Wow.

But I played with a guy in the minors.

His name was David Cole Mattis.

Great dude.

But we were, um, it was, like, at the beginning of the year or whatever, and, uh, and I, there w- I can't remember exactly what we were talking about, but someone was like, um, "Oh, that's seven." And he just hits me with a, "Try eight."

You're like, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Correct.

And I'm like, uh, yeah.

I want to be traded." So, I mean, is that something that you like the way this, this power has shifted to the player in the NHL?

Yeah, I mean, I, I think that it's just, um, a sign of the times changing.

I think, I think that the game is changing.

I think, you know, it's-- I, I've said this a couple different times, it seems to be becoming a little bit more like the NBA, where, where players have a little bit more of a say of where they are.

Um, you know, I think that, you know, some of that is, is really good.

I think you just see the, the, um, I guess, coming out of personalities and things like that, and that's something that you want to do to grow the game.

And I think that those two things perhaps go hand in hand.

But just your initial reaction as being a D-man playing against Byram and the, the Blackhawks, not only making the commitment, uh, with draft picks and Louis Crevier, but then trumping it by giving him the six times 12 and a half.

Uh, where do you give the, the confidence edge to, um, e- especially having that experience factor with a lot of these Golden Knights having hoisted the Cup a few years ago?

Uh, well, I mean, I think that it's, uh, the experience side is, is definitely something that's really important.

Um, you know, the, you do...

I mean, the only way to get experience, though, is, is to be in this situation, but I think, you know, you lean on that, and it's just, it's something little in terms of, you know, you, you've just gone through it before.

Like, you know some of the, I'll call 'em quote, unquote, "distractions," or y- you, you know some of the things that you're gonna have to deal with.

You know what media day is like.

You know, you know the questions you're gonna get.

Yeah.

What do you take of this villain role that the, the Knights seem to, uh, just relish?

Well, I think when it, when it, you know, comes to Mitch, I think it's, it's real easy for them to say that.

Um, and I think that that is, um, somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction and an emotional reaction to a guy that, that left your club and then now is, you know, probably sitting as the favorite as the Conn Smythe winner, at least on that side.

Um, so I don't really think that that feeling is, is warranted.

He played very well for the Toronto Maple Leafs as well.

Um, but in terms of the villain thing, you know, I don't think that that's anything that really anyone thinks about, um, in Vegas.

And, and you know, I, I, I think that that's a kind of a story for a lot of people outside the organization to talk about, and it's, it's, you know, admittedly, it is a, a fun story.

So what have you noticed from a structural standpoint or a performance standpoint that Vegas is doing under John Tortorella that they weren't doing under Bruce Cassidy that makes them appear, quote-unquote, "faster"?

Oh, that's cool.

It's, it, the, the weird thing about being a Penguins fan right now is it's kinda like, it's like, you know when you, like, go to the Sphere, and you're like, "Hey, we're gonna watch the Eagles do, like, all their greatest hits"?

Absolutely.

'Cause they're not seriously, I don't think, gonna be a contender with this core.

They will have a good team, but I think they're just trying to sell tickets, and God bless them, 'cause it's [laughs] once those guys are gone, it's gonna be, it's gonna be the dark ages-

Mm-hmm.

Because then that creates, you know, uh, when you look at goals and the way that they happen, oftentimes it's someone, you know, making a mistake, losing a coverage, so then other guys have to come in and compensate.And then all of a sudden you have, you know, one mistake compounding into another, into another, and then it's in the back of your net, right? And so I, I ...

He had always taught us that, you know, if we were positionally sound, if we were under control, we weren't running around, then, then we were providing a service to the other four guys, sometimes five being the goalie.

Um, knowing that, you know, it, it, it's almost like a subconscious thing.

It's like, "Hey, Marty's got his guy over there.

I can just worry about my assignment," and things like that.

So I think that Stoney on the ice provides a little bit of that, but then also, like, his presence in the room, you know? Like, it, it ...

I think Tortorella deserves credit for coming in with that type of mentality, and I'm curious what you've seen, and if you think I'm overstating that, or if you think that's a big, not a hu- like, I'm not saying it's the only reason by any means, 'cause it's, but do you feel like that's part of the sauce right now is why this team is, is playing at the level that they're playing at?

Mm-hmm.

But then he breaks up plays defensively.

Like, he's just, he's always in the right spot, and that's the, and that's the hockey smarts thing.

So when you're doing that, you don't have to be fast.

You don't have to be flying all over the ice.

In fact, you're probably doing your, your team a disservice if y- if you are doing that rather than being calm and collected.

Like, I, I had, um, a really good developmental coach in Mike O'Connell, so shout out OC.

But do you feel like that's part of the sauce right now is why this team is, is playing at the level that they're playing at?

[laughs]

Uh, no, but, uh...

And I got dangled b- by him, and we lost the game.

And I was like, as, as someone that cares and, um, you know, as an athlete, like I didn't wanna-- I felt like I let my team down.

Like it was horrible.

And, you know, I was clearly showing that, you know, the, the disappoint- disappointment in myself.

And Darryl Sutter pulled me aside before we got on the bus and, and he said something along the lines of, he's like, "Hey, you were our best player tonight.

