You would go to Seven Dust shows and hang outside the bus and try to get to meet him and stuff?

Dude, what I'm saying, middle school, high school.

The first show I ever went to was 2011.

Okay.

Again, I was just a fan.

Just a big fan of the band.

And again, Morgan was my favorite.

Have your boy fake an injury.

Yes

...

Kirill Kaprizov $17 million.

Um, then obviously the offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, and then Celebrini, who's also represented by, uh, Papprason, gets 18.8. And I just think the world has changed.

This is a new, gonna be a new defenseman market, obviously with Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes.

And, um, you know, uh, look, uh, Celebrini is an incredible player.

He, I think he's gonna be the best player in the league for the next, um, you know, couple decades.

[laughs]

What are your thoughts?

Yeah, I think that's exactly the way that probably the Wild feel, too, is that, look, they've probably made their best offer because, you know, look, and I don't blame Detroit for this.

You know, if you're going to trade your captain and your number one center, you know, you're going to want a big player off another team.

And especially when you saw the huge assets that the Wild traded for Quinn Hughes and the assets that people like Brady Kachuk went for, the assets that Matthew Kachuk went for years ago.

And so, you know, from Detroit's point of view, it doesn't exactly move the needle if they're offering, you know, players like Danilo Yurov or Yakov Trenion or something like that.

I mean, that's just, like, even the Wild, you know, I've said this a couple times, even the Wild don't exactly know what Yakov Trenion, or sorry, Danilo Yurov and Charlie Stramel are going to be.

So I don't blame them for that.

What do you think of that? And is there any chance they lock him up for longer?

What are your thoughts?

Yeah, I think that's exactly the way that probably the Wild feel, too, is that, look, they've probably made their best offer because, you know, look, and I don't blame Detroit for this.

You know, if you're going to trade your captain and your number one center, you know, you're going to want a big player off another team.

And especially when you saw the huge assets that the Wild traded for Quinn Hughes and the assets that people like Brady Kachuk went for, the assets that Matthew Kachuk went for years ago.

And so, you know, from Detroit's point of view, it doesn't exactly move the needle if they're offering, you know, players like Danilo Yurov or Yakov Trenion or something like that.

I mean, that's just, like, even the Wild, you know, I've said this a couple times, even the Wild don't exactly know what Yakov Trenion, or sorry, Danilo Yurov and Charlie Stramel are going to be.

So I don't blame them for that.

What do you think of that? And is there any chance they lock him up for longer?

[laughs]

Yeah, yeah.

And Mats, if I remember actually correctly, was actually hurt.

I think he had elbow surgery and missed the first, like, month of that season, if I remember.

Like, and, um, and then started playing the second Mats got back during that pandemic shortened season.

Um, he never left Chiarot's side.

Um, but you know, I know that Mats and Kevin Fiala were really good friends.

Mm-hmm

... a week from today.

You know, I, I'm just gonna, uh, you know, go with what I know rather than what I'm gonna guess.

Um, you know, everything that Quinn said at the end of the year, um, was that he wanted to be here.

Um, he had a tremendous season, uh, in Minnesota ... transform this franchise.

And, uh, if they were healthy against Colorado, especially the way that Cale Makar, uh, got hurt late in that series, and, um, I, I think there's a chance that they even win that series.

Um, if, if, you know, unfortunately, Eriksson Ek and Brodin were hurt.

Um, you know, all I, uh-- While Bill Guerin has been working on other things that we know about, that I'm sure we're gonna talk about, um, he hasn't gotten into the Quinn Hughes negotiations, um, you know, big time yet.

I was gonna say, yeah.

... a week from today.

You know, I, I'm just gonna, uh, you know, go with what I know rather than what I'm gonna guess.

Um, you know, everything that Quinn said at the end of the year, um, was that he wanted to be here.

Um, he had a tremendous season, uh, in Minnesota, transformed this franchise, and, uh, if they were healthy against Colorado, especially the way that Cal Makar, uh, got hurt late in that series, and, um, I, I think there's a chance that they even win that series.

Um, if, if, you know, unfortunately, Ersson Ek and Brodin were hurt.

Um, you know, all I...

Uh, while Bill Guerin has been working on other things that we know about that I'm sure we're gonna talk about, um, he hasn't gotten into the Quinn Hughes negotiations, um, you know, big time yet.

I was gonna say, yeah.

Do you, did you sense something like this going to happen in this, uh, this, this game? Because they came out with just guns a-blazing.

Yeah, I mean, this morning you could sense that they were very businesslike, but I ca- I'd be lying to you if I told you that I thought they'd be up three n- three-nothing after one.

Because you just know that Colorado, and I still don't think Colorado wants to get on that bird tomorrow and go back to Minnesota, uh, uh, for a game six.

But we have seen the Wild do this before.

You know, uh, they, they were down 3-1 in 2021 to Vegas, and, um, and the Wild rallied and made it a, a seven-game series.

They wound up losing in game seven, but they have that capability.

And, um, it, they just came out with a businesslike attitude today.

in seven games

Yeah.

And, and last night, you know, we saw it.

I mean, he, or two, a couple nights ago we saw it.

I mean, he's got this ability to drag the Wild into the fight.

And the reason why the Wild won last game is they got to their game, their physical game early, something that we didn't see in games one and two in Colorado.

But he's the one driving that bus.

It's, you know, as much as the Foligno brothers will rattle cages and Jakub Trenyn, it's, it's when you have superstars like, um, Quinn Hu- like Quinn Hughes, like, that willing to go into the traffic areas, which he does, like Brock Faber, like Kirill Kaprizov, like Matt Boldy, and Kirill is one guy that does that.

[lips smack] Um, what do you think we should know about Yurov?

[laughs]

Um, so, uh, so, so we'll see then if he's out there.

