Transcript of Maple Leafs Deadline Plans | The Chris Johnston Show

The Chris Johnston Show. Let's go. Your number one destination for a behind-the-scenes look at the game of hockey. Is this thing on? Here's NHL Insider Chris Johnston and host Julian McKenzie.

Siege, Miko Rantanen was a big topic of discussion for us last episode. He continues to be in the crosshairs of discussion as we start our show today. Just maybe we could focus a little bit more on his fit in Carolina. He hasn't necessarily lit the world aflame since he's been traded over there, not compared to Martin Natchis, for example, out in Colorado. And of course, people are going to continue to speculate on whether he could get moved again. I just want a little bit more insight from you on how do you feel he's been in Carolina these last few games?

Well, look, I think we're in a day-by-day situation with Rantan because with each passing day, is he indicated willingness to stay in Carolina and negotiate a contract? That still hasn't happened, that he's indicated that willingness. And then the flip side of that is, how is the organization reacting to that? And what I can tell you is the hurricanes are open to the idea of moving them, which isn't the same as saying they're shopping them or looking to move them, but I think that they're open to the possibility that they're going to have to flip them here. That's pretty intriguing with still what, eight days now out from the deadline? We're going to have to incrementally measure what happens, and we don't know what's going to happen. What's interesting to me, and we'll get into this, I'm sure, over lots of the topics we hit on, this market is not settled in any way, shape, or form. It's not clear exactly what's happening in too many circumstances. There's a couple of teams at the bottom that have certain players that are rentals that I would say with certainty, okay, this guy will be moved by Friday, March seventh at 3: 00 PM Eastern Time.

But there's a lot of things up in air that could depend on team's performance, in this case with Rant and what he indicates to the hurricanes. And the other thing I'll throw out your way, Julian, is I was talking to another GM yesterday, and I just said, if Carolina trade him, if they go down this road, could they even get a player as good as Natchis back as part of the package? This is an outside opinion, of course. He's not in those discussions, but he said, no, he doesn't think so. And so that's If we take that as a fact, and it's not necessarily a fact, but it's just an interesting thing. If you're Carolina, this is a team built to try to win now. Even if you know he's not likely to stick around, which they don't know yet, but if they get to that point before the deadline, isn't it better to ride with them? I guess looking back now, I think they rolled the dice even more than I realized in real-time. You knew it was a risk call it in in real-time because they gave up some real assets, including Picks and Drury as well.

But now that they're here, and unfortunately, it hasn't gone well, which I don't know how much a part of the story that is yet, but Rantan is not produced at a level you'd expect. Everything under the hood looks great. The Puck is in the other team's end when he's on the ice. His teammates are generating, and he are generating shots and shot attempts. But the Puck has not gone in the near what you'd expect, and so his points aren't where you'd want them. If anything, I think a team like Carolina, because of the way that front office is built and the way they function, they've been a team that have paid attention to the underlying stats in a meaningful away for a long time and used it to guide decisions. I think that team at least would not freak out by the box cars, one goal, two assists in eight games for Rantanin. I think that they could see the process a little more than the outcomes. But still, it It just feels like this pressure building. And then if you're Miko Rant, and the one thing I come back to is, are you ready to make that big decision?

I don't think he's past the first stage of this. The first stage isn't what does the contract look like. It's like, do you want to stay in Carolina? Are you ready to commit to that right now? And so far he hasn't been.

We're not in Miko's head. We could never be. I want to imagine that some of that thinking about, should he stay in Carolina? Should he to move on somewhere else, the shock of everything. Maybe that plays a role in why the stat totals aren't up there. But the underlying metrics are still good at the very least for him. But still, he's human, right? You go through that shock. He expected to probably stay through Colorado and maybe make something work.

He made that clear in his interviews, right? That's it. He was blindsided.

