Mm.

And, um, it was so good, and we played so well, we all afterwards sort of went, "Blimey, well, you know, we've...

Why don't we do more of this? This is really good." And, um, so Pete and I got together and started writing some songs, and, um, we quite quickly came up with enough for the first album, and then it sort of snowballed from there, really.

It was a bit like, you know, exercising a muscle that hadn't been used for ages.

Mm.

We know we're never gonna be up there with the big spenders and the parachute payment clubs and things.

But we couldn't do a third season just desperately hanging on and, you know, thinking, "Well, oh, we're probably gonna go down." So they have ...

You know, they have spent a bit of money.

Yeah.

For a long time, guys.

I think he's got four or five years left on his deal.

Um, why would you move him? I mean, it never made any sense to me to move on from Robert Thomas, and I agree with you, I think he is underrated.

You know, you want to see him put together a, uh, complete season, you know, where maybe you don't have the significant ups and downs.

He's, you know, had some nagging injuries in the past, but for the most part, he's been a healthy player.

You know, you see stretches where this guy is as dominating as any center in the National Hockey League.

Okay.

Okay.

I mean, if the Blues are in a playoff position, um, I, I don't see...

You know, and I'm talking about, like, secure playoff position.

Not like, uh, you know, one point in, one foot in, one foot out at the trade deadline, and they're just, just, just teetering with wildcard too, which means that they probably have had some inconsistencies throughout the season, but they've also played some really good hockey to put themselves in that spot.

Then I think it's something that you think about because then I think you say to yourself, "Well, even if we get in, are, are we a team that's good enough to win more than a round? Can we get to the second round? Can we get to the third round?" You know, if you're a wildcard too, you're, you're playing a pretty good team in the first round.

So you've gotta think, um, you know, in a, in a, in a different way, and you gotta have a, you know, forward-thinking approach to how you look at it.

If they're a team that's in the top three in the division, and they believe that they have shown that they can win a couple of rounds, and potentially even surprise some people and, and really have a deep run, then we all know you probably need two goaltenders to make that happen.

[laughs]

[laughs]

Than sittin' in a studio on July 1st waitin' to see where all the, these guys are gonna, are gonna sign.

But I am interested to see what happens with, you know, the Dylan Larkins of the world, and the Zach Werenskes of the world, and the Connor Hellebuycks of the world, you know? Um, it's like the cabinet of the United States of America.

It's like all these guys, they all got together at the Olympics and they tried to figure out, you know, how they're gonna play their cards and, and what they're gonna do.

Uh, listen, Larkin obviously wants out.

Yzerman's not just gonna send him anywhere.

And as he should, he should go about this the way that he is, which is making sure that you're protecting the best interest of Detroit.

Like, w- what are the Blues next year?

Like, what'd you make of that?

I, I don't mind it.

I mean, I think most people knew that, uh, of all the players that were rumored to be traded, that Jordan Kyrou was the most likely one to go.

I mean, he's coming off of a down year.

But, you know, it just hasn't necessarily worked for him the last couple years.

He's kind of been the scapegoat around here.

He's taken a lot of heat from the fans.

Oh, really?

Like, what'd you make of that?

I, I don't mind it.

I mean, I think most people knew that, o- of all the players that were rumored to be traded, that Jordan Kyrou was the most likely one to go.

I mean, he's coming off of a down year but, you know, it just hasn't necessarily worked for him the last couple of years.

He's kind of been the scapegoat around here.

He's taken a lot of heat from the fans.

Um, you know, his game is far from perfect.

Oh, really?

With a couple of weeks left in the

season, and the team might go on to win the Cup.

He feels terrible.

Nobody's wishing and hoping Vegas loses more than Bruce Cassidy.

I'm sure.

Why do they fire him? Well, he'll wear you out, too.

He's not a long-term coach, either.

uh, a bargain, uh,

Why

do they fire him? Well, he'll wear you out, too.

He's not a long-term coach, either.

Ew.

I remember hearing that from Boston Bruins players.

I'm like, they don't like this guy.

And when David Krejci decided he was going to go return back to Europe to play, I remember saying, this is because of his relationship with the coach.

But at the time, Barbashev, they probably didn't think they could re-sign him, or I'm trying to remember the money at the time.

Say it twice.

I think they do everything in English and French there.

If you notice the starting lineups, the national anthem, everything's done.

