Transcript
Leo Ernewein: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the Leo and Lando show. I'm your host, Leo Wernerwein, alongside my co-host here.
Lando: And I'm Lando Landon Semenok.
Leo Ernewein: Right on, we got episode 16. And honestly, it's hard to believe how much we have to pack into this hour here. We're trying to break down the major NHL trade deadline moves from last week. The Buffalo Sabres become the talk the league around the NHL. The massive injury blow to Maple Leafs captain Austin Matthews, plus a historic Team USA sweep over hockey or over Canada. I should say hockey Canada, I guess, at the Olympics, Paralympics and.
Leo Ernewein: Well, just those, but women's and men's and then some wild upsets and the World Baseball Classics. Lando, how are you doing, though, first off, man?
Lando: Yeah, I'm doing well, man. Yeah. First of all, just want to say to everybody who listened to the last episode, I apologize to you, Leo. I apologize to all our listeners.
Lando: I was off my game last week. I was, my brain was just completely not really thinking about what was going on with our podcast and everything that was going on with the, yeah, just with the podcast and what's been going on with my life. And I just,
Lando: My game was basically off last episode. There were some names that got moved and I misstepped and everything. So I want to apologize to everybody about that. I'm on my game tonight, even though you and I kind of did this podcast layout last minute, but that's okay. It's how we roll around here, isn't it?
Leo Ernewein: Well, sometimes you'd be surprised at how much stuff is done last minute in every industry, right? So, you know, you just roll with the punches and you move along and you kind of, you know, learn from mistakes and you move forward and, you know, anything's, and it's all part of an honest days, right?
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Honest days, I wouldn't say work because we're not getting paid, but, you know, it's all part of an honest days, honest day, we'll say.
Leo Ernewein: say had some world baseball classics because they were classics. They were upsets.
Leo Ernewein: And I was hoping that maybe our country was going part of those. But we'll get to that. We'll start here with, I guess, what you're going call the biggest news so far, biggest story in hockey. It's a tough one. Austin Matthews went down after an ugly knee-on-knee hit from...
Leo Ernewein: Check, well, Anaheim Ducks defender, check D-man Radko Gudis. It's an MCL injury for Matthews. And word is he's officially done for this season. I think he'll be evaluated in a couple weeks, but they're shutting him down for the rest of the season. Again, they'll evaluate him in a few weeks just to, I think, determine...
Leo Ernewein: the severity of it. They originally said, I think grade three MCL severity when you told me about it, I think on, on Friday. And so I had my sports update for sure on Saturday morning. And I was looking at that grade three MCL tear.
Leo Ernewein: And I remember I had, I had a grade three MCL tear on my knee and I, I thought I was going to need surgery. And because I was so young or not so young, I was like 23 or something like that.
Leo Ernewein: But the doctors advised against surgery because they're like at your age, it's just so much better to let it heal.
Lando: Thank you.
Leo Ernewein: But honestly, I can still hear it click when I get out of bed and stuff like that. Or like when I do stuff too fast, when I bend over too fast, I could still hear the knee click. And it just it sends shivers down my spines. Those knee injuries can be real bad. So even if it's not an ACL, MCLs can be Like I, sometimes you get, don't think they're, they're necessarily, necessarily given the credit, right. Because they, you can get an MCL injury and they can be a slight tear or they can be, you know, even, even,
Leo Ernewein: really minute stuff and it still puts you out for a little bit, but it doesn't put you out like an ACL. And then there's MCLs that put you out for as long and then people are starting to judge you and be like, oh, holy way, it's an MCL injury. Why are you out for six months? Well, man, it's a grade three MCL tear, you know, or something like that, right? It's Maybe I'm just bringing up personal beef. No, I'm just kidding.
Leo Ernewein: Landon, I wanted to ask you though, does that kind of shift the landscape of the playoffs from Maple Leafs? And what is your take on that hit from, obviously you've seen it, right?
Lando: Yes, I've seen it a few times. I've watched it a few times and is as ugly as you can possibly get. I'm not a Matthews fan. I'll be perfectly honest with you, with everybody who listens to us and you and Leo Kahneman. you know me better, you know me as well, just I'm not, but as far as the, for Matthews going, for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they're done, I think as a team, think they're just, they're just, they've checked out, I think Craig Berube is in trouble as a coach, I just, I think they need, I mean, you're going to talk about this too, but
Lando: they need a complete tear down. And I, unfortunately think, you know, it starts at the top, starts with the coaching staff. And I think Matthews needs to get out there. As far as, you know, the, the hit goes, it was ugly.
Lando: And then my, my eyebrow out of all of this is the reaction of the, of his teammates were not there. And what, what it shows to me and kind of questions me looking at
Lando: that is what is the room like? Like, what is the room like? Like, do they like their captain? Do they... you know, is there some personality issues going on with Toronto that we're not knowing that we don't, we're not, we don't know about. mean, it certainly shows, you know, when you put the line between the view or you look between the lines and you, you see the reaction of his teammates that they were, nobody was there to stick up for So I'm kind of wondering, you know, is Matthews even the right fit for even the captaincy? Did they put the captaincy on the wrong,
Leo Ernewein: They traded all those character guys at the deadline, though. The guys that would have stuck up for them.
Lando: Yes. Yeah, I know. And that's the hilarious part, right? So, no, as a reference, yeah, no, apologize for coming.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. Sorry, go ahead. That was the next thing I was going to ask you. From a referee standpoint, because you've done that before, right?
Lando: Yes.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: can't say the word.
Lando: Disciplinary.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, disciplinary. The job that George Peros used to do. I forget what it's called. And then Chris Pronger, I think, did it for a little bit.
Lando: Yeah, it's the, oh no, I'm blanking now too.
Leo Ernewein: Googling it now. This is... Head
Lando: I can say, thank you.
Leo Ernewein: of the Department of Player Safety. Okay, they must have definitely changed the name.
Leo Ernewein: It used to be called something else, I swear.
Lando: Yeah, yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Department of Player Safety. yeah, this is... That had a PR spin back in 2017 or something like that.
Lando: Did they put it in quotation marks too?
Leo Ernewein: No.
Lando: Okay. Darn.
Leo Ernewein: I don't even know who is doing it now.
Lando: It's still George Paris as far as I know.
Leo Ernewein: It is still George Peros, yeah.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: It looks like it is as of 2017, which is just ironic. Okay, so Chris Pronger never actually filled this role. It was Renan Shanahan, Stephon.
Lando: No, he did not.
Leo Ernewein: Well, then this only existed in 2011. This must not be... They must have had a different kind of...
Lando: Yeah, it was, it was, it was held.
Leo Ernewein: system prior to 2011.
Lando: Yeah. So it, so what happened in 2011, and I remember this very well because it used to be that the commissioner's office would hand out suspensions.
Lando: And what happened is, is that it, I think this is my personal, I don't, this happened like, you know, 16 years ago, right. Or more than that. From my, my standpoint for not my standpoint, but from what I understand,
Lando: is that it put too much spotlight on the commissioner and it created too much. It created too much for the commissioner instead of worrying about the behind the scenes stuff, like, you know, expansion, trying to grow the game, the business stuff.
Leo Ernewein: Other business jobs, yeah.
Lando: Yeah. Business jobs. Right. So it took away from that. So that's when Colin Campbell came and he took, the disciplinary side of the player safety.
Lando: that held us, you know, handing out suspensions, you know, changing the rules, looking at what can we do to improve the game. So that's, Colin Campbell had that for quite a while.
Lando: And then I think it was just, I want to say about six years ago, he retired or dropped the role and gave it to, that's when I think George Perros took over, I believe, or Brendan Shannon, I think.
Leo Ernewein: You're right, you're right. But before that,
Lando: Brendan Shannon, yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, Shanahan was like the starter of this.
Lando: Brendan Shannon, yeah. Yes.
Leo Ernewein: Before 2011, they certainly had like a Department of Player Safety. It just wasn't called that.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: I'm pretty sure it was called whatever. I forgot the name of what it was now, but I was just bringing it up off of memory. But anyways, we're getting, we're straying way far off the question. If Landon was in charge of the NHL Department of Player Safety, if you were George Peros with that famous mustache, Landon, what are you handing down to Radko Gudis?