Yeah. So the shock value, I think for me, has to play a role in why it's been this this way. But the second thing I want to bring up in all this, and maybe this is a bit of a different turn, you bringing up that outside opinion. We discussed the fact that Migo ranted, and if a team were to trade for him now with the amount of money that could potentially come on your books, it's not going to be this large, exorbitant amount of money. If you're a contending team and you likely might not have to give up a player of Marty Natchez's quality, I know we keep using him as the example, but we have a standard to go off of here. If you're a contending team and you know you don't have to provide that large of a return, you must be looking your chops at the idea of adding a player like Miko Ranted into your roster. Any idea which type of teams would make sense in that regard?

Well, I don't think it's got to that stage yet, quite honestly. But if you're any of the teams that have aspirations of winning the Stanley Cup, I think if it gets to the point that Carolina really is willing to engage on trade talks, all the teams that are in that mix Draftpicks, the Vegas', the Dallas's, man, could Colorado use a winger like Nico Brandon? Come on. I'm just kidding.

Cj, no. Cj, CJ. You're killing producer Drew with that.

Right. But any of the teams, Edmonton, that are looking probably or some upgrades at wing, you at least make that call. Now, the problem with all those teams is if you're Carolina, you're going to want, I would think at minimum, because Carolina is not a futures team. They wouldn't be trading him to get a whole bunch of draft picks. Now, draft picks can be for further trades. It doesn't mean that they don't have value, but they would want a player back or players, plural. So how many really good teams want to trade a good player off their roster? And so I think it's a small number or able to. And so I don't know where that would go, but any of the really good teams in the league would have to at least explore the possibility. I mean, maybe even teams that are having tons of success. If you're Winnipeg, you probably make that call. Now, remember, Where Randon does have, I can't remember the number of teams, but he does have a limited no trade. But maybe under certain circumstances, if he knows he's just going there as a rental for the last couple of weeks, maybe he would consider teams he wouldn't otherwise.

I mean, that's where this could get crazy. This is where I'm saying that this deadline hasn't taken shape yet. This is the chaos door, as if it gets to the point where Carolina is saying, We will move him. And then all those teams that are looking at guys that aren't nearly as accomplished or don't have the physical abilities of Miko Rantan, or then seeing what they could make work. It's a lot to get done, but where there's a will, there's a way. And I think no one could say with certainty with what the hurricanes are going to do. On the surface, I think this still looks like you keep the player. You bet that all the things that are going well but aren't resulting in points and wins yet for the team are going to turn. You live with your investment. You actually They say, Hey, there's what? Six weeks of regular season on the other side of the deadline, and then there's playoffs. Let's give him that two months, call it minimum, and you hope it's three or four months, and you're playing right to the Cup final. Let's give him that time to get comfortable, and we'll see where things go with the contract talks at that point.

And yes, we may end up losing him for nothing, as they did with Jake Hensel after last season. But that seems to me like the more certain road. But maybe we have to remember, this is a team that's run by an owner that's very involved in Tom London. Tom has his opinions. He's not afraid to make them heard. He's known to get involved, I think more than the average owner we could say in the NHL with these decisions. I don't know what he's going to do. And his voice matters more maybe than everyone's here in terms of if he's like, hey, if this guy isn't taking our monster contract offer, let's get him out of here. Again, that's what makes us so intriguing. And so if you're a hockey fan, I think you're looking at this deadline. You're like, okay, there haven't been any trades since the Four Nations, at least not those involving impactful NHL players. What's going on here? It's a little bit uncertain, but I think Brandon has to be a focal point until we know what's going to happen. It's such a hard decision. If you're not getting someone as good as Martin Natches back, and I just mean as the fundamental part of the package, how do you sell that to your fans, to your team?

Because obviously, Carolina is still in a position... This is a wide open year. The other thing is it feels like a wide open field, a very flat field. Lots of good teams in the NHL, but I can't tell you who's the greatest. Winnipeg on an 11 game winning streak in Washington with the run that they've had. Okay, those look like the best regular season teams, but those teams still have something to prove when it comes to playoff time. How do you give up on the season? I'm not saying the hurricanes will, but that's the bind they're in. They're trying to suss out, can they sign the guy? And then I think they are definitely leaving. In fact, I know that they're at least leaving the possibility open that they may have to trade them if this doesn't go the way they want it to in the next eight days.

