John, what do you think? Any concern that the Canadians didn't address some of those noticeable flaws that showed up in the playoffs? Or do you think they're a lock to make the playoffs?

Well, if we go through all the teams that are going to be battling it out, if we take both the Metro and the Atlantic, I mean, to Connor's point, essentially...

It's the Canadians, the Lightning, the Panthers, and maybe the Leafs, who are kind of the class of the Atlantic.

Everybody else in the Atlantic, especially if Dylan Larkin ends up getting traded, they all got worse in some respect just based on the players that they lost.

So that's the first thing.

If you look at the entirety of the Eastern Conference, the only team that really substantially improved in terms of additioning or adding as many players as they possibly could we're the Washington Capitals.

So, you know, if you're talking about potentially four teams from the Atlantic, maybe a fifth, there's going to be, what, maybe two or three that you would guarantee from the Metro.

Give me one NFL team, John, that you think will fall flat on their face and completely disappoint when it comes to their expectations.

Yeah.

Um, and I, I do think that the attrition the last couple, or, you know, the, the previous six or seven seasons was a real reason why the Hurricanes were not able to get over the hump.

This year, you know, they're, they're more well-rested.

They, they're able to just, you know, be at a different level.

You could even see that in the Stanley Cup Final against a team like Vegas, who also, you know, didn't exactly get pushed entirely hard other than the, other than Utah in the, uh, in the playoffs.

I, I, I just think that Alexander Barkov is such a game changer that it's difficult for me to not think that it's the Panthers, the Lightning.

I don't know if the Canadiens are going to be as good, genuinely.

What does it mean?

Mm

...

he scored goals in bunches.

Um, but yeah, I, I, I think it's definitely the results that they've had against the top teams in the East.

Look, they were a kick away against Nashville.

Owusu has a big, big chance late on to be able to, to tie that one up.

Not just that.

Mm-hmm.

What say you, John Still of Melnyk in the Afternoon, would you rather have Macklin Celebrini at 18.8 or Hudson and Demidov at just around 18?

I think the term is the big thing here, because if it was seven or eight years of Macklin Celebrini, I'd say Macklin Celebrini because he's playing the most important position on the ice.

He's gonna be the face of the NHL.

Uh, I don't know if he's going to be as good as Connor McDavid, but it would almost be asking the question two or three years into Connor McDavid's career if he had gotten paid 12 or whatever it was million dollars.

You'd still take Connor McDavid.

But like Connor said, I think it's the, it's the term that kinda changes everything, is that, you know, it only buys up one year of his U- of his UFA years.

And on top of that, if they had, uh, if they had extended Macklin Celebrini for eight years, that would also be a nine-year contract at $18.8 million.

[laughs]