Agent Provocateur with Allan Walsh and Adam Wylde
Sep 20, 2026 · 28 min · 9 segments
On this episode of Agent Provocateur, Allan Walsh and Adam Wylde are chatting about the big stories happening at NHL training camps and Marc-André Fleury's induction in the QMJHL Hall of Fame. Follow…
Allan WalshHost
Adam WyldeHost
For now, though, I want to talk to you about, and we've referenced this before, Alan.
We talked about it at the end of last season, talked about it on our first episode.
There is very little time, if you're a player on the bubble or you're a rookie, to come in and prove yourself.
And I'm curious about how, in practice, we're two or three days in here, what the feedback's been from your players and Feedback been from the team.
if you're not in one of the first two groups to get noticed because you're just not on the ice with the right competition.
A lot of players that would normally get at least one preseason game in their organization are not getting them and coming to the realization that they're not getting even a preseason game.
But I don't know whether when we look at this a few years into the future, whether everybody will agree it's a good idea.
And what are the main sticking points? Is it chance to prove yourself? Is it too short of a turnaround to get organized? What do you think will be like? Because sometimes when we do these things, we overcorrect, right? There's no question in my mind training camp felt too long, you know, and having You know, the Leafs had like eight preseason games for years and years and years.
So, you know, does it feel overcorrected because the added, you know, two games to the schedule and and that's how the PA worked it out? Like, how do you think this plays out in five years?
I think we're going to see moving up to six games as a limit and teams can choose to play four or five or six games.
And I think most teams would select six because you want to get a look at your players and you want to give your players an opportunity to at least play one game if they've earned it.
and talking about PTOs, really what opportunities a PTO have, somebody on a professional tryout, have to come in and earn a spot on a team.
The feeling that I'm getting in talking to GMs all across the league in the last couple of days, most teams pretty much have their teams picked.
For now, though, I want to talk to you about, and we've referenced this before, Alan.
We talked about it at the end of last season, talked about it on our first episode.
There is very little time, if you're a player on the bubble or you're a rookie, to come in and prove yourself.
And I'm curious about how, in practice, we're two or three days in here, what the feedback's been from your players and Feedback been from the team.
if you're not in one of the first two groups to get noticed because you're just not on the ice with the right competition.
A lot of players that would normally get at least one preseason game in their organization are not getting them and coming to the realization that they're not getting even a preseason game.
But I don't know whether when we look at this a few years into the future, whether everybody will agree it's a good idea.
And what are the main sticking points? Is it chance to prove yourself? Is it too short of a turnaround to get organized? What do you think will be like? Because sometimes when we do these things, we overcorrect, right? There's no question in my mind training camp felt too long, you know, and having You know, the Leafs had like eight preseason games for years and years and years.
So, you know, does it feel overcorrected because the added, you know, two games to the schedule and and that's how the PA worked it out? Like, how do you think this plays out in five years?
I think we're going to see moving up to six games as a limit and teams can choose to play four or five or six games.
And I think most teams would select six because you want to get a look at your players and you want to give your players an opportunity to at least play one game if they've earned it.
and talking about PTOs, really what opportunities a PTO have, somebody on a professional tryout, have to come in and earn a spot on a team.
The feeling that I'm getting in talking to GMs all across the league in the last couple of days, most teams pretty much have their teams picked.
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