Lando: Well, first of all, I look pretty darn good in a mustache. So let's get that one out the way. I got to throw a joke in there too.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, yeah.
Lando: So the answer to question is that I would have handled this suspension a lot better. know a few of the podcasters and on on tv have talked about how that instead of doing a full hearing and announcing that as a full hearing they should have said we're doing a uh i think i can't remember if it was an in-person or a phone number
Leo Ernewein: He only got five games, right?
Lando: Yeah, he did.
Leo Ernewein: He got five games?
Lando: So, yeah, so I can't remember if they had an in-phone hearing or in-person hearing.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Lando: I can't remember one of the two. They said that the suspension would have been way higher. And because he's that window of – he's been in the window of not being suspended for five years or more, somewhere in there, that he would have gotten – That's the reason why he got the five, roughly around the five games.
Lando: But I personally, when see players like Ratko Gudis get hurt or hurt other players, and we're talking about this particular incident, he should be successful.
Leo Ernewein: You're also referencing Sidney Crosby at the Olympics. It was the same assassin.
Lando: Correct.
Leo Ernewein: It was the same assassin, Landon.
Lando: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, same assassin. That he should have been suspended way more than what he got. I mean, you're...
Leo Ernewein: I mean, I watched the Olympic hit. That one wasn't as gruesome.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: This one, was borderline charging.
Lando: No.
Leo Ernewein: Like, I get he took, like, five strides to get to Matthews. He was way in the corner. I get why he took those five strides. You got to close the gap on your man. But when you miss the check, like, you clearly obviously did. And Matthews, it's so easy for him to – you're charging at him. He's standing still. All he has to do is sidestep the puck. And he did that.
Leo Ernewein: And you reach out with your
Leo Ernewein: Right? And so
Lando: Yeah.
Lando: Yeah. I just, he should have done, he should have gotten way more.
Leo Ernewein: it's just, it's spicable.
Leo Ernewein: How many more games?
Lando: And as a referee, way more games.
Leo Ernewein: Give me a number.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Give me a number.
Lando: He, I would have gone to, would have gone to at least to the playoffs. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: What's that? 25? 23? 18.
Lando: 18, I think 18-ish games.
Lando: He's done until the playoffs.
Leo Ernewein: I would have given him 25.
Lando: That's when he's done.
Lando: Yeah, or you know what?
Lando: I would have been okay with that too. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: For me as like a department thing, I would have to give a number, set number, and I wouldn't say, oh, depending on how far late we are in the years, how long you're going to get suspended for kind of thing. But that's just me.
Lando: Yeah, no, I don't disagree with you. I just think the suspension should have been way more than what he got, in my opinion.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, that's fair. Yeah.
Lando: 100% agree with you. And as a referee, it bugs me no end that when you see guys do this, I remember yelling at players all the time for throwing out their knees.
Lando: Why are you doing it? Like, what are you trying to accomplish? A, you're going to hurt somebody. Two, and hurt somebody and their career.
Lando: Two, you're hurting your team on top of that. Three, you missed, then you need to learn how to time your hits, or that's a third. You need to time your hit better.
Lando: And then fourth, it's like, why are you doing it? What's your motive? Like, what are you trying to gain out of that, right? Like, it just... I don't get it. I don't get, I don't get hockey players like Rakko Gudis. And I see it junior hockey. I see it. I've seen it in minor hockey. All these guys just trying to play hero instead just, just play. Just if the hit's not there,
Lando: Do something else. Get a stick on them. Do something. Don't throw your knee out. Like I, and I get that it's right reactionary. It happens so fast. It happens at a blink of an eye. Like when you snap your fingers, you have to make a split section and you react, your body reacts and you're trying contact. But why throw the knee? I've never understood that. And I, I know from your, from a,
Lando: you're very upset as a leaf fan, Leo. I, I, I 100% agree with you. I don't, I don't like Matt Austin Matthews as much. He's a great hockey player, but when I see a human being get hurt, like he did, it bothers me.
Leo Ernewein: Honestly, as a Leafs fan, this is the best thing that can happen to them right now.
Lando: It did. Yeah. Yeah. I think this is,
Leo Ernewein: takes up their top player. They've already sold at the market or at the deadline. And when it comes to keeping that first round pick that they traded to Boston for Brandon Carlo, which has a top five protection, they can hopefully get some good luck odds in the lottery and give that pick to Boston next year.
Leo Ernewein: And
Lando: Exactly.
Leo Ernewein: maybe draft a guy in the top five. Well, they would have to draft a guy the top five, but that's being extremely lucky.
Leo Ernewein: I don't even think they're like, let's check out the standings right now, see where they're at. And then we'll maybe jump onto the next one here.
Lando: I think they're second lost.
Leo Ernewein: Just want to see where the, no, that's, that's old. Why you showing me old standings?
Lando: I think they're second lost. I'm pretty sure.
Leo Ernewein: It defaults to 20-25. I'm like, yeah, they're not second in the division. They're in the wild.
Lando: That would have been, that's last year.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. So they're, what, 70 points?
Lando: Boy, you would have made, boy, you would have made Leafs fans happy.
Leo Ernewein: One ahead of Florida, two ahead of the Devils.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Only six ahead of 10th place Rangers for bottom in the Metro, though. Let's check the conference. Actually, no, let's check the league because that's where it matters most. 21st.
Leo Ernewein: So they would be sitting at 11th in the lottery odds right now, I believe, out of 32. If I can do math, I don't know. I'm not going to count too hard because I don't want to think too hard.
Lando: Mm-hmm.
Leo Ernewein: But, yeah, I don't know. I think it's the best thing that can happen to them right now – It changes the direction of the momentum of this team towards, okay, we're finally going to commit to being brutal.
Leo Ernewein: And I mean, it stinks being brutal when you don't have your first round pick, but you do have a top five protection. So hopefully they can get a little bit lucky on that. But let's move on here to what is kind of the talk of the NHL as well.
Leo Ernewein: The Boston, not the Boston, some better news out of Western New York. The Buffalo Sabres have been the absolute talk the league lately. They've gone on two massive heaters, but it's the move they made for grit. People noticing they brought in Logan Stanley from Winnipeg.
Leo Ernewein: Luke Shen as well, former Leafs guy Luke Shen, two-time Stint for the Maple Leafs. Love me some Luke Shen. Sam Carrick from the Rangers. City's buzzing as well out in Buffalo. The building's finally settling out with their own fans again. And Lando, what has clicked for this team lately that has finally been able for them to turn the corner, do you think?
Lando: you know it's really hard to pinpoint where they actually like where this all started where they started playing like where they just started, you know, magically just click.
Lando: And, you know, when you, when they really started clicking, I think as an organization is when they fired Kevin Adams and when they let him go as a general manager and they brought in, Yermo Kekalainen, I think you could just see the shift in the organization where,
Lando: where they are, where they, like, you could just feel the shift of the Buffalo Sabres. And I think, you know, don't know if Jerem Okekeleinen said anything to the players saying, you're my players, we're going to go forward with this.
Lando: And I think maybe it just gave the players a sense of calm that, okay, we're not losing any more players anymore. We're not going get traded. Nobody's no surprise trades are going happen. And they just decided, well, if we're not going to get any help from the rest of the league, as far as talent goes, we got to change things in itself. And I, it's really hard to pinpoint, but I also want to say good for them.
Lando: It's been 14 long years for that organization and the city and the fans that I think I think there's so much buzz and excitement on that team. And they are in first place in the Eastern Conference right now, which is unbelievable considering how bad of a season they had last year. And it's almost pretty much the same roster that they had from last year to this year. So Lindy Ruff has done a masterful job with these guys And, you know, the T.H. Thompson has been playing lights out.
Lando: Their goaltending has been awesome. And then they got some help from Winnipeg and from the New York Rangers. So I'm excited for this team. I'm excited to see where they're going. And I'm going to root for them. Like, I really am. I've never been a big Buffalo Sabres fan.