What, what does each team bring that the other team maybe hasn't seen in the teams they've played so far, uh-In the playoffs is, uh, like as far as what's Vegas gonna see that they haven't seen so far, and what's, what do you think Colorado is gonna bring that Vegas, uh, or and vice versa?

Yeah.

You gotta win 3-2, you gotta win 2-1, things like that.

Um, I don't think Colorado, um, has seen, has seen a team that can play both sides of that.

Um, but then on the other t- side of the token is that Vegas hasn't seen a team as good as Colorado right now [laughs] either.

Mm-hmm.

In, like, February that, of '12 when we won.

And it's like that defensive posture and that, those teachings and all that had Terry's hands all over it, you know? That, that was, like, um, you know, he was all about, like, the five on a dive and coming back to home plate and this and that.

And, like, that was one of the biggest things that allowed us to win that year.

He's, he's been able to finish plays or create plays, uh, that, uh, have complemented Marner, uh, as much as Marner's complemented Howden.

Yeah, and I think that's a, a really good point.

I think it'd be unfair to say that, you know, uh, Howden is just riding on Marner's coattails, 'cause that's not how that works, you know, by any means.

But theYeah, I think that it's, it's easy to l- to, to maybe look at some of the plays that they've developed and, and say that, that it was, you know, it was Marner, like that, that goal last night.

You know, it was him reading the play.

It was him adapting.

It was him drawing in people, creating space.

Okay

Yeah.

Like, it might win you a round.

It might win you two, maybe three.

It might even get you to the final.

But, like, the physicality thing and, and little hits [clears throat] or, or physical plays like that that compound over a series, it's, if I'm Buffalo, it's like we've got a lot of big bodies.

Like, we need to start doing that.

And, and Montreal does, too.

Mm-hmm.

What's it like being a new goalie in the playoffs, though, when it's like, okay, here we go, this is a different beast? Do you think he can keep his game up to snuff?

Well, I think so.

I mean, like...

I don't know.

I can't imagine what it's like to be a goalie.

I mean, if there's anyone that knows what it's like to be a goalie that wasn't quite a goalie, I think it might have been me because I've been pelted with that many.

But yeah, I think it just goes back to like the younger mentality thing where I was actually talking about this earlier.

Okay, how did they find their game then? What do you like about Vegas right now compared to most of the year?

But when you watch Connor Bedard and you saw him on a day-to-day basis, what do you think his ceiling is as a player?

Well, I mean we talked about the the lunar mission going on right now, so I keep I keep on wanting to bring a full circle because that's that's the ceiling for this kid.

No, I mean I think.

I think he's obviously taken a huge step this year in his development, another year of maturity.

I don't know for a fact, but he's probably getting the C at some point or another now that Foligno's gone.

I don't have any inside information on that, but I'm just reading the tea leaves as everyone else would.

he, I, I think Blaschel has been really good for him too.

And will we miss him? There's a statue.

of all the crazy shit of all the crazy shit dudes who have been on the show have done that might be number one dude that might be number one it was awful too what possessed you to do that

i made a promise to my parents like i yep good answer like going into my good answer going into my junior year i was like i was drafted And I was like, I just want to have a good enough year where I'm presented with a tough decision.

And like, do I sign or come back? I ended up signing and it's like, my parents were great.

They're like, we support you either way.

Just you have to promise to finish.

And like, I'm 19 or 20 and it's like, I'm staring down the barrel of the NHL contract.

I'm like, oh yeah, I'll finish school.

you

You know, how should fans be able to, you know, evaluate, understand what is reasonable development and what are warning signs?

You know, I think it's a really good question.

I think there's a few things.

One, I think everyone's development is different.

Um, you know, some guys are going to have success early.

Some guys are going to take time to kind of figure out their, their way in, in the NHL.

And I, you know, especially as a defenseman, I think probably the hardest position to break in and, and learn as goalie.

And then you maybe have to change it when you get to the NHL.

clapper down the wing.

But yeah, the clapper down the wing.

But yeah, I think, you know, it's probably a combo of a few different things.

One, goalies are just so good now.

And it's just not really a high percentage play.

You know, I think that if a goalie, you know, especially nowadays from that far out, if a goalie can see it, they're probably going to stop it.

But I also think, you know, kind of piggybacking off of what we just said with the emphasis of shot blocking and things like that, where I just don't think that lanes are there consistently.

Is there any concern there that they might, that they've got to get her going as well?

I mean... you know obviously forever and this is wrong but he was seen as peter angelo's partner and that's part of the reason why he's on the team uh obviously you know pull it pulling the weight in his own regard now you know he he's one of i didn't know this was possible but he's an unheralded canadian or under heralded canadian olympian uh what what was it like getting to play with him and and what are some things about his game that maybe go a little little under the radar

It was awesome.

He's become one of my best friends, so take everything that I say with a grain of salt because I'm probably one of the most biased people that you could have had on your show.

I had the benefit of actually playing with him when I first got traded to Vegas.

We played together for a couple years and then when Petrangelo came, they ended up sliding him with McNabb and they've been a pretty incredible pair.

Shea Theodore, he's Honestly, he's one of the smoothest skating and probably puck handling defensemen that I've ever seen.

And that's not enough.

You guys