Is this the last hurrah for Conor McDavid in Edmonton before he decides to do what a lot of the U.S. Olympians have done and say, I want to go somewhere else?

You know, it's been a treat having him here.

I've been lucky enough in my life to have Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier as my youth.

And now post-career, I get to watch Conor and Leon.

It's been amazing.

You know, I can't speak to know what Conor wants to do in the future, but I know he wants a Stanley Cup.

That is his driving force.

What was it like being part of that group, kind of, you know, post-lockout, Henrik's coming into his own, the team's starting to get better after some pretty dismal pre-lockout years, so it must have been quite a wild time there.

So with, with that in mind, how do you expect the Oilers under Babcock and Smith to be different in where they're going to be aggressive?

Mm.

Yeah.

So specifically to Jake Walman, um, you know, if he's saying he's in a little bit better shape, 'cause I agree, I don't think he was in the best shape last year.

I think that the injuries compromised him, and it's hard to get on top of it.

You just hard to g- it's, sounds easy.

Oh, just go work out.

What do you think?

So with, with that in mind, how do you expect the Oilers under Babcock and Smith to be different in where they're going to be aggressive?

Mm.

Yeah.

So specifically to Jake Walman, um, you know, if he's saying he's in a little bit better shape, is I agree.

I don't think he was in the best shape last year.

I think that the injuries compromised him, and it's hard to get on top of it.

You're just hard to g- it's...

Do they need a number one penalty kill unit, Struds?"

Uh, what do you make of the Formington signing?

Yeah, I'd heard about this, you know, rumblings.

You're like, "Okay, interesting." And, you know, I think probably been a lot of discussion about what happened and what he was involved in and what happened since then.

So I looked at the player himself, and, you know, he's a big guy that can skate.

And, you know, I saw a lot of people being critical of, of his scoring or lack thereof with Ambri in the Swiss League.

And traditionally speaking, Ambri's a small market Swiss A league team.

Like, they're in a small town, so they struggle.

How much can he make a difference on your PK?

Uh, what do you make of the Formington signing?

Yeah, I'd heard about this, you know, rumblings.

You're like, "Okay, interesting." And, you know, I think probably been a lot of discussion about what happened and what he was involved in and what happened since then.

So I looked at the player himself and, you know, he's a big guy that can skate and, you know...

So a lot of people being critical of, of his scoring or lack thereof with Ambri in the Swiss League.

And traditionally speaking, Ambri's a small market Swiss A League team.

Like, they're in a small town, so they struggled.

How much can he make a difference on your PK?

As a tough guy, like, what do you think has more, like, pressure or what makes somebody nervous more before a game? Someone that has to produce points or somebody that knows they might have to fight somebody? Like, what do you think is more stressful?

Yeah.

I do, I do think the pressure of scoring.

Oh, God, that's maybe disrespectful to fighters.

You know, they, they each come with their own unique challenges.

You know, I, I, I remember s- you know, I w- I was fairly lucky.

I didn't have to fight the absolute killers all the time.

Yeah.

As a tough guy, like, what do you think has more, like, pressure, or what makes somebody nervous more before a game? Someone that has to produce points or somebody that knows they might have to fight somebody? Like, what do you think is more stressful?

Yeah.

I do, I do think the pressure of scoring.

I, well, God, that's maybe disrespectful to fighters.

You know, they, they each come with their own unique challenges.

You know, I, I, I remember s- you know, I w- I was fairly lucky.

I didn't have to fight the absolute killers all the time.

[laughs]

What's your expectations for McDavid offensively this year?

I think we have to figure out what Babcock's going to do before we can say that.

Now, we know we can put up points, but is he going to challenge these two guys, I'll include Leon in this as well, to maybe sacrifice at times that extra point, or maybe take time off the power play to bring their minutes down? You know, all things being equal, they played them kind of the same way they've been played the last number of years.

I fully expect those numbers to be there.

But if Babcock decides and he's able to talk to these guys and say, listen, we're going to trim your ice time by 10%, so what is that, two minutes a night or whatever, let's say, a minute and a half a night, it might be some power play time.

We're going to ask you to be a little bit more focused, a little bit more on the defensive side of the puck.

Not that they're crazy cheaters, but we're going to try to do that.

yeah okay so it's not an idea it's very odd um i'm trying to think the last time we're basically two weeks away from the start of camp and the team doesn't have a gm like it's it's just a little surprising to me for sure so uh we'll kind of see where uh where it goes from here um connor hellebuck strutty will he be a jet When training camp begins, not whether he'll show up or not, but do you think he'll be a Jet, or do you think the Jets find a way to make a deal between now and two weeks from the start of camp?