Lando: I've never really liked them, to be honest with you. But I'm rooting for this team because I think, you know, the organization needs to get into the playoffs and the fans need something to cheer about.
Lando: Because, I mean, I remember back when the Ryan Miller days and, you know, the Jason Palmavilles and all those guys that played about 14, 15 years ago, how good of a team they were.
Leo Ernewein: Maxime Afeniganov, I think that's what his name was.
Lando: A fan of Ganoff. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Lando: All those guys that were on the team that, yeah, there was so much excitement on that team. There was so much excitement back then that I think the same, the same thing's going to happen with this team that I think this team's real deal.
Lando: And I think, you know, they've, they've, it's just awesome to see. What do you think?
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, I love to see it too. Like, I always have kind of a soft spot for Buffalo. I never really liked them as a kid. And then as I got a bit older and I started kind of disliking the Maple Leafs and I would play NHL, I often looked for a team to rebuild.
Leo Ernewein: And I often thought to myself, okay, which team deserves a good hockey team? And I would go like Minnesota or Buffalo. Like, I would pick like a Northern State.
Leo Ernewein: that I felt like, okay, they don't have a lot of other famous, well, I wouldn't say famous sports franchises, but successful sports franchises.
Leo Ernewein: at least I used to.
Lando: yeah
Leo Ernewein: And the fact that when we were Canmore Ice Cats as a kid, before they switched to the Eagles, we had the Buffalo Sabres socks because their colors were, we were red, black, gray.
Lando: yes i remember those
Leo Ernewein: And so we wore their socks and I always, I thought it was kind of lame because I was like, the Sabres stink and yada, yada, yada. But as I got older, I was like, we honestly had probably in my opinion, like the coolest socks out of don't know, most of minor league hockey, in my opinion, just because don't know, I love the colors and Sure. If you affiliated with them with the Sabres, you might be like, that's why you guys lost. You stink. You play just like the Sabres, but no, I'm just kidding. If we played like the Sabres now, be second in the Eastern conference. They just got passed by Carolina recently. They're Carolina up to 90 points, Buffalo up to 88. But when you said they were second, I was like, holy man, they had quite a jump.
Leo Ernewein: I would instantly trade places with the Maple Leafs, the Sabres with the Maple Leafs right now. If, uh, if the Maple Leafs had an Austin Matthews healthy and instead of that first round pick situation, but you know, I have to be optimistic about the Leafs.
Leo Ernewein: So anyways, we're not talking about them. We're talking about the Sabres and yeah, it's about time see all those pieces click together, right? Like Tate Thompson and Owen Power and Darlene and stuff like that.
Leo Ernewein: So I'm quite excited to see that city buzzing again. Those fans, you know, they deserve it. They're selling out games again too. So it's nice to see.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: Oh.
Lando: Before we get into more of the NHL trade deadline, A little bit of breaking news that popped up on my phone, and I thought maybe mention this to everybody and you, Leo.
Lando: Leon Dreisaitl left the game with an injury.
Lando: Yeah. So, I don't, some sort of, according to Ryan Rashad from TSN, Leon Dreisaitl left the game tonight after taking a hit from Ozzy Weisblatt of the Nashville Predators. He came back for a shift at the end of the first pair, but isn't on the bench for the start of the second.
Leo Ernewein: Okay, well, if he came back, that's a pretty good sign that it's likely not going to be a long-term one.
Lando: Yeah. Well, hopefully it's not.
Leo Ernewein: I wouldn't worry.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: What's that?
Lando: Hopefully that's not a long-term thing. So. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, I wouldn't worry too much if he's coming back to play in the same game. I mean, you know, all guys are different.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Some guys will try to play on a broken leg the same game, right? But, you know, you know.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: I mean, a lot of guys in the NHL do that stuff. But we'll jump over to the trade deadline that was this past week. wasn't the busiest year, but it was some massive names that still moved, especially out Calgary. The Flames were definitely sellers. They were busy sending Nazem Khadri back to the Avalanche, Mackenzie Wieger to Utah.
Leo Ernewein: In return, they're loading up on picks and prospects. Guys like Victor Olofsson, Ali Mata. They also snagged Ryan Strom from Anaheim for, I think it was a seventh rounder. And he's, I think he scored on his, on his debut on the next day.
Leo Ernewein: was like a whirlwind 28 hours for him or 24 hours for him. Sorry for him to from the trade deadline on Friday to Saturday's game for him. So good for him to see, to get on the score sheet and try to try to find a role on the flames and really surprised to see Calgary pull the trigger on any those on those deals or as a route, like a retool to significant here.
Lando: Yeah, I was a little surprised that they managed to trade Mackenzie Wieger. I know that a lot of insiders didn't realize that he was even on the trade block.
Lando: But I guess he didn't have such a great year. And the Flames are... I think are looking towards the future. They've got a lot of good young defensemen that need spots and growth. And I think with the contract he was signed a couple of years ago, think he just needed a change of scenery. And I think the Flames did, I think for both them and for McKenzie Weaver, think they did
Lando: Did a good thing. know Mackenzie Weger was sad to go because I think he, you know, him and his wife really liked Calgary. They really made Calgary home.
Leo Ernewein: I love that guy.
Lando: What's that story?
Leo Ernewein: I love that as a person, just watching him interact with people.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Genuine dude. I love that guy.
Lando: Yes.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: I would love to see him in a coaching role or in any sort of operations or anything like that post-NHL career.
Lando: You know what? And yes.
Lando: Yes.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: That man deserves it. He's got a heart of gold and such a...
Leo Ernewein: He doesn't beat around the bush either. He's straight up too. But he's so genuine with it. It's rare to see that kind of somebody who doesn't fake it. I don't know. He's really good. I like him.
Leo Ernewein: I'm super bummed that
Lando: Yeah, Utah is going to get really good player. But, yeah, and like I said, I think, you know, Wiger really liked Calgary, and he made home. Him and his wife made it home there. But, yeah, I think just based on the amount of money that they were paying him and the year he was having and, you know, the up-and-coming defensemen that they were having, that they have on their team, that I think it's just –
Leo Ernewein: Got to make room for Zane, baby.
Lando: Yeah, exactly. And then, you know, I was surprised that Colorado managed to pull the trigger on Nazem Qadri. Yeah. But, you know, as an Avalanche fan, you know, I was just, I was pumped. I'm like, great, we're going to, we have our missing piece that we won the Stanley Cup with a couple of years ago.
Lando: And we got him back. I was so pumped. And, you know, know a few people have asked, told me and messaged me and said, can you imagine what would happen if actually Colorado was actually able to at the time be able to afford Nazem Kadri, and they had a healthy Gabriel Landis Kog, how many more cups within the last four years that they would have won?
Lando: And I said, I know. Whenever Landis Kog gets back and they get Leckanen back and they get Logan O'Connor to make his season debut and with Kadri on the team, my goodness, are they going to be scary.
Lando: But the unfortunate part...
Leo Ernewein: I'm sorry, go ahead.
Lando: Go ahead. I was just going to say that Colorado looks scary, but unfortunately, they got to figure out how to get past the first round, stay in first place, and hopefully they do not run into Dallas or Minnesota, at least until the second round.
Leo Ernewein: Well, I remember when Kodru left Toronto and ended up in Colorado. He was like a third line centerman.
Lando: Yep.
Leo Ernewein: And I credit that organization the people with not necessarily turning Kadri's career around, but elevating him, helping him reach his true potential, I should say.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: Because he was never going to do that in Toronto.
Lando: Nope.
Leo Ernewein: And it was such a good... feeling for him to, I've seen those videos of him bringing the Stanley cup, I think back to where, where is he from again in Ontario?
Lando: He's the Toronto area. I know that.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. I just can't remember,
Lando: Yeah, I can't remember. He's in the Toronto area. I know that.
Leo Ernewein: but I've seen him bring it back to his hometown, like do his hometown mosque. And I was like, that's really cool. like he's from London.
Lando: London. I think it's in London. London, Ontario. Yeah, the London area. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Cause he, I know he played there for sure.
Lando: Yeah, I think he's from the London area, if I remember correct. Because that whole mosque thing.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. Born London, Ontario.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: There you go.