I can't wait until sometime next week, post-trade deadline, you've got the sunglasses on and you're ready to take a break. And we're talking about how the Vegas Goldenights found a way to acquire Migo Rantanin. This just feels like the Golden nights who I think have a little bit of space. Just Kelly McCriman on Line One for Eric Talski, calling the Carolina Hurricanes, being like, You know what? We'll take them. We're doing this. We're adding you. It just feels like the Vegas Goldenights just find a way to make it work with requiring these big-time players because they're trying to make it work every year, and it works to a certain degree.

I'll say this about Vegas. They're an interesting team to me right now because they've not performed well of late. You probably saw they got stomped in LA in the third period the other night. They've been very up and down. They have not been dominant on a run. But yet I look at their roster, and yes, they're certainly, I think, in the market for at least one more forward, but they don't really have a lot of holes in that roster. There's not a lot of places... You look at the blue line, it's just hard for me to even see what an upgrade would be. Again, assuming and hoping for health because I'm not cheering for any player. But as long as they remain healthy, they've got all the pieces in place you'd want on their blue line. I do think there's room to add it forward, but down the middle, that's a strong team. Eichel, Hurdle. There's not a lot that's screaming out for me to see that they need upgrades. But imagine they could throw someone like that in. It almost feels like it's almost home run or nothing. If it's not rent, then I'm sure they will acquire someone else that doesn't take as much billing on the marquee.

But you I don't rule anyone out in Vegas, you're right, just because of the way they've operated. But some of the names that have been connected to them, they've been one of the teams connected to Braden Shen. I would not rule it out just because Kelly McCriman obviously has a history Prairie guy. It's not hard to connect the dots to Braden Chen from Saskatchewan. Braden Chen would be the type of player Kelly McCrim and many others around the league would prize. But I don't know that I see the fit down the middle for them as much as some other teams that we'll get to. Anyway, point is, never sleep on the Golden Nights. There was precisely zero rumors about Hurdle going to them until about 2: 50 last season with the 3: 00 PM deadline and then the bomb dropped. Until we know Vegas hasn't made a trade, they could make any trade. Anything is possible.

Yes. Just death taxes, Vegas being active at the NHL Trade Deadline. I've come to expect it with this team. It makes for good entertainment. This is not me complaining at all. If you have the assets to do it, if you are able to do it, go out there and make moves. That's what every fan should want from their GM.

Well, here's the flip side of the discussion. What I'm telling you is, Caroline, I would certainly, at least, I think, listen to phone calls on Rantanin. Doesn't mean they're going to act. Every team has the ability to pick up the phone. They all have Eric Talsky's number. They can give them a call and put together something that they think makes sense and see if it sticks. It's not as Vegas doesn't have any advantages other than I think one of their advantages is honestly, they're an extremely well-run front office. They make a lot of smart cap maneuvers. They find a way to open up money. They're not afraid to walk away from players either. Remember, this team is only less than 12 months away from saying, Jonathan, Marsha So. Okay, take a walk. Marsha So was an OG Golden Knight. He won the Kansmite Trophy when they won the Stanley Cup. They make hard decisions players going out, too. It's not just the guys they bring in. It's part and parcel in a hard cap, salary cap league. Every other team could operate that way. They might have some built-in advantages, i. E. A great place to live, tax-friendly state, good weather, and frankly, a pattern in a history of winning.

