v Speaker 4>so it you know, it all goes hand in hand.

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<v Speaker 4>And especially if you think when you're out on the ice,

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<v Speaker 4>if you turn the puck over it could very easily

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<v Speaker 4>be in our net. You're going to be very conservative

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<v Speaker 4>with what you do.

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<v Speaker 3>So tonight it is the Saint Louis Blues and ultimately

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<v Speaker 3>they've lost Robert Thomas to a fractured ankle. But two

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<v Speaker 3>point sixty nine goals per game in the blues first

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<v Speaker 3>thirteen games, twenty fourth in the NHL. But they're really

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<v Speaker 3>stout when it comes to their goalies, and they've got too.

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<v Speaker 3>It's Jordan Bennington and Joel Hoffer, so very good defensive team,

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<v Speaker 3>but they don't score a lot of goals. Prieve you,

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<v Speaker 3>the game for us tonight is the Blues take on

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<v Speaker 3>the Utah Hockey Club.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, they're playing Joel hofferin net tonight according to the

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<v Speaker 4>sources that I have, but his save percentage is three

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<v Speaker 4>point thirty nine, so there's some holes there. They allow

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of shots, but so does you. Ta Utah

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<v Speaker 4>allows almost thirty just under thirty shots a game, so

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<v Speaker 4>they're going to have to tighten that up. But interesting

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<v Speaker 4>guys to look for tonight. Cairo is their best offensive player.

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<v Speaker 4>He's got eleven points in thirteen games. Broberg that they

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<v Speaker 4>signed from the Edmonton Oilers on an off for sheets,

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<v Speaker 4>having a good start to his season. And he's a defenseman.

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<v Speaker 4>And Pareko is also a defenseman. Two out of their

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<v Speaker 4>three top scorers on their team or defenseman. But they'll they'll,

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<v Speaker 4>they'll play hard for sure, and they all they always do,

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<v Speaker 4>the Blues always do. But Hofer will be in that tonight.

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<v Speaker 3>All right, Let's get back to a couple of the

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<v Speaker 3>teams that I referenced, and you know, we we were

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<v Speaker 3>discussed seeing the hot start for Winnipeg a couple of

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<v Speaker 3>weeks ago. But it's one thing to have a hot start,

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<v Speaker 3>but eight straight wins to start the season that side

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<v Speaker 3>for the third longest streak in NHL history through twelve games,

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<v Speaker 3>fifty nine goals. That's the highest total in their first

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<v Speaker 3>twelve games since the nineteen ninety five ninety six Penguins

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<v Speaker 3>scored sixty three times. That's Mario Lemieux, Jarmar Yager, Ron Francis,

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<v Speaker 3>Sergey Zubov, a phenomenal team to play NHL on the PlayStation.

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<v Speaker 2>With which I did back in the day.

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<v Speaker 3>So what what stands out most about what really is

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<v Speaker 3>a historic start from Winnipeg.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, Kyle Connor stands out to me as playing out

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<v Speaker 4>of his mind this year. Is as a forward, as

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<v Speaker 4>an offensive player, and Connor Hellibuck, who won the Visita

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<v Speaker 4>last year, is playing Don't Atrophy hockey again. So you know,

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<v Speaker 4>those are the two guys that are really standing out

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<v Speaker 4>and above everybody. But to have a record like they

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<v Speaker 4>have at twelve and one on you've got to have

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<v Speaker 4>everybody you know on all play on all cylinders. And

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<v Speaker 4>everything for them is going good. I mean, their their

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<v Speaker 4>power play is at forty four percent. Their penalty killing

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<v Speaker 4>has been you know, middle of the pack, but it's

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<v Speaker 4>that's still pretty good. So they're you know, they're goals

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<v Speaker 4>for or four point seven, they lead the league with that.

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<v Speaker 4>They've just had a terrific start. But if you want

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<v Speaker 4>me to pick out a couple of players that also

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<v Speaker 4>on Morrissey on defense has been great for them. But

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<v Speaker 4>Kyle Connor and Hellibuck and Morrissey. They've all been really good.