Lando: Yeah. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. we brought, he brought, that's really cool. and, and just, Watching him spend those few years in Colorado and watching that documentary and seeing, wow, this is the cadre that left Toronto a few years ago. He looked like in Toronto, he looked like a party boy.
Leo Ernewein: And then in Colorado, he looked like a man.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: You know, like he looked... He looked like a professional, like a hockey player, like somebody who was dedicated to his craft. In Toronto, I don't know.
Leo Ernewein: I just didn't feel like I got that vibe from him. It felt like he cared more about what people thought. And then when he went to Colorado, it just kind of became about the business.
Lando: Yeah.
Lando: The only thing, the only thing was,
Leo Ernewein: Sorry, go ahead.
Lando: The only thing with Nazem Qadri, because they had him for his last three years of the contract that he had with Toronto. The only thing that hurt Nazem Qadri, because when he got traded to Colorado, that was during the start of the pandemic.
Lando: And so what, and I remember this because everybody was talking about this, because Kadri got suspended twice, got suspended twice in two years in the playoffs, and it hurt them massively that he got suspended for, I think, a couple games both years.
Leo Ernewein: Mm-hmm.
Lando: And When it came to his last year before they won the Stanley Cup, everybody's like, this guy's got to, you got to keep your head on this level. So it wasn't all roses to start with because I know he kind of was doing that usual hot dogging thing with Toronto that you just talked about, Leo. And just remember how mad I was at Qadri for hurting the team.
Lando: Because they probably, they had him on the team, if they had him and he wasn't being Nas and Qadri, I think they would have won two out of the three Stanley Cups because they lost their second line center behind McKinnon. They just, they could never recover from that. So the third year, they the Stanley Cup with him. Unfortunately, got hurt from oil, got hurt with the Oilers.
Lando: in the Oilers series. I think it was the... Oh, it was Darnold Nurse that hurt him. And so, yeah, it was a nasty hit. And so he got hurt.
Lando: They managed to sweep Edmonton. And he couldn't play... He couldn't play the first two games, I think. he couldn't play the first game, I think. I can't remember. But anyways, he did manage to play the Stanley Cup final. But remember Nas and Kadri...
Lando: Because of his injury, he couldn't tie his own skates. Somebody else had to tie them for him. That's how injured he was.
Leo Ernewein: That's how tough that man is, yeah.
Lando: exactly. Correct. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: And that kind of grit comes from playing under guys that run an organization like Joe Sackett, right, that have been there and done that.
Leo Ernewein: Not to say that when Codre was there that Brendan Shanahan hasn't done that or that he wasn't known for his grit because he was. But I guess it just, you know, it's a different animal in Toronto, man. You can't escape the media. Everywhere you go, the restaurants, you pick up your food.
Leo Ernewein: you can't escape your job. It's brutal. So I gotta be careful here. Cause I can't hate on Kadri cause he was young in Toronto. So being a party boy understandable.
Lando: Yeah, no, I get
Leo Ernewein: I probably would have been there too if I was in his shoes. or wish I would have been in his shoes kind of thing, you know, whatever.
Lando: it.
Leo Ernewein: But yeah, so like part of that is just growing up too. But I think he grew up at the right time in the perfect environment. Well, not necessarily at the right time, but he found the perfect environment for him.
Leo Ernewein: And it's good to see him back in that. A few other notable trades that I did want to mention from some other teams as well. Minnesota Wild acquired Nick Foligno from the Blackhawks.
Leo Ernewein: There was Corey Perry from the LA Kings. Or Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Perry from the LA Kings, I should say. There was... I do like Boston Bruins acquiring Lucas Reichel from the Vancouver Canucks.
Leo Ernewein: I think that was a steal for a sixth rounder. And then the big one, I think Islanders acquiring Braden Shen from the Blues for and third rounder as well as Jonathan Drouin and goalie Marcus Jidloff.
Leo Ernewein: Is that you say it? I'm not too sure on that.
Lando: Yeah, I think that's how said, yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, I think that was the other big one along with Kadri on deadline day that is worth mentioning for sure.
Lando: Yep.
Lando: Yep.
Leo Ernewein: But, yeah, any other thing you wanted to jump on there? Oh, I guess, no, we have a few more here, I guess.
Lando: I.
Leo Ernewein: Tyler Myers, Michael Bunting, both headed to the Dallas Stars. Edmonton made a splash, of course, Connor Murphy, Colton Dock. I think we already mentioned Connor Murphy in the last episode, but that's fine.
Leo Ernewein: We also saw a shocker with Washington longtime captain John Carlson to Anaheim.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: I forgot about that one. Thank you for putting that one in there. That was early on deadline day, I think, or something like that. Do you have any bigger winners or losers from this deadline?
Lando: Well, I was surprised that Montreal didn't do anything. I was surprised that...
Leo Ernewein: Sometimes staying bad is the best move. I will say that.
Lando: Yes, I agree. I agree with that 100%.
Leo Ernewein: Sometimes you don't make a move just because you're in a good position to push for the playoffs.
Lando: Yeah, correct. I 100% agree with
Lando: that.
Leo Ernewein: So I can't hate on that, but I am kind of surprised at the same time, too.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: I
Lando: Yeah, and I was surprised that Vancouver didn't dump more players than what they did. But I think I guess that just kind of shows you where – yeah, yeah.
Leo Ernewein: think their assets were limited. Yeah.
Lando: Well, that's the thing, right? Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Especially with Thatcher Demko constantly hurt.
Lando: I was talking you know, I'll be real quick on Vancouver. was talking to my best friend, Kyle, who everybody knows that we did an episode with. We were talking about that yesterday at Boston Pizza.
Lando: And we were just talking about that. He just says he doesn't think Vancouver can even pull anything off. They just can't get out of their own ways. And I said, you know what, Kyle? think you'll be shocked to see what the team is actually going to do this offseason. I think teams are going to see how they do in the playoffs.
Lando: I think they're going to watch how some of your players are doing for the remainder of the season. then I think they'll make a splash. I think it'll be easier to see where everybody's going to go and how everybody does in the offseason. But I did say, said, I think this is the beginning of Vancouver realizing that, just like Calgary, that you can't buy your way into the playoffs, that you have to do things the right way. And so I hope I hope Vancouver's lot learn a humongous lesson that you got it.
Lando: You got it. I hope, or let me say this again. hope Vancouver learns their lesson because this is exactly what Trevor Linden wanted to do about 15 years ago or whenever it was just after they won the Stanley cup or 10 years ago.
Leo Ernewein: go through a full beat.
Lando: Sorry.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, made this handicap, go through a full rebuild.
Lando: Yeah. Yeah. he wanted, yeah, he wanted to a full rebuild and,
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Lando: Yeah, Trevor Leonard wanted to a full rebuild, and wanted to do that 10 years ago, and they didn't want to, and so they're paying the price for it. So I hope they've learned a massive lesson. I think the biggest surprise for me was the fact that the Capitals departing away with John Carlson. I think it just shows that I think the Washington Capitals are doing a change of the guard. I don't think they're going to be...
Lando: And I think Ovechkin is not too far away from retiring as well. I think the Washington Capitals are going to be just fine in the future. I think they still have some good young players. I still think they have some big pieces on their roster. But I think this is just a little bit of a change of the guard for the Capitals. Because this year, think they were riding high with Ovechkin with the whole...
Lando: you know, breaking the Gretzky record that I think it just kind of fizzled out on them last year. So I think this is beginning of the guard, beginning of the change for the Washington Capitals when it comes to them.
Lando: I think, yeah, the change of the guard, yes.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, a change in the guard, if you will, right?
Lando: And I'm surprised that Edmonton didn't try to go after another goalie to go with Tristan Jari. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: A third goalie would just show how incompetent you guys are at trading, or they are at trading.
Lando: Yeah.
Lando: Oh, I know.
Leo Ernewein: I mean, it's not like most people don't know that already, but it only proves to the ownership.
Lando: It's just...