It's a place players are going to want to play because they feel like, Hey, if we go to Vegas, yeah, I might get traded five years into that eight-year deal, but we're also going to have four chances to win the Cup before I get traded. I And a lot of players, honestly, the chance to win is what they're looking for. And teams that don't operate in the way the Goldenights do, just they don't feel it gives them that chance. And so I'm with you. I'm not cheering for anyone in this league, but I will defend the way Vegas operates. It might be a bit ruthless at times, but you can't argue with the results. And ultimately everyone, players, coaches, managers, trainers, everybody's measured on results in this business, and they get them.

One One small thing here. You mentioned Braden Chen. We're definitely going to get to Braden Chen in this episode. We're going to put him in a corner, a corner that you and our listeners know very well. We'll get to him in a second. I want to get to Brad Marsha first. And the Boston Bruins, obviously, as someone focusing a little bit more on another team right now, seeing the Bruins cough up a lead to the Toronto Maple leaves, isn't it supposed to be the other way around? It's been a weird week for the Boston Bruins as they continue their descent down the standings.

Third time in the of these teams. You're talking about an original six teams. So they've met hundreds and hundreds of times in history. Only the third time in history, the Leaps have erased a three goal deficit and beat the Bruins in a game.

That is a good stat.

The first time, I got it from the NHL Media site. I was just reading through some stuff. And the first time Toronto has done it in Boston since 1963.

So you're right. That's amazing.

I mean, you just think about it. Like these teams played in the '80s. In the '80s, three goal leads disappeared like nothing. There's a lot of 8-5 games in '80s. Anyway, and obviously there's the more recent history. There's the 4-1 game in 2013. Anyone who's lived through that is of a certain age, that game will be seared in your mind forever, I think, just because it was so stunning at the time. But you're right. You're used to it going the other way. It's symbolic for Boston, right? Because, first of all, they had a great start in that game. They had five power plays in the second period. They built that lead on Toronto. They need the wins right now. Forget history and stats and all stuff. Their GM had just given a press conference Sunday talking about having trouble getting his mind around maybe having to sell and the competitive juice is still flowing through them. That team is on the wrong side of the playoff cut-off line. And they're way on the wrong side of the goal differential line, which I think tells sometimes a truer story about where you've been over a long period of time.

And so it does not look good in Boston right now. And you just think to squander the lead in the way they did, they still get a point because they lost in over time. But I don't even know where you're going exactly with the question. But yeah, the writing is not good on the wall right now in Boston.

I feel like I wanted to... I had two ideas, and I wanted to mention that first thing, which I think you went through expertly. Not trying to troll seriously people. I get people get sensitive about belief stuff.

Hey, the facts are the facts. You're not trolling.

Look, it is what it It is, but people get sensitive. But if you're the Bruins and you're thinking about, obviously, you've let everyone know you're going to sell off some assets, you have to think about Brad Marshawn, who has made it very clear he wants to stay in Boston. And I've said it before, I can't see him in any other Jersey. Do you think the Bruins would really get to that point where they'd move on from him? I can't see it.

Well, it's a bit of the unknown, you're right. But look, they've definitely started engaging now in renewed contract discussions with Marshawn. And And this is where it gets interesting because Marshan does want to remain a brewen, but he wants to do it on certain terms, which, of course, is his right as a pending, unrestricted free agent to look for to be paid a certain way. And I think more importantly for him is to get a multi-year deal. If you look at the way things ended with Patrice Bergeron in Boston, I believe he did at least one one-year deal, if not two one-year deals at the end of his career. They've been accustomed to maybe players just taking it year by year, which obviously gives the team flexibility. If that ends up being the year that the bottom falls out of your performance, it gives the ability for the team to be like, You know what? We're not bringing you back. But I can understand why a player would want security. To this point, I think the main sticking point even more than money has been the term on the Marshan deal. Now we're getting to the white knuckle time, where if you're on Marshan side of the equation here, he's only got a limited no trade clause, so the team can trade him against his wishes.