What's your expectations for McDavid offensively this year?

I think we have to figure out what Babcock's going to do before we can say that.

Now, we know he can put up points, but is he going to challenge these two guys? I'll include Leon in this as well.

Maybe sacrifice... at times that extra point? Or do they even maybe take time off the power play to bring their minutes down? If all things being equal, they played them kind of the same way they've been played the last number of years, I fully expect those numbers to be there.

But if Babcock decides and he's able to talk to these guys and say, listen, we're going to Trim your ice time by 10%.

So what is that, two minutes a night or whatever, let's say, a minute and a half a night? It might be some power play time.

We're asking to be a little bit more focused, a little bit more on the defensive side of the puck.

Will he be a Jet? When training camp begins, not whether he'll show up or not, but do you think he'll be a Jet or do you think the Jets find a way to make a deal between now and two weeks from the start of camp?

So with those guys not out there for training camp, who do you think has a chance to really take advantage of this?

Well, Devon Levi.

The first guy I thought of was Devon Levi.

I mean, this guy has a huge chance here.

Um, a team that's looking for, uh, long-term solutions in the net.

You know, we know Jari's signed.

You know, Freddie Andersen's getting near the end of his career.

So when you look at him and having a guy like Connor Murphy, kind of a stabilizing presence beside him, what are the expectations?

So with those guys not out there for training camp, who do you think has a chance to really take advantage of this?

Oh, Devon Levi.

The first guy I thought of was Devon Levi.

I mean, this guy has a huge chance here.

Um, a team that's looking for, uh, long-term solutions in the net.

You know, we know Jari signed.

You know, Freddie Andersen's getting near the end of his career.

[upbeat tone]

What are you expecting, and d- are you gonna be making an appearance? Will we see Elk Man in the crowd?

Mm.

Yeah, you know what? I, I think we're gonna try to go for sure.

Um, you know, we have a couple little family in towns to try to figure out those logistics.

But I'll say this, I'd be really excited if I had the Elks, and I'm, I'm glad to hear they are for this reason.

The, uh, Blue Bombers have kind of been the, you know, the standard-bearers of, of elite play for the last, I don't know, what, five years? Kind of five, six years, somewhere in there.

Um, maybe a little bit longer.

[laughs]

Yeah.

"Hey, let's go.

Hey, let's, let's, let's find tickets.

You got tickets? Can we get tickets? You wanna get a box? What do you wanna do?" Like, all that kind of stuff.

And now just the last couple weeks from starting here with the Elks- Um, and there, there's a few reasons.

Obviously, I think they have the leadership that's in there.

I think they have some exciting players and, you know, they're winning more games, and I think winning does matter.

Because he did.

Do you think this is the year that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, at five on five, doesn't finish the season in the top six most minutes played per game five on five amongst the Order forwards?

So a couple things.

Number one, um, you know, eventually every player kind of slides down the lineup.

Not every, like, you know, 99.9% of everyone slides down the lineup.

That's, that's what happens.

I don't think H- Hyman's there right now.

Um, I think for Nuge, it might be, look what they want.

Yes

Do you think this is the year that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, at five-on-five, doesn't finish the season in the top six most minutes played per game five-on-five amongst the other four?

So a couple things.

Number one, um, you know, eventually every player kind of slides down the lineup.

Not every, like, you know, 99.9% of everyone slides down the lineup.

That's, that's what happens.

I don't think H- Hyman's there right now.

Um, I think for Nuge, it might be, look what they want.

Yes

Did you foresee down the road one day he could become an NHL GM?

So two guys for sure, he and Steve Staios.

Staios is already there, and Horcoff will be there at some point.

This is why.

They loved the communication and talking, interacting, and learning about all the different things going on through teams.

And, you know, most, most guys are, you know, somewhat interested, but they were really interested.

I remember them talking, the way they'd talk about it and talk to each other and how the system worked and the CBA and all that stuff, that it just, it was a lot, and they were in-depth researching, getting to know it.

Right after Mark Crawford, you faded away.

Did you foresee this happening, like, you know, day-to-day getting to interact with him, seeing his knowledge of the game? Did you foresee down the road one day he could become an NHL GM?

So two guys for sure, he and Steve Staios.

Staios is already there, and Horcoff will be there at some point.

This is why.

They loved the communication and talking, interacting, and learning about all the different things going on through teams.