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: that they're not the right guy for the job.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: And, and,
Lando: Oh, if I was Connor McDavid, I would be pulling my hair. And I guess... I know we've got to get going here, but I'll be real, real quick. There was a rumor flying around, and I can't remember who told me this, but during one of the practices...
Lando: there was, they were, Jari was in, in the net obviously during practice and there was some chirping, not nice chirping going towards Tristan Jari that the shots that the players were taking on him in practice, he wasn't even stopping in practice.
Leo Ernewein: They should not be going in, yeah.
Lando: Yeah. These should not be going in. So what does that say about the faith that they have even interest in Jarry? So I don't know. I don't know what it is. What's in the water with the goaltending in Edmonton? Because they just cannot figure that. They can't figure out their goaltending. They've gone from.
Lando: They've had Cam Talbot who stunk. They've got. They went for Jack Campbell. He stunk. Stuart Skinner got right out of.
Leo Ernewein: It's their defense ahead of the goaltending, too. Yeah.
Lando: Yeah, it's bizarre. But at the same time, though, the defense in front of their goaltending is horrendous, too.
Lando: So, I mean, what do you mean?
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Lando: Right? So you're only as good as your defense in front of you. And if your defense can't do anything to help you, you're not going to shine either, right? But the onus has to be on the goaltenders, too. You have to stop the puck.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's your number one job. And what should have been our number one job is, you know, over on the international stage, it was another tough day for Hockey Canada.
Leo Ernewein: The sledge hockey team took silver after a 6-2 loss to the Americans at the Paralympics in Milena Cortina earlier today. This officially marks a complete first ever sweep for Team USA across the board. We women's hockey, men's hockey, and now in the Paralympics and sledge hockey.
Leo Ernewein: What is going on though, Landon? What is going on with the gap between these two programs right now, right?
Lando: Yeah, well, first of all, think what's happened with the American players is the fact that I think they were very bothered as an athlete to hear that fans in the professional sports booing the national anthem in Canada, the American national anthem I'm talking about.
Lando: And I think that just gave motivation for... these American athletes and players to that. And it made them ramp up against to play Canada.
Lando: And, and I don't want to turn politics into sports, but I think, I think what's happened is that bothered them. And I mean, honestly, imagine, imagine the, the tides of change, the tides were our, how,
Lando: that our government leader was doing what, you know, Donald Trump is doing. And we did that to the United States and how would, and we're a very prideful country.
Lando: How would we all feel if our national anthem got booed? I mean, I, I get why it was, mean, we all agree as Canadians that, you know, we had to, you know, make a statement and a stand, but I think that really bothered a lot of people who don't,
Lando: believe in that type of politics that I think that just gave, gave them motivation that yes, we Canada is the pinnacle that booing, uh, bothered us and we're going go out and beat Canada and we're going to turn the karma into their favorite. And I know we talked off recording Leo, they basically can't Canada as a country, Canada is a hockey, hockey Canada. And I know we're going to talk about,
Lando: baseball too that we just basically released the dragon as far as the united states beating us now i that's yeah yeah so i i i know there's lot of people listen to us but that's just my opinion guys that i karma karma came back on us and i think we we need to honor our no matter what
Leo Ernewein: Kermit's real.
Lando: No matter who the leader is, no matter what the stakes are, that we need to respect the country, no matter if we dislike what they do or don't do, or no matter what they do to us, that we still need to respect the national anthem. And got remember, too, that not every single person agrees with certain politics. That's all I'm going to leave at that.
Leo Ernewein: Yep, and now that's enough of the politics. You know, it's a tough go for Canada across the board, though, at the Olympics.
Lando: Very tough, Joel. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: We're going to turn over to another tough go for Canada, but this time it's on the diamond. The World Baseball Classic has been an absolute thriller this year with some massive upsets.
Leo Ernewein: I'm just going to start that again.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, it's been a tough go for Canada, for sure, to say the least, at least Hockey Canada across the board, right? That first ever sweep. So, you know, it's what can you say, right? You just kind of put your head down and move forward and try improve on the next Olympics coming up here in about four years, right?
Lando: Mm-hmm.
Leo Ernewein: We'll jump over to another tough go for Canada, though, this time over on the diamond. The World Baseball Classic has been an absolute thriller this year with some massive upsets. Italy comes out of nowhere to beat Mexico. They land in the semifinals. Japan, the powerhouse, got bounced by Venezuela. They're off to the semis. They'll be playing Italy tomorrow night.
Leo Ernewein: And on the semifinal stage, I think happening right now, it might have already wrapped up. going to pull it up. Dominican Republic playing United States.
Leo Ernewein: And they're in the middle of the ninth. USA up right now.
Lando: Oh man.
Leo Ernewein: In the middle of the ninth. I'm not sure. Well, obviously, Dominican's going to be batting if USA is up in the middle of the ninth. Otherwise, the game would be over.
Lando: Hmm.
Leo Ernewein: That's the other semifinal. It's, you know, it's, I love the world baseball classic. I'm absolutely all for it in Canada. They had a kind of a tough loss, huge shout out to them making the quarterfinals for the first time ever, but a tough loss to the United States.
Leo Ernewein: I think it was five to three, five to two, five to three, five to three.
Lando: Yep, that is correct.
Leo Ernewein: Thank you. And yeah, it was, it was incredible hard fought game, of course. Right. Landon, was that the best, the best game you've seen Canada play?
Lando: It was. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: at the World Baseball Classic.
Lando: Yep. Yep. You know what? I didn't watch every game, but I did catch quite a bit of their run. And, you know, it was awesome to see where our baseball actually has come as far as development and where our country blood has gone into MLB.
Lando: that our talent is starting to show, and I think the world will be like, you know what? Canada's on the map. And I know a lot of the American commentators after said that they've all agreed that they gave Americans all they could handle in the game.
Lando: That they said, Canada is definitely on the map as far as baseball. And they said that Canada in three years from now is going to be probably taking another huge step. And I think the world needs to take note that Canada is a baseball nation too, just like they are with hockey and curling. So I was very proud of these boys.
Lando: It sucks that they lost to the United States again. mean, that's now... four losses to American. That's four losses.
Leo Ernewein: carve up right we shouldn't have been building the anthem yeah
Lando: Yeah. Four losses. Yeah. Yeah. Four losses to the Americans, uh, in, in one year. I don't know how much more Canadians can take out heartbreak by losing to the Americans.
Lando: But, uh, I mean, good, good, good for, uh, good for Canada. Like I said, and, you know, as far as Japan goes, yeah, yeah,
Leo Ernewein: to make it for their first ever quarterfinals is good yeah
Leo Ernewein: That was the goal. That was the goal, I think. But I did want to bring up the, you know, just the talent disparity against that United States team because they're literally like a Diamond Dynasty team, if you know what that is.
Lando: Yeah. Yep. Yep.
Leo Ernewein: It's like collecting cart. It's like those ultimate team games on sports or whatever, sports games, where you just go and buy packs so you're going to have like the best players or whatever.
Leo Ernewein: course, they have the best players. Canada team value approximation. This is according to MLB salaries. So the Canadian players, their salaries roughly averaged 75, just over $75 million in MLB contract value for the 2026 season.
Leo Ernewein: USA approximate value 383.3 shouldn't because didn't Canada, but...
Lando: yeah.
Leo Ernewein: 383 mil in 2026 MLB value contracts for team USA. So that's roughly what five times higher than Canada. Uh, yeah, that's insane.
Leo Ernewein: Right. Uh, so I don't think we were expecting to beat them, but the fact that we played tough of a game as, as Canada did, I shouldn't say we, because I'm not part of the team, but it's still awesome to see.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. All right, well, let's jump over to the NFL here. We'll wrap things up with the NFL segment and bring it home with the National Football League. The league year is officially open, and the legal tampering period is a wrap. And, Landon, we aren't just talking about extensions anymore. We've got some of the biggest names in the trenches that have packed their bag for entirely new cities.
Leo Ernewein: Or packed their bags. Well... Let's hit the top of the market first here because the landscape of the AFC just got turned upside down. Tyler Lindenbaum is now a Las Vegas Raider. He reset the center market with a massive three-year $81 million deal to anchor that rebuild. They're probably going be drafting Fernando Mendoza first overall. So why not get the best center?