The PA announcer says it in English, then French.

It's like being on an airplane, you know, when you're flying to Canada, how they say both languages.

But they do both, man.

But it's an amazing place to play and to win.

Like the last seven, eight years? Relatively recent.

Do you think he gets moved with his final year of his deal?

And listen, I think he would play in Canada.

I think the one team that he would love to play for w- would be Toronto, just considering the fact that he's from there.

But I don't know if the timing is right for him to go play for Toronto because, you know, I think most people would look at the Maple Leafs right now and say they're probably not a contending team for a Stanley Cup.

And so therefore, you know, would it make sense for him to go play in Toronto now? Probably not.

But listen, I, uh, again, I, I don't get the sense that he wants to go anywhere.

Now, it doesn't mean that he won't.

What's your expectations for Snuggerud and Dvorský, and what they can bring moving forward?

Yeah.

They look at him as they maybe that this Neanderthal who just got in all these fights, and he just loves the fighting, and he wants physicality, and he wants nothing but heavy hockey.

Listen, he can appreciate skill too, and he'll let you play a specific way as long as you're responsible.

You know, it's like you gotta have leaders at the top, and I think that's why he respects a guy like John Tavares so much.

You know, Tavares plays the same way every single night.

He's a no maintenance guy.

He knows when to change.

Wow.

But a top two or three pick maybe can be franchise altering, just historically for teams.

Oh, historically for sure.

I mean, listen, you need a guy...

Every team needs one.

And you know what's interesting is you just – You just never know what you're going to get in specific years.

You know, like Nathan McKinnon was a franchise-changing player for Colorado.

They ended up getting, you know, Kamil Carr, too, but Crosby.

What's your read on Thomas?

But a top two or three pick maybe can be franchise altering, just historically for teams.

Oh, historically for sure.

I mean, listen, you need a guy.

Every team needs one.

And, you know, what's interesting is you just...

You just never know what you're going to get in specific years.

You know, like Nathan McKinnon was a franchise-changing player for Colorado.

What's your read on Thomas?

So how do you read this with Thomas being quote-unquote available? Do you think Armstrong's looking at where they are now and maybe they're not terribly close so that they need to get enough prospects or younger or whatever it is? How do you view this moment as far as how Army's seeing the team? Because I think people believe they were knocking on the door going into this season.

Yeah, they were.

And I looked at it a couple different ways because I think it's kind of been a goofy season in the NHL with the schedule and how many games there's been.

And look at how many big dog teams that were in the playoffs the last several years that are now out of the playoffs.

It seems like every time a team comes into St. Louis, they played the night before, they're playing three and four nights, they're playing 15 games in 30 days.

You talk to veteran players around the league, they'll tell you the pace of play is down.

Not nearly as high as... what they're accustomed to seeing on a yearly basis.

What's your understanding of what the players knew and what Army told them?

So how do you read this with Thomas being quote-unquote available? Do you think Armstrong's looking at where they are now and maybe they're not terribly close so that they need to get enough prospects or younger or whatever it is? How do you view this moment as far as how Army's seeing the team? Because I think people believe they were knocking on the door going into this season.

Yeah, they were.

And I looked at it a couple different ways because I think it's kind of been a goofy season in the NHL with the schedule and how many games there's been.

And look at how many big dog teams that were in the playoffs the last several years that are now out of the playoffs.

It seems like every time a team comes into St. Louis, they've played the night before.

They're playing three and four nights.

They're playing 15 games in 30 days.

What's your understanding of what the players knew and what Army told them?

True.

... whatever it is or they play a lot of weekend games.

But, you know, I was talking to Brian Burke about that this morning.

I mean, he thinks for sure it's led to the injuries.

And listen, you have some freak injuries, you know.

The Blues were in Boston, you know.

Obviously they didn't have, um, you know, Charlie McAvoy, uh, in that game.

Yeah.

Yes.

... little bit of a freak situation, but, you know, they didn't have Pastrňák.

He wasn't playing.

I mean, I just feel like every time there's a game, there's some significant players who are missing who aren't playing.

And the Blues are no different, you know.

I mean, sure you have the off ice situation with Alexei Torobchenko so that's a freak incident.

Nothing crazy happened, but total random accident that led to his injury, but, you know, Nathan Walker, I mean, that's wear and tear.

Yeah.