They are talking contract. But if there's not a deal to be made there that the Bruins can live with, do they pivot and make that deal? They don't need, as much as I'm sure they want to do right by a player that is part of their fabric, they also have to do what's right for the organization, big picture. We're in this window now where it wouldn't be fair to call it a game of chicken, but it's how much do you want to push for that contract you're looking for if you're Martian, and risk potentially being dealt? It's probably not the likely outcome here, but you can't rule it out because that's what's crazy about these last few games. That's why we bring up that game Tuesday against Toronto is you're making decisions, and obviously you're trying to take a motion out of it if you're a GM and you're looking at the big picture, but you're also reacting to what's happening in the moment. If you're Don Sweeney, you were looking for signs of life for your team. You're looking, and I guess maybe if you watch the first 40 minutes of that game, you have signs of life.

It's just you couldn't close it out against the team you're used to closing it out against. That's where we're at right now, I'd say, is can they get a deal across the finish line and where do they go if not? The Bruins have not been a team historically that have let it get to this point. Now, David Pasternack, he signed a March extension a couple of years ago when he was up, and that was obviously a big money deal, different stage of his career. And I think the sides were comfortable long before whatever day in March, they officially finalize that at that time. But this one, it just feels like they're not necessarily viewing the world the same way beyond the fact that they'd like to continue the relationship. And so I'm with you. It would be weird to see Marshan somewhere else, but this is another one like Rantan, where I think we have to go day by day because of circumstances. We're getting down to decision time on a couple of fronts. The decision of, do we sign? Do we move in this direction? Do we give them the third year when it comes to the contract associations?

Or, hey, do we decide, let's actually look what we could get from on the trade market. And so that's where things stand with Marshan and Rantan. They're different stages of their career, different players, but similar situations where it could go in a couple of directions still with eight days left. And that's the drama of having a deadline. That's why we go on TV for eight straight hours. It's because the truth today really could be different than the truth tomorrow with decisions pending.

Two guys who could be in Vegas Golden Knight uniforms by next week.

Come I'm just kidding.

I'm just kidding. There are other-Sorry, just checking my text, not trying to be rude.

I knew this was going to happen.

I warned about this. We are in that season where CJ Tech checks his phone. I'm sure you're not checking your phone to see that the Ottawa senators have sent down Angus Crookshank and Jan Janik to the Belleville senators. I know you're not looking at that.

No. But I'm glad. Thank you for updating. Look, we got some of Sens listeners, I'm sure. Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah, for sure. I don't expect to be that busy.

The Sens are banged up at the wrong time here.

At the absolute worst possible time, and people are freaking out about it. I also don't expect them to do anything or that much next week. What can you really do when you're up against it with the cap? You can't even afford to put Jacob Bernard-Dauker back in your lineup with him on LTIR. Man, I'm still going to try to find a way to come up with some potential trade targets for a piece I'm working on, but I don't see them being that active. I don't see myself being that busy. I could be wrong. I could be wrong, though. You could tell me different.

No. I mean, look at it. They've been a patient management group. And they definitely have their hands tied with where they're at contractually, but I don't know. I feel like with the playoffs right there, there's almost a symbolic element to going and making a trade that moves the needle, even. I It doesn't mean it has to be a blockbuster. This is where it's hard for GMs, right? Because GMs know... Brian Burke had that quote all those years ago, but I think there is some truth to it. It's like the day of the year where they make the most mistakes. Probably free agency might be more mistakes, quite honestly. But this is a business. You're trying to engage customers. Your players are reacting also to what happens if you're bringing someone in. It's almost a reinforcement that we believe in this team and we just think we're... There's other elements to then just looking at the hockey team on paper and be like, Hey, we can improve this position. I think that there is a reason to make trades, and that's why we see... In my opinion, that's why we see so many trades that day.

A lot of teams are trying to accomplish different things at the same time. I would argue that Ottawa being as close as it is to the playoffs, they could benefit even from the emotional part of making a trade. But easier said behind the microphone than done in reality.

What do you do when you can't do anything, but there's nothing... It actually works better when you say nothing. What do you do when you can't do nothing, but there's nothing you can do? You do what you can.