Leo Ernewein: to protect them on the market. It makes sense, at least to me. Trey Hendrickson staying in the division but switching jerseys. He's now a Baltimore Raven, four years, $112 million deal.
Leo Ernewein: The interesting thing about that one, Landon, is that you mentioned Max Crosby to the Ravens, right? That was the official wording maybe four or five days ago.
Lando: Thank you.
Leo Ernewein: maybe even sooner than that. And then as of, think it was Tuesday or Wednesday, Crosby failed his physical, at least according to the Ravens. So they reneged on the deal and went and signed Trey Henderson, who plays the same position.
Leo Ernewein: lot of people are saying that the Ravens made kind of a fishy move, though, because Max Crosby had that knee surgery over the season, over the offseason.
Leo Ernewein: And they met and talked with him and his doctors before they made that trade. And then all of sudden they're like, he signed his, he failed his physical. You knew he was going to fail his physical.
Leo Ernewein: He just had knee surgery. Whatever. I'm just being picky. That's what I'm hearing from other people is being like, oh no, they felt like they overpaid for Max Crosby. And all of a sudden they, they saw somebody that could kind of provide the same or similar value in the open market and still keep those first round picks because first round picks are getting way more massive.
Leo Ernewein: And I believe it was two first rounders that they sent for him in the first place.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: So yeah, that deal got nixed. A few others, Jalen Phillips moving from Carolina over from Miami to Carolina for four years, $120 million deals, the largest ever free agent contract for an edge rusher. That's what four years, 120 mil. Can we do the math on that four years? Is that 30 mil a year?
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. Yeah, that's 30 mil year. I can do the math on that. That took me too long, though. Alec Pierce staying in Indianapolis, resigning with the Colts. Four years, 114 mil. That's, of course, the largest wide receiver ever contract per average year. A lot of big numbers getting handed out. And the Colts also traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers in a pick swap deal.
Leo Ernewein: And the Steelers extended Michael Pittman Jr. So Alec Pierce will be the number one receiver probably in Indy. And Michael Pierce will be out with DK Metcalf over in Pittsburgh. So that'll be an interesting tandem.
Leo Ernewein: But Landon, I first, I wanted to get you in on this here because there's enough of me ranting. Lindenbaum leaving Baltimore for Vegas, probably a massive shift for that O-line. Who do you think won the opening round, though, of musical chairs in the NFL trenches?
Lando: I think Trey Hendrickson. think Baltimore lacked this year with pass rushing.
Lando: I think that was something that really hurt them this year. They couldn't really get after the quarterback last year. So I think Trey Hendrickson is probably, as far as – as far free agency goes, I think that's a huge pickup and a huge blow to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lando: Massive blow. So
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, I think, but you know, I think it's also a bonus for the Bengals because Joe Burrow doesn't have to face Max Crosby twice a year and Miles Garrett.
Lando: that's true.
Leo Ernewein: He still has to face Miles Garrett, right?
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: But at least he doesn't have to face Max Crosby and what was TJ Watt on the Steelers, right?
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Like it would have been the worst division ever to be a quarterback in.
Lando: Yeah.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: especially if you don't have an Ed Drescher of your own. So it's kind of a catch 22 for, for the Cincinnati Bengals for me.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Go ahead.
Lando: The other, the other guy that I was just going to say real quick is I think Jalen Phillips, I guess that just shows you where that Carolina is, where the, where the Panthers are now, as far as that, I think the shift has gone from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the,
Lando: division powerhouse, as you want to call it that, now it's, you know, Carolina's turn.
Leo Ernewein: Nope, always going to be New Orleans.
Lando: Well, they're 10 years out, man. No, I'm kidding.
Leo Ernewein: They made some pretty good signings too.
Lando: They're not.
Leo Ernewein: We'll get to that in a bit.
Lando: They did.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, you're right though.
Lando: I'm teasing.
Leo Ernewein: They're a little bit of ways, but I love Kellen Moore, what he's doing.
Lando: Yeah. I'm not saying it's going to be 10 years.
Leo Ernewein: I know,
Lando: It'll be a lot less than that. But I'm just, I'm giving you there, bud. Because you're a serious fan.
Leo Ernewein: I know. I know. But I like those shouts. I think Jalen Phillips is a good, you know, obviously shows the direction that Caroline is heading in and that's trending upwards. So I think you're definitely, you hit the nail on that.
Leo Ernewein: And then with Trey Hendrickson, I think you pointed out a side that I didn't really see. And that's that Baltimore, you know, definitely struggled in the pass rush. They needed somebody to rush the the QB in that division when, you know, their quarterbacks are getting sacked by guys like Miles Garrett and, and TJ Watt, of course.
Leo Ernewein: So, Yeah, that's an interesting point that you mentioned. It is also a lot of power moving around as well. The running back market actually saw some big name movement. Of course, Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III left Seattle. He heads to Kansas City to join the Chiefs.
Leo Ernewein: What are your thoughts on that, Landon?
Lando: That is a very interesting signing. Like, I'm surprised because I thought that Kenneth, I guess, I thought Kenneth Walker would have stayed in Seattle just based you know, the year that they had.
Lando: But I guess in some ways, too, that's what happens when you are a championship team that players want certain amount of money when they're turning into a free agent and teams can't afford them.
Lando: This is just one of those things that, yeah, they can't afford or sign them. And they have Charbonneau as a running back too who was hurt. So I think they still have their, you know, they still believe Charbonneau is their running back for, their starting running back. That's what I'm trying to say. But I am surprised that the Chiefs actually were able to afford Kenneth Walker.
Lando: And now I think that I personally believe that I know we're going to talk about Travis Kelsey at some point here too.
Lando: But I think that now this division has just definitely gotten way more tougher now that the Chiefs are now starting to make some noise that
Leo Ernewein: sure.
Lando: Right? That, you know, if I'm the Broncos and the Chargers, I'd be like, okay, now game on between these three teams, right?
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, and with the Raiders ramping up in that division too, starting their rebuild, you know, they could – the NFL is that kind of league where you become the New England Patriots of this year, right?
Lando: Yep. Yep.
Leo Ernewein: You go three and – what was it, three and 14 or something like that, and then you make the Super Bowl.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: The parity in that league is so tight that it's so tough to – distinguish yourself from the elite that's why those dynasties like the Cowboys and the Patriots and I'm trying to think of other dynasties.
Lando: The Cowboys.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, I mentioned them, the Cowboys, Patriots. Why can't I think of other?
Lando: Buffalo Bills in the 90s.
Leo Ernewein: I guess you could say
Leo Ernewein: No, they missed. They didn't win. They didn't win Jack. They didn't win Jack. That's not a dynasty. Jim Kelly is meh. They just missed wide right, wide right, wide. Or was it left? I don't know.
Leo Ernewein: Who cares? You could say Green Bay Packers is another dynasty.
Lando: of the two.
Leo Ernewein: We'll just stick them in there for the third one.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Embarrassing, Leo, that you can even name the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's a more recent one, I guess I should have said.
Leo Ernewein: But anyways... A few other running backs I wanted to mention. Your J.K. Dobbins stays with the Denver Broncos on a two-year extension worth up to 20 mil. So that's 10 mil a year.
Leo Ernewein: Do you like that signing?
Lando: Yes, I do. Yeah. They missed them lot.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Lando: They missed them in the playoffs.
Leo Ernewein: Well, he gets hurt.
Lando: They really did.
Leo Ernewein: That guy had, like, knee surgery, knee surgery, torn ACL.
Leo Ernewein: Like, he just keeps getting
Lando: Hurt. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: bit with the injury bug.
Lando: Yeah.
Lando: yeah yeah
Leo Ernewein: And then the Saints signed Travis Etienne.
Leo Ernewein: And yes, that's how you say his name. It's not Etienne. He came out on media day And said, actually, my name is pronounced Travis Etienne. It's always been Etienne growing up.
Leo Ernewein: But nobody said, nobody could say that in college. So I just went with, or it was either college or high school. So I just said, it's Etienne. He's from the Louisiana area, I believe. So it's kind of a French last name.