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<v Speaker 3>Let me ask you about a story before I set

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<v Speaker 3>you loose. Egork In the goalie for the Rangers. We've

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<v Speaker 3>been waiting for news on this potential extension. It sounds

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<v Speaker 3>you're teasing it, Neil, Do you have any any meat

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<v Speaker 3>on the bone you can share?

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<v Speaker 4>Not really, I mean, other than I'm just you know,

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<v Speaker 4>you hear things, and you hear that things are you know,

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<v Speaker 4>heating up. What that means who knows. But you would

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<v Speaker 4>think that the Rangers would be anxious to get them

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<v Speaker 4>signed and not let them get near free agency. So

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<v Speaker 4>I would imagine that there's something going on in the

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<v Speaker 4>background between the agent, Krshcha Stirkin and Chris Drury.

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<v Speaker 2>All Right, Neil, got a lot of new hockey fans

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<v Speaker 2>in the market.

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<v Speaker 3>Where can they go find your podcast that you that

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<v Speaker 3>you guys release often during the week.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah. We had Bill Darn the GM of Minnesota on

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<v Speaker 4>this week and it's on every platform, NHL wrap Around,

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<v Speaker 4>you can find it on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, anywhere that

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<v Speaker 4>you can find podcasts, you'll find it. And it's been

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of fun and we're doing it three times

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<v Speaker 4>a week. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and give it a listen.

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<v Speaker 3>Neil, thank you, sir. I always appreciate the time. Get

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<v Speaker 3>that voice ready to roll and we'll get you back

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<v Speaker 3>on next week. All right, week, there you go, There

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<v Speaker 3>you go. The great Neil Smith built a juggernaut of

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<v Speaker 3>a New York Ranger hockey team that want a Stanley

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<v Speaker 3>Cup in the nineties. Also general manager of the Islanders.

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<v Speaker 3>He was the head scout for the Red Wings when

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<v Speaker 3>they were kind of at their heyday.

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<v Speaker 2>He's on Twitter.

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<v Speaker 3>You can find the links to his work at NYC.

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<v Speaker 3>Neil Smith is where you find him. You can follow

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<v Speaker 3>the podcast at NHL wrap Around is where you get that.

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<v Speaker 3>All right, I want to tell you about my friends

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<v Speaker 3>at Overtime Cards and Collectibles. It's the best spot for

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<v Speaker 3>all your football, basketball, hockey, MMA and even Pokemon card collecting.

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<v Speaker 3>Buy all your favorites there and even take your cards in.

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<v Speaker 3>Maybe you have some rare cards in your collection you

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<v Speaker 3>do not even know about. So that's what I did.

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<v Speaker 3>My buddy Chris James, who owns the spot over there.

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<v Speaker 3>His wife is really the brains behind the whole thing.

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<v Speaker 3>But Chris is a sweet dude. When I heard he

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<v Speaker 3>was getting in the business. I've had boxes of basketball, baseball,

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<v Speaker 3>football cards in my possession for years. I just should

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<v Speaker 3>have thrown most of them away. I would just move

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<v Speaker 3>them wherever I would go.

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<v Speaker 2>And so I called.

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<v Speaker 3>I said, can you look at my collection, see if

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<v Speaker 3>there's anything of value. He said, yeah, bring it in.

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<v Speaker 3>I had a Kobe Bryant Fleer rookie card I did

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<v Speaker 3>not know I had. It's now sitting on my mantle.

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<v Speaker 3>He's got a bunch of stories like that. So, like me,

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<v Speaker 3>if you're my age, you probably collected cards. At one point.

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<v Speaker 3>You're listening to sports stock radio, so you're a sportsman.

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<v Speaker 3>Grab the collection, go to your parents' house, get it

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<v Speaker 3>out of the basement or wherever it is. Take it

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<v Speaker 3>over Time Cards. They'll go through it for you and

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<v Speaker 3>they'll let you know if you have anything you know

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<v Speaker 3>that's worth holding on to. So check them out online

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<v Speaker 3>at Overtimecards and Collectibles dot Com, where you can buy

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<v Speaker 3>and trade