Well, there's always something you can do. I'm not saying that they can go pick one of the top five names off the trade board and just squeeze that player in and really put a jolt through the market. But there's a lot of players that move on deadline day for a a fourth-round pick that make a negligible amount against the cap that could improve your depth. I guess maybe the argument is, well, do those players actually give you any surge of enthusiasm or excitement? I'm arguing against myself at this point, but there's always something you can do. Look, you're allowed to trade players off your roster, too. If you're in a cap bind, you're allowed to find ways to move money. That's permitted under the rules, not to be sarcastic, but I'm just saying it only holds so much water to say we're cap-strung because Tampa has been cap-strung for a decade. And look at consistently how aggressive Julian Briesba has been and what he's been able to do with his team. The Leaps always find a way to filter a player through a third party. Now, look at it. Now we get to this point.

We're like, Hey, the Leaps don't have a lot in the cupboard. Well, it's because, yeah, they've been burning assets to try to squeeze players under the cap. But there is ways to do it. To put a saying back at you where there's a will, there's a way, you have to really want to do it, you have to be bold, you have to maybe take a risk. I just think where the senators are, knocking at the door, the East being meh. You're right. They're not bringing in a first-line center, but I look at that team and there's just a lot of guys on it after the players, obviously, that have name value and that are making big money. You can't tell me there aren't some upgrades even for a third line or for your third pair or something. I feel like they could be a little better in totality, and that's the job. But look, there's still eight days. I'm with you. I don't think they're going to be in on the big stuff, but there could be some sneaky under the radar moves that move the needle there.

Yeah, we'll monitor that, of course. Is it time for us to talk Leifs Corner? Do you think now is a good time to get to the other team in Ontario?

Yeah, we're late, man. We're 20 plus minutes into the pod. What's going on?

Yeah, okay. That's true. Sorry. You see what I meant about people being sensitive? I'm kidding. Okay. What do you know about the Toronto Maple Leaves plans for their deadline? Braden Chen, we mentioned him a little earlier on. We could touch on him, too. But what do you think will be Brad Treeliving's MO next week?

Well, it seems to me the Leaps want to take a swing. I think that the team, as we're recording now, it sits atop the Atlantic division. They've had a lot of injuries and things this year, and so it hasn't necessarily been perfect. Perfect probably isn't anything worth expecting in this league. But I think that they've put themselves in position where management has to look at the field in terms of the teams they'd be up against, look at where they're at, and conclude that they have another chance to go for it. Let's keep in mind, too, they have one extremely notable player in Mitch Marner, who's unsigned, but also one solid contributor over a long period of time in John Tomaras, who's unsigned. They have a bit an uncertain future for next season and beyond in terms of what their competitive window will look like. I still expect them to be good, but they could fall back a little bit. I think that that's plausible. Right now for the beliefs. It's about getting the best player in for the assets they have. It seems to me, based on what I can tell, the Braden Shen, at least for this moment, is probably their primary target.

Now, there's a lot of reasons this trade won't happen, which is not maybe the way to sell an item on a podcast, but that's the truth. He's got three more years at six and a half million. He's got a no trade clause, very important to underline. My sense is he's quite comfortable in St. Louis, and it's not him necessarily looking for a fresh start or anything like that. There's got to be a sales pitch, whether it's the least or anyone else, to him. It's not certain St. Louis is even going to sell him because they don't have to. They've got years in that deal. I think the contract is a tough one to move, and that may ultimately be what trips us up. But at this point in time, the Leaps have eyeballs on Brad and Shin. I think internally, he's a player that they look at as being someone... You talk about a difference maker. They feel that if they get into a playoff series and they're pulling out Matthews, Tavares, and Shin as the top three centers, or maybe it ends up being Matthews, Shin, and Tavares, depending on how they build the lines, that they match up favorably or much more favorably than they would today against some of the other top teams, be it Florida, Tampa, whoever they end up facing in the playoffs.