Leo Ernewein: But him and his brother, I guess, are now, now there's three HNs in the league. We got Devon HN and we got Travis and Trevor HN. Just spelt completely different, but almost pronounced the same way.
Leo Ernewein: Isn't that kind of cool or weird? Bet you didn't know that.
Lando: I did not know that.
Leo Ernewein: I, yeah, I just wanted to bring that in there anyways. well, I wanted to talk about the quarterbacks here. Kyle Murray going to Minnesota. That probably puts JJ McCarthy in the quarterback to position, but the, the likely battle it out in camp and see who works it out there. I like Kevin McConnell as a quarterback, uh, as a head coach specifically for the quarterback position.
Leo Ernewein: He can work with talent, and Kyler Murray is really talented. His height is always limited in a man. He's the most all-time winningest quarterback in USA history.
Leo Ernewein: The most wins. He was undefeated in high school. He was Something like that. It was crazy.
Leo Ernewein: And, of course, he could play baseball. think he got drafted like seventh overall by the A's. Guy's incredibly talented. But he's like 5'10 or 5'9. In fact, there was jokes. I don't want to – I'm going to say it anyways because it's funny.
Leo Ernewein: But you know who Peter Dinklage is, the guy from Game of Thrones?
Lando: No.
Leo Ernewein: Okay. He's a little person and he's a huge Minnesota Vikings fan.
Lando: OK.
Leo Ernewein: And yeah, yeah.
Lando: Oh, yeah, yeah. I know am. Yes, now I know who I am.
Lando: Yeah, yeah, OK. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: So fans took a Photoshopped him with a picture of Kyler Murray saying, you know, Peter Dinklage is welcoming him and shows Peter Dinklage like four or five inches taller than Kyler Murray. And I was like, that's just mean.
Leo Ernewein: But it was so funny.
Lando: That is very
Leo Ernewein: It was rough. Anyways, enough of Kyler Murray. Well, no, I want to ask you about Kyler Murray. What do you think about that?
Lando: You know what? Minnesota really needed to do something with their quarterback position. I think having Kyra Murray signing him to one year, 32 or 33 million, it's in the million range for they really, they really need their quarterback. And I, I think JJ McCarthy is, you know, I think he is their quarterback of the future, but he's not their quarterback of now. I, I, I think, I think the team that they, think the team that they have right they have a good football team and they lacked it in quarterback. And I, and I think that,
Lando: that frustrated the fans. Cause I think, I think the Minnesota Vikings organization really listened the fans this time. I, I, I think the, the ownership listened, the management listened that we need to go out and get a quarterback.
Lando: And I think Kyler Murray is definitely that person. I, and I think Kyler Murray just needs a complete fret, refresh, get out of that circus in Arizona and go to go, go play for somebody who is going to believe, believe in you.
Lando: And they, They certainly believe in Kyler Murray. So I'm really happy to see Kyler Murray re-signing with somebody and getting his career back on track because he definitely is not going to do that in Arizona.
Leo Ernewein: Okay.
Lando: And he's got an amazing wide receiver to throw to too. Justin Jefferson phenomenal.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, let's not forget about Justin Jefferson. Jeddah's out there and
Lando: Yeah, he is phenomenal.
Leo Ernewein: Minnesota, he's incredibly good, talented, yeah. And speaking of talented, somebody who showed it in a few flashes of talent in last year's couple games, Malik Willis, former Packers quarterback, now in Miami, and Geno Smith has returned to the New York Jets. What you think about those moves?
Lando: so, Gino Smith, I don't know what, I don't know what to say about him. Like, oh, I mean, he was, yeah, like it's, I, he was brutal, was brutal with the Seahawks.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah. It's got to be a stop. It's a stopgap move for sure. It has
Lando: He was, he was absolutely brutal with the Raiders. I mean, I guess if you want to continue being brutal, you could play on a brutal organization like New York Jets, right?
Leo Ernewein: to be. Where better to do it than in the green and white of New York, right?
Lando: So,
Lando: No kidding, eh? But, well, New York needs a quarterback. And, well, know they're going to be drafting probably a QB too. But they need somebody for the now and.
Leo Ernewein: They were going to draft former Oregon quarterback. I think his name's Dante Moore. But he decided to go back to college and said – and he was going to pick number two, which would have meant like –
Lando: Yeah.
Lando: All good for him.
Leo Ernewein: you know, a cool 16 or 18 mil a year or something like that for it to be a quarterback number two, like quarterback salaries are adjusted. He would have got paid a pretty bag to be picked in the top two slots.
Leo Ernewein: And he decided, I don't know if it was 18 mil. It might've been like 11 or 12, but he's probably making pretty close to that in college and he's going to win in college.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Whereas the New York is probably not going to win right away. So let's just delay that a little bit here.
Leo Ernewein: And guys have made that mistake. There's a guy named Drew Aller. He played for Penn State. He got drafted this year. But last year, Penn State had an incredible year, and Drew Aller is probably predicted to be a first-round quarterback, and he decided to go back.
Leo Ernewein: He had a terrible year this year for Penn State, and I don't even know if he got drafted. He might have been undrafted. In fact, I'm going to pull that up just to find out. Because I want to know where Drew Aller went.
Leo Ernewein: But it's a risky thing, so it could happen to –
Leo Ernewein: So where is, oh, he's coming up in the draft. Of course, the draft hasn't happened, Leo Derp.
Lando: Nah, just going to say.
Leo Ernewein: I don't know why I was thinking, I was like, where did he get drafted? I don't know where he got drafted. It's because the draft is, I'm so used to the NFL having free agency after the draft that you draft because you, I like the draft after or the first because those picks you can't,
Lando: Yes. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: choose. So with free agency, you go and try to plug holes after but they decided, no, you go, you wouldn't have signed so and so if you were able to draft so and so. So I don't know, it's a tough, it's tough way to say either way, but it doesn't really matter.
Leo Ernewein: I did want to ask you little GM game here. For best predictions, are you something? Is that something you're all right with?
Lando: Sure, let's do it.
Leo Ernewein: All right, because there's still a few free agents that are still available that are notable names. And the first one will be Joey Bosa. Had a strong 2025 in Buffalo. And there's rumors that there might be a brothers reunion.
Leo Ernewein: well not really because he's never been to San Fran shouldn't say been but he's never played for San Fran to reunite with his brother down in San Fran do you think that would be where he lands or does he surprise us somewhere else
Lando: well, I, I like, I like, I like surprises. So I think he might, might land somewhere else, but you know what? If, if the two brothers are as tight as they are and they'll, and, and if Joey wants to make it work and the 49ers can fit them into the roster, I think that'd be pretty cool to go play with your brother.
Lando: I mean, you know, if you're a, you're a sibling, I mean,
Leo Ernewein: too.
Lando: you know, I know for a fact that, you know, I know we talked about this, you know, past episodes when my brother Colton, when him and I played hockey, I thought, you know, Colton will agree with me.
Lando: And I will agree with him that I think playing with your siblings is the coolest thing you can ever do in a sport. So if You can make it work. I think that would be a neat story. But I don't know if the 49ers have room in the cap to even do that. So we'll see, though, right?
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, we'll see. I mean, think they'll somehow make work. I don't think Nick is going to be, or not Nick, Joey's going to be as expensive as a price that he maybe used to command. The second one here, though, is Stefan Diggs. He's 32, coming off a 1,000-yard comeback season with the Patriots, but they released him before free agency. He's been linked to the Ravens and the Titans.
Leo Ernewein: Is that where he best fits, or do you have somewhere else for him?
Lando: Well, I want to say thank you to Stephon Diggs, first of all, for being such a good pro and helping, you know, young Drake May become the quarterback he is and just helping the Patriots. I mean, without Stephon Diggs, making some catches over in the regular season and the playoffs, they wouldn't have been in the Super Bowl. But I think...
Leo Ernewein: That's true, but Saquon Diggs and consummate professional are two words that I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence.
Lando: Yeah, well... I mean, I know that there's some behind the scenes things that are happening with him that I think Robert Kraft just couldn't handle.
Lando: I think there's more to this story than meets the eye, basically.
