[laughs]

Yes, that's what I expect from him.

The debate that we've had in the press box watching him on a nightly basis the last two years is, is he a really good third line player, or is he a legit second line player, right? Is he a top six guy? 'Cause he's had opportunities.

If you remember his first big year, he was playing on that third line with Kopitar, Kakko, and Filippino.

A- and that's where he really stood out a little bit.

And then when they traded Chris Kreider before last season, it was expected that he would step up into Kreider's spot in the top six and on the first power play unit and all this kinda stuff, and that didn't happen.

And what happened was he ended up playing kind of that, I don't know, third line role or maybe the, the seventh forward role, s- stepping into the stop, top six from, from time to time, killing penalties.

So Colin, assuming better health, what do you expect from Fox next year? Is he still one of the truly elite defensemen, or could we finally see him, could we see him push over 80, or is there some kind of regression coming here?

What came to mind was, uh, this season, what, where would you rank it? Like worst seasons that you've covered? Like where, where does it compare to those two thousands, uh, thin lean years? Well,

I mean, I, you know, I, I, I did hockey in the nineties and then I sort of went away and I was out of, out of the hockey world for a number of years.

I did some general assignment work.

I, I, um, you know, I also left the business for a few years, uh, I was asked to leave.

I was downsized out of the business for a few years before getting back in.

So I don't know.

I can't really speak to some of those lean years that, that those, you know, I did see them in 1997, which was the last year they had made the playoffs before, you know, before the lockout that, that was it.

So with that said, how different do you expect the team to look from, going into next season like by training camp do you expect it to be a big shift or do you think this is going to be just more tearing down versus rebuilding

So where's your head at with this team now going into the off-season? And, and like, you know, what are you most interested in that could happen in the next few months?

Well, the, the draft for sure.

Um, I, I, you know, I, I couldn't believe.

I mean, I thought, you know, you go in with number three and you're thinking that they're gonna stay at number three, right? That's the most likely outcome.

Or maybe they get moved up.

And I was watching the draft and all the ping pong balls are coming, and I'm like, "Oh man, they could get number one." And they end up with number five, which is such like a [laughs] such a drag, you know? Like, 'cause you're like, all right, so there's two really, really good players.

They don't get either of those guys.

That's a lo- that's a loaded question, isn't it? [laughs]

So where's your head at with this team now going into the off-season? And, and like, you know, what are you most interested in that could happen in the next few months?

Well, the draft for sure.

Um, I, you know, I, I couldn't believe.

I mean, I thought, you know, you go in with number three and you're thinking that they're gonna stay at number three, right? That's the most likely outcome.

Or maybe they get moved up, and I was watching the draft, and all the ping pong balls are coming.

I'm like, "Oh man, they could get number one." And they end up with number five, which is such like a [laughs] such a drag, you know? Like, 'cause you're like, all right, so there's two really, really good players.

They don't get either of those guys.

It's a lo- that's a loaded question, isn't it? [both laughing]

But to me, I think the breaking point for Fox might've been when Panarin was traded and then he kind of goes, all right, who am I playing with now? Like, do you get the sense? Like, all right, now that Panarin was gone, it was, it's kind of like, what, what the hell is happening?

Yes.

No, I, I believe that that is correct.

I believe, cause he, you know, he did bring that up.

Uh, he brought up, uh, Panarin, what, you know, we, we asked him the standard questions right now.

And the, and the Rangers, as I said, wouldn't let us talk to him before the game.

So you're getting him after a game, you're getting him after his first game back, you know, he, you know, they lost a game that they were winning to nothing and frustrated and all this kind of stuff.

Do you have the same feeling or am I kind of lost in the malaise?