That's where it's at with Shauna is that I think there's an immense amount of interest there. I don't know if they can navigate all the things that need to be obligated to even make this happen. But Toronto is in a position where I don't think that they want to give up their best assets for a rental. And so what are their best assets? They don't have a first rounder this year, but teams, I'm sure, are interested in that first rounder in 2026. They have a few prospects that I do know other teams prize, whether it's the Easton Callens, Fraser Mitten, Ben Danford. They've had players they've taken in the first two rounds in the last few years that at least trend towards being NHLers at some point. And so they do have things to move. But can you give up a combination of those assets for a rental? I don't think they're inclined to do that. You never say never, But so you're looking at the players with term that might be available. And so Shane, I think, is at the top of the list. But then you arrive at Scott Laughton, a player in Philadelphia that it does seem like the flyers are at a point where they're willing to move him.

They want a first-round pick for Laughton London, which seems a bit too rich for the Lefs at this point. But he's probably the next option. What's interesting about Laten is he hasn't played center all year. He has of late since they made the trade with Calgary, he's been back in the middle. He's obviously played a lot center over his career. But there's maybe some unknowns there. But those seem to be the guys I think the Leifs probably are most focused on. If you get into rentals, you're into Yoni Gord territory. Maybe they go for a right shot player because at least don't have a right shot center in their NHL lineup. So you got guys like nick Bugestad in Utah. We can get to Utah. No guarantee he's moved, by the way, just because the hockey club is fighting for a playoff spot on the other side of the conference. You've got a Jake Evans in Montreal as a right shot center who's very proficient in the dot. Those are if we're going to plan A being Chen, plan B, say, a lot, and plan C might be one of the rentals Plan D might be Yany Gord.

That's almost what front offices do, too. When we're this far out from the deadline, you're throwing a lot of names. It's because it's almost like the choose your own adventure. The Leifs don't know what the other teams are thinking. They don't know, for example, a player who has a no trade clause might do. They don't even know if they can make a deal just on paper. Forget everything else. And so you have to leave all these other options open. And that's my best sense right now of where the Lefs are at. I do think Shane makes all kinds of sense from the leafs side of the equation. Winner, hard two-way player, can produce from the inside of the ice, where I think in the playoffs, the leafs have been too much of a perimeter team at times. He has a history with Craig Berube. He can be trusted defensively while also bringing a degree of offense. Again, if he's your third-line center, I realize he's, at this stage of his career, what? Maybe a 50-point player, 60-point player at a good year. But he can give them more of the elements they need. I think there's a high degree of comfort with him.

But on the other side here, I don't know that St. Louis is trading him. I don't know that the Blues like the leaves package, and I don't know if Chen himself is even going to wave his no trade clause. That's a lot I don't know is or I'm not sure is or, oh, this is a tough trade to pull together.

Ryan O'Reilly? You mentioned a lot of different names. Ryan O'Reilly, Once Upon a Time, linked to the Toronto Maple leaves. I'm sure we could find a Photoshop of him in a least Jersey somewhere.

Yeah, number 90. Look, I think that something would have to change for that to happen. The predators have told teams, though, they'll listen on O'Reilly, they want to do right by O'Reilly, so they would consider trading him, but it has to be for players young players or young prospects that are close to being NHLers as Nashville turns things over. I just think that ship has sailed. They had that moment in time. I don't sense that O'Reilly is really on the radar as a true option at this point. But maybe if you strike out elsewhere, at this point, I'm not going to rule anything entirely off the table, but that doesn't seem to be as front burner at the moment. I do think a lot of the internal The final focus is on, can they make it work with Shand? I haven't even mentioned the other option here. The Leaps want to get a defenseman at this deadline as well. The good news was Chris Tana, I've left with an apparent shoulder injury in the game on Tuesday. He's not going to be out long term. He'll be back in relatively short order here. That's good for them.

Look, he's their number one shutdown defender. He's been everything you hoped for for the Leaps since they signed him in free agency.