Leo Ernewein: He said, hey, if we couldn't handle Antonio Brown, you're not even lasting a chance here.
Lando: But
Lando: Yeah, no kidding. But I just, I think the direction of where the Patriots are going still, where Stephon Diggs wanted to go, that I think, yeah, I think that just, I think New England needed, New England is trying to, you know, find the right fit for everybody.
Lando: And I just don't think Stephon Diggs was there, right?
Leo Ernewein: Yeah, they're moving on.
Lando: So, but I think the best place for him to land
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Lando: I think the team that really needs somebody like him is the Tennessee Titans.
Leo Ernewein: I'd like him in Baltimore. I'd love to see him with Mark.
Lando: You know, it's not about Baltimore, but I think Baltimore has the receivers. But I think Tennessee could use somebody like him.
Leo Ernewein: Who do they got? Who do they got?
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: Ravens wide receivers. Oh, they got Zay Flower, Rashad Bateman, right? Right.
Lando: Yeah. Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: I'd still take him over Rashad Bateman. I like Flowers lot, though. But I would sign Stephon Diggs and Slottom ahead Rashad Bateman for sure.
Leo Ernewein: Or I'd be looking at other receiver positions for the Ravens. Another one, though... before we wrap up with the final one. Well, I guess this is the final one. no, it's, isn't the final one. I don't know I'm talking about, but I do know what I'm talking about though, is that Travis Kelsey not going anywhere. I bet my house on him pretty much that he was going retire few episodes back and he officially resigned with the Kansas city chiefs for a 14th season, one year, $12 million. I think it goes up to $15 million or 15, sorry, with player incentives.
Leo Ernewein: Is this the right move for him, or should he have hung up the cleats there, Landon?
Lando: Well, I think Patrick Mahomes must have said something to him to come back. Hey, we've got – you know, maybe the organization told him too, know, and maybe he just held back and just like, okay, let's see what the Chiefs do.
Lando: And, you know, I thought he was going to retire too. I thought just based on what happened with him last year, just how the Chiefs were going, they weren't throwing the ball to him very often. Very often he was starting to get slow.
Lando: And maybe he was hurt. Who knows? But I was shocked to see him resign. I thought the Chiefs would just say, you know, we got to go a different direction. We don't have enough money for you.
Lando: We, you know, the time, we thank you for very, we really thank you, thank you, thank you for your service. But I'm shocked that they brought him back, actually. And I'm surprised that he even wanted to continue to play that. I thought that last year would have been it. but what, I mean, know, based on some of the science that the Kansas city chiefs did and so far in this free agency that I, like I said, uh, you know, a couple minutes ago that, you know, now the chiefs are back on the map as far as I, as far as challenging for the division with the Broncos. So I I'm excited for this division. I think this will be very, very exciting. This is what, this is what I was hoping for in, in for this division of in a long, long time is that Everybody is going to be beating the crap out of each other in the division and jockeying for position.
Lando: It makes for some very exciting football. What are your take on Travis Kelsey resigning with the Chiefs?
Leo Ernewein: Man, he should have hung him up. I don't think he's going to play a very big role this year. them to spend that kind of cap
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: on him, I think it was money that was better spent somewhere else.
Lando: Yep, I agree.
Leo Ernewein: And so I'm not sure if that's necessarily... the right move in the long run because obviously they're trying to extend their window. So I get it, but I would be going after, you know, I would went after a guy like Isaiah likely before he signed or something like that. Somebody else out in the market, but I get it there sometimes.
Leo Ernewein: I don't know. That's a tough, that's tough because the,
Leo Ernewein: what's it called?
Leo Ernewein: I lost my document. One second. Sorry, Landon, I closed it.
Lando: all good
Lando: what was the document that you were trying to get to but i guess we should we shouldn't be having these this silent thing uh the silent thing on uh when we're recording but what were you trying to record or trying to uh okay
Leo Ernewein: No, it's fine. I just edit it and cut it out. I closed the part where we were talking I was going to ask you, with Travis Kelsey back and Kenneth Walker now in the backfield, did Kansas City win the offseason so far, I guess? Is it a team like the Raiders with all that spending? They got guys like N'Kobe Dean from Philly, the linebacker, and Quay Walker, the linebacker from...
Leo Ernewein: Where was it?
Lando: Mm-hmm.
Leo Ernewein: Green Bay Packers. They got Minnesota Vikings third wide receiver Jalen Naylor, who's behind, you know, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. So he's a pretty talented guy. He was, he wasn't going really pass those two, at least with the amount of playing time that he was getting. So he could be a top player to, I would be looking at fantasy football next year. like Jalen Naylor a lot.
Leo Ernewein: Who do you have winning free agency though this week?
Lando: based on who we've talked about, and we didn't even talk about Tua Tagliaovia yet either, with the, uh, a lot girlfriends.
Leo Ernewein: With the Falcons, yeah. The reason – so they cut to a – and incurred like a $66 million cap hit this year and $39 next year or $33 next year for a total of $99 million.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: It's the largest dead space money ever. And then he signed with the Atlanta Falcons for a league minimum of one year, $7 million. Think of that, though. One year, seven mil is the league minimum for the quarterback position.
Leo Ernewein: Seven million dollars is the league minimum.
Leo Ernewein: What's the league minimum in hockey? What's the veteran league minimum? Like nine hundred twenty five thousand. I don't think it's over a mil.
Lando: Yes, yes, it's just under $1 million.
Leo Ernewein: I think it's nine hundred twenty five or nine hundred K, something like that.
Lando: Yeah.
Leo Ernewein: League minimum for a quarterback position in the NFL. $7 million a year to hold a clipboard. me, you, we're all in the wrong jobs. We should all be diehard trying to throw all sorts of footballs, particularly right-handed, because nobody wants to catch from a left-handed quarterback to a, that's why you didn't succeed in the NFL.
Leo Ernewein: It's because you throw with the left hand, not because you got hit a thousand times in the head.
Lando: Yes.
Leo Ernewein: Yeah.
Lando: That was pretty darn good, man. Yeah.
Lando: Yeah. But to answer your question, I think the winner so far in this offseason free agency, I'm not even going to say it's really the Kansas City Chiefs. I think the Baltimore Ravens so far have really impressed me with the direction that they want to go.
Lando: But I also want to say that I think the biggest one, think the winner in all of this too is that I think with Kyler Murray as quarterback, I think now this has definitely made that division in the north there with Minnesota, Chicago, Green Bay, and Detroit.
Lando: that much better with Kyler Murray on the team. I think this is the hidden gem that the Minnesota Vikings needed after that stupid decision that they made with losing Sam Darnold.
Leo Ernewein: No, that's totally fair.
Lando: So.
Leo Ernewein: I think, yeah, I think you're right, man. But I think that's going to wrap it up for us today here. If you're rocking with the show, do us one favor, drop us a rating, leave us a review, hit the follow button. It takes a couple seconds and it really helps us grow more than you think. So don't be weird about it if you can.
Leo Ernewein: If you listen every week, just, you know, hit the start buttons or the stars, I should say, all five of them or four or three or two or one if you really don't like me.
Leo Ernewein: but it's better than ignoring us. Anyways, I'm just kidding. I'm going stop begging.
Leo Ernewein: Landon, take it away with a shout out there, brother.
Lando: All right, my man. So I'll be quick. I know that there's two people that listen to us regularly and their names are Lee and Becky O'Donnell. So how I know these two is that Becky O'Donnell She's a customer in my store. I've gotten to know her over the years. Her daughter was in the Banff Community High School. My dad taught her daughter and her son as well.
Lando: I want to shout out to these two because I know they listen to us all the time. thank you for your, I thank Becky for her friendship she's one of my good friends. And I appreciate both her and Lee for listening to us constantly whenever we have a new episode out. So a big shout out to them.
Leo Ernewein: Thank you, Becky and Lee. Shout out to you guys and shout out to all the other listeners as well. Thanks again for tuning in. We really appreciate That's it for the Leo and Lando show.
Lando: for listening, everybody.
Leo Ernewein: And as always, noise.
Lando: Nice.