And, you know, most, most guys are, you know, somewhat interested, but they were really interested.

I remember them talking, the way they'd talk about it and talk to each other and how the system worked and the CBA and all that stuff.

Right after Mark Crawford, you faded away.

What do you think the outlook looks for the Iceman this year?

Well, they need him to come through.

Like, a- and, and, um, and, and it doesn't mean he has to be a 50-goal scorer this year, but he's gotta take another step forward, and they need him to play for this team.

I mean, they made a pretty big trade to get him, and the player they traded him for, um, seems to be on a trajectory of having some success, uh, you know, if not right away in Tampa, pretty soon.

So I think that's important.

They need him to come through.

Um, but they also need youngish talent that's cheap, right? They, that's, that's really, every team [laughs] needs that.

Are, are you surprised, and, or how surprised, I should say, are you by the start for the team?

What do you think the outlook looks for the Iceman this year?

Well, they need him to come through.

Like, a- and, and, um, and, and it doesn't mean he has to be a 50-goal scorer this year, but he's got to take another step forward, and they need him to play for this team.

I mean, they made a pretty big trade to get him, and the player they traded him for, um, seems to be on a trajectory of having some success, uh, you know, if not right away in Tampa, pretty soon.

So I think that's important, they need him to come through.

Um, but they also need young-ish talent that's cheap, right? They...

That's, that's really, every team needs that.

Are, are you surprised? And h- how surprised, I should say, are you by the start for the team?

At what age should we be having this type of choice for parents?

Yeah, it gets tough.

I mean...

I think one of the things that we run into is that we need to be more targeted with our approach to our kids.

You know, I don't think that at seven years old, that if they miss out on, you know, full ice hockey, that they're going to miss out.

So, you know, for instance, my oldest, well, my two oldest, my daughter, my son played hockey.

And I think we played, I want to say we played half ice hockey, came into Alberta.

How much development in your mind takes place outside of the structured environment?

How, like, how do you think Saskatchewan handles that as a player, as a team? Uh, how do you think that's gonna go tomorrow night?

Yeah, you know what? I, I, I've been thinking about those guys, and I, I've fortunately never had to deal with anything like that when I was on a team.

And I feel terrible for the family and the team and the fans.

All, there's so many people that are affected.

But, you know, when I think of just the range of emotion, I mean, there's gonna be so many emotions.

You know, from ranging from, you know, uh, should you even be playing this game, to we're missing one of our captains, to, you know, why would this happen? Like, so many things.

And you're trying to now get it focused in on a game.

What, what's your guess on how the goalie rotation in Edmonton plays out this year?

How, like how do you think Saskatchewan handles that as a player, as a team? Uh, how do you think that's gonna go tomorrow night?

night?Yeah, you know what? I, I, I've been thinking about those guys, and I, I've fortunately never had to deal with anything like that when I was on a team, and I feel terrible for the family and the team and the fans.

All-- There's so many people that are affected.

But, you know, what I think of is just the range of emotion.

I mean, there's gonna be so many emotions, you know, from ranging from, you know, uh, should he even be playing this game, to we're missing one of our captains, to, you know, why would this happen? Like so many things.

You're trying to now get it focused in on a game, and these guys are professional athletes, and they are, you know, the elite of the elite of, of focusing.

But this is a long way past, "I'm in a slump," or, you know, "We've lost the last three games." So, um, I, I just think the range of emotions.

Protect yourself now at aura.com/safety.

[laughs]

Yeah.

And I think that's, I think that's the problem.

I don't think, for me, it's not the offer sheeting that makes it uncomfortable.

I think it's the number.

Like, that number, 18 million.

A million clear of every other player in the NHL.

Yeah.

[laughs]

Yeah, and I think that's, I think that's the problem.

I don't think, for me, it's not the offer sheeting that makes it uncomfortable.

I think it's the number.

Like, that number, [laughs] 18 million.

A million clear of every other player in the NHL.

And I believe the guy who was at 17 is overpaid, in my opinion.

Yep.

They said, "No, no."

[laughs]

And, uh, uh, I just hope they can hang around and make it really interesting.

You know, watching from a distance, it feels like this team is starting to believe in themselves more and more all the time.

You know, that first, especially that first half, they looked really unsure.

Even the game here in Edmonton, they weren't really sure what was gonna happen with the injuries.

So you're right up there with the team.

What are you seeing from the, the coaching staff and the players? Is there that, you know, that, that growth, that, that, that, um, improvement of kind of self-belief heading into this, to this incredible game that you could go to the eighth, which to me blows me away?