A hundred %.

Just like everywhere else he's played, whether it's Calgary, Dallas, or Vancouver, everyone raves about him internally. But anyway, point being is I think that doesn't change the approach, but it does underline the need for more help, specifically guys who can play on the right side, probably specifically guys who shoot right. It feels like a perpetual need in Toronto, but they're not the only ones. But I think there's a world where if all the stuff I mentioned with the centers falls through and they're, say, adding a cheaper player, maybe a rental player at center, maybe they use some of those more attractive assets they have to trade on a defenseman. Again, I think that's the less likely of the two paths at this point, but it can't be ruled out. I mean, is there a world still where Rasmus Anderson becomes available in Calgary. As much as the Flames say no, and I do think it is a no, who knows? This is where it gets crazy. If the Flames lose a couple of games before the deadline and the playoffs look a little more distant and there's a real trade be made there. I mean, you look at the deal that Vancouver made for Marcus Petterson, you'd have to think Rasmus Anderson could get that return or more.

And maybe Calgary has to think about that. Maybe it's one of the other St. Louis ease. Maybe Toronto and St. Louis have all these discussions on Bray and Chen, but there's a lot of veteran defensemen in St. Louis. I don't even want to toss out names yet because I'm just saying it could pivot in those directions, and I don't have anything verified to say that there's credibility to bet that. But I do think that that's the other option that the Leaps have to explore in the next week is, okay, if we're not getting a true impact or high-level center, and we're not trading our first-round pick or one of these top prospects, do we maybe try to use that on a defenseman? And can we make an upgrade there and really fortify the blue line and make due up front? Those are still the two main things I'm focused on with the Leaps at this stage leading to the deadline.

This is not me trying to put more gas on a fire. Just with Rasmus Anderson, there's ties that make a lot of sense. Oh, yeah. For sure. Just from talking with my guys back in Calgary, this is a guy who it seems like from the beginning of the season, the flames have made it clear that they weren't going to move him. I know there are fans who have looked at him play, and they're like, Oh, maybe they should move him because they're still in that mode of rebuilding and getting assets where they can. I think for drama, like, wow, if it would ever get to that point, I just don't see it if that were to happen. But if it were and the least were to come calling, there's a fit there. I I think Leaps fans would love Rasmus Anderson, the fire that he brings at the back end.

Calgary has already made a trade in season to have a better... Now, that wasn't made with just a short term in mind because it ticked Craig Conroy's boxes in terms of players and Morgan Frost. Joel Faraby. Joel Faraby. Sorry, just had a brain cramp. But younger guys that are part of not just this season, but beyond. But it's hard to go from making that trade at the end of January, start of February, to trading away, a heart and soul guy, in addition to the minutes he plays and everything he does on the ice.

100%.

I'm not saying that's necessarily the likely option, but if you're the Leaps, put it this way, they might come calling on players like that. I I don't think they'll stop there. They're going to be targeting players around the league that can make a real difference on their blue line, again, if they're not getting the center with those assets. If you're in Toronto's position, you're dealing with two... It's like at the same time, there's two things going on. There's not a ton of options, really. When you break it down, I know we got 42 names on the trade board right now, but there's only so many of those names that are of interest to any given team, a buyer like the Leaps. There's not really that many centers. If the If something doesn't come to pass for whatever reason, if they decide, if Philadelphia holds strong, it says it's got to be a first or an equivalent for Laughton, and they're just like, We can't give that up for that player. Then you're getting into a rental type center who's maybe a little cheaper, but you still have the first and you have this. Then you're looking at the blue line, and man, there's not a lot of...

There's some big names. You got a Seth Jones out there, but I don't think that that's where the Leaps are at, obviously, for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you're knocking on doors and seeing what you can make happen. That's the fun of the deadline, is not every player that gets traded is known to be available or even is available until the last minute. I remember even a few years ago when Washington pivoted before the deadline, they traded