I mean, you know, look, uh, it's the playoffs, so anything can happen, right? Uh, I think we all saw him take that first step, um, on the bench, uh, the other day after he blocked that Rantan shot, and he almost fell over.

Um, so that just tells you that something was significantly wrong with his, you know, foot, ankle area.

And, um, we saw him leaving the ice, uh, in a walking boot and crutches.

So that would lead you to believe that he has a significant injury.

Um, you know, we've seen Brodin [laughs] um ...

Who's gonna be the emerging villain for the Colorado Avalanche against the Wild in round number two, if you had to place your money on it?

Is there gonna be much left here?

No, I mean, you know what, it's a great point, Kipper, and it's, it's one I thought coming into the series, I thought whoever got out of this round, uh, it's gonna be a battle of, uh, attrition on who could even be able to stand up to Colorado in the next round.

And look, uh, LA has done a quality job trying to make this thing a series and a couple two-one games, but the reality is that Colorado still won 'em.

So it looks like that that could be a short series and, and, and they're gonna get a lot of rest.

Uh, and these two teams here in Dallas from Minnesota are just gonna beat the heck out of each other.

There's, there's a lot of venom between these two teams.

They don't like each other.

Um, was, is there any thought about Bill Guerin bringing anybody in, like Patrick, and, and alleviating some of his responsibilities, uh, moving forward?

What do you think?

Yeah.

You know, um, that, that's kind of the way I feel, just because Phillip has not been good really since the Olympics.

And, and, um, you know, he came out of the Olympics actually fine, and there wasn't really a, a hangover from the disappointment that he had there, where he essentially lost his starting job in the medal round.

Um, uh, but Jesper, the last, you know, nine starts, he's given up two or fewer goals in, in eight of those games, um, and has a .930 save percentage since the Olympics, where Gus has an .875 save percentage since the Olympics and has given up four more goals in five of his last six starts.

So that's the reason why I would start Jesper.

But there is the, you know, there is the, the context, and, you know, Mark can weigh in too, of, you know, you take this away from Gus to start it off, can you go back to him because of the disappointment that he's gonna have for essentially being embarrassed that he n- that he lost his job to, to Jesper? Um, and the other context here is that the Wild, remember, Jesper three years ago, his NHL debut was in Dallas.

[laughs]

Please tell me everything you know of, of, [laughs] of this exchange, 'cause I need more information.

I will say I talked to a couple GMs, uh, yesterday at the airport, um, that basically did tell me that it wasn't a shouting match, that, that he was level-headed, Tulsky, which, you know, you would expect from him, and measured in his tone, but he basically said that he felt like it was slipping, that we were, uh, that we, meaning the league, was essentially, um, you know, um, justifying or...

You know, that's probably the wrong word, but allowing, allowing head shots when they say unavoidable contact.

And, you know, I think we all know that Gary Bettman is very sensitive to this topic, um, for many reasons and, and basically retorted back with, with, with, uh, that accusation, which, [laughs] I think, uh, you know, kind of had, had GMs buzzing, as you said.

Um, but I think Tulsky was standing up for what he think was, what he thinks was right, not, not only just protecting his players, but talking about the league in general.

Um, I respect it.

I think it says a lot about his confidence right now, you know, being a young-ish GM, um, and this, to this, to...

Like, is, is there, is, is, is something, is, is anything going on?

in fact,

if you read my, uh, I did read my writing now, I kind of want to burn our, uh, archive system because, uh, yeah, end of October, I was pretty much burned the franchise down, uh, fire everybody, uh, trade everybody.

Um, you know, they're old, they're slow.

They, they're, you know, it's fine to just break it apart.

And obviously, uh, then they, then they woke up and Look, you know, I think it starts with Jared Spurgeon.

He's one of the most underrated leaders in the league that I've covered.

He just always has pulse with what this team needs.

How important is the D as a whole being healthy? Because there was injuries the last couple of years with a couple of key veterans, but just in this turnaround with Minnesota.

Yeah.

You could be a Predators fan upset as well.

Um, but I, I do think that, that when it comes down to this rule, I think they're absolutely gonna look at it.

But the one thing, if you didn't have the context of watching the game is Annin did this a couple times, and even on 20 seconds before, he went flying into that right post a- and almost dislodged it on a- another, uh, Wild rush.

So, um, you know, I just think the, the reality is, what everybody is forgetting here is that, again, I think it's intentionally, but even if it's accidentally, that's the way the rule is written, is that he... is that, that...

there would have been a scoring chance there if that net was on the- on its moorings, and he took it off, and people are just sort of forgetting that.

The other thing here is that whether it was- the first attempt was gonna go in or not, you know, all of a sudden, Markus Johansson's looking up and that net is no longer up.

Mm-hmm.

What's the latest here with the player and the team?

Yeah, I mean, unless something has changed today, and as you mentioned, I mean, things change, could change with one phone call, right? One, one, one flight by somebody.

Um, you know, one decision by Kaprizov could change everything.

But, uh, uh, you know, it's been at a standstill.

Um, they, the, there have really been, other than when Paul Theofanis made an impromptu surprise appearance at the opening day of training camp, um, and he met with the assistant GM for a couple of hours in front of all of us, um, you know, there really hasn't been any conversation since Kirill turned that deal down during a meeting with, uh, Bill Guerin and Paul Theofanis, um, a couple, uh, Wednesdays ago.

So, um, you know, we'll see where this goes.

I think the Wild are still hoping that Kirill is gonna be the one that sort of drives this and, and sort of instructs Theofanis to get it done, but you know, like, what we don't really know, other than Kirill giving the cliched "I like mini," is does he really wanna be here? You know, I mean, he was offered the, the, the richest contract in NHL history and so far hasn't taken it.

What do you, what do you read into that?