there was enough change that was done to this team in the offseason? I know that there was massive amounts, but was it enough change in the right direction or was it more change for the sake of change that took place in the summer?

Oh man, that's such a tough question because I feel like you always want more, but you have to be very careful in the sense of like, if you change something too much, does it end up backfiring? Right.

And I just go back to like Mitch Marner, right.

Leaving Toronto, you know, having played in Toronto and like Mitch Marner, unbelievable player doing very well in Las Vegas.

But is like, was that too much when you, when you lose a guy like that? You know, it like, It's hard because I think they did make some moves.

And I think that, you know, sometimes you sit there and you're like, okay, interesting.

Yeah.

How much does it help to have Gabe Landeskog in there to balance things out?

We're not going to try for that sort of thing.

yeah listen i with the the quinn hughes situation i mean i think we can all agree that it's a very tight-knit family the brothers the dad the mom like it's very tight-knit everything you see and and um i that is that is kind of the question is does quinn ultimately want to play with his brothers and and will that have an effect i I played for Brian Burke in Toronto.

Those GMs, if there's a GM you want to play for, Billy Guerin is absolutely that GM.

I played with Billy G on the Olympic team in the World Cup.

This guy is one of a kind.

He is one of the best people ever.

he like, he goes out of his way.

It does feel like two completely different situations, even though it is kind of the same thing.

There's, there was a lot of Swedes at Valley Neil that were impressed with his look.

This is the, uh, 18-year-old granddaughter, uh, Poppy Bill.

Hey, Big John, let me ask you, what do you think of Cale McCarr's contract?

Um, deserved, but it's going to be tough.

So where is the vibe right now? Is it, uh, strictly on Cale Makar unavailable in game one, and what does that do for the psyche of the Avs or the psyche of Vegas not having to face him in game one?

Well, yeah, I mean, listen, no one is ever going to replace Cale Makar.

Let's just kinda address that head-on.

He is, um...

You know, he's, he's one of a kind.

He's, you know, arguably, when all is said and done, you know, probably going to be in the top 10, maybe top five, um, you know, best defensemen in NHL history.

I think, um, you know, a lot of stats, uh, point to that.

... you know, could he maybe feel it a little bit, not looking up and seeing Makar? [laughs]

Yeah.

Yeah, uh, listen, uh, I mean, yeah, the Avs gave up quite a few short-handed goals this year during the year.

Um, but lo- uh, I mean, since Kadri came back, uh, the Avs power play's been really good.

Like, down the stretch, it was good.

In the playoffs, it's been really good.

It scored some big goals for 'em, uh, at different times during the playoffs.

So, like, yeah, I think, you know, it's gonna be interesting to see how special teams line up.

Month

It didn't end very well, but is that a good thing for a team to go through a bit more adversity than they faced the first half of the season?

I say absolutely.

And we've talked about this a bunch on the broadcast.

You know, you know, you're going to face adversity at some point.

You'd rather face adversity in January, February, you know, to a degree, March, then call it mid-April, mid-May, because, you know, that's when it that's when it really matters.

And so to face that adversity when they did, you know, I think when you look at it, it It definitely coincided with Devontae's going down and Gabe Landeskog going down.

Losing those two guys, especially Landy, I think, you know, after being away from the game for three years, the way that he's played this year and just being in the room day after day and everybody looks at him.

Nazem Kadri's already been there, but how has he reacquainted himself, and how is Nick Woffit in?

It feels like.

Yeah, I mean, listen, it's super interesting because...

And you can see I'm in a closet here.

We're in a rental house in Denver.

But now it feels like...

And I think you hit the nail on the head.

It feels like there's an acceptance of this offensive defenseman that, you know what, we're going to defer to their offense and not really...

I would be like getting whiplash watching you go.

It feels like.

Yeah, I mean, listen, it's super interesting because, and you can see I'm in a closet here.

We're in a rental house in Denver.

But now it feels like, and I think you hit the nail on the head, it feels like there's an acceptance of this offensive defenseman that, you know what, we're going to defer to their offense and not really...

it used to be that, Hey, you have to play defense, right? Like you have to play defense first and then you can play offense.

And, and like, I can still remember coaches saying to me, you need to hit more.

And I'm like, okay, I'm five, 10, 185 pounds.

I would be like getting whiplash watching you go.

Or was it the same laid-back, awesome players coach that we know?

Well, I would say, like, he's not, like, he, I don't think he's changing his coaching philosophy, right? Like, you, you're, you've been in a place for 10 years, right? And you've got some, some guys that, like, like Nate, like Nate is, he's super intense, and so I think he's got a great relationship with Nate.

If you don't have a great relationship with Nate, you're probably not lasting very long.

Let's just be honest, right? Like, it's, I mean, he is, he's the alpha in the room and, like, what I'll say is, first of all, Gabriel Landeskog coming back is a huge, huge add.Right? Like, coming back in the playoffs, you're running on full adrenaline.

Now you're back in the daily grind.

But having him in the room on a daily basis just makes it, everybody else can take a breath.

Kale can take a breath.

Was- wasn't he in Dallas, too?

Yep.

And you put him out with Aho and Necas, like, that's just, they're so fun to watch.

And you have Slavin, who's always the security blanket but can still chip in offensively.

Well, now you're getting, you know, Makar, MacKinnon and Necas, which is very fun to watch as a broadcaster.

Uh, but what you're seeing now, I think, is kind of that, that, um, MacKinnon and Necas, like, reading off each other a lot better.

And not to say last year they didn't.

Like, there's, there's definitely chemistry, but they're also both guys that love to, you know, to handle the puck.

Yes.

Yep.

And you put him out with Aho and Natchess, like, that's just...

They're so fun to watch.

And you have Slavin, who's always the security blanket but can still chip in offensively.

Well, now you're getting, you know, Makar, MacKinnon, and Natchess, which is very fun to watch as a broadcaster.

Uh, but what you're seeing now, I think, is kind of that, that, um, MacKinnon and Natchess, like, reading off each other a lot better.

And not to say last year they didn't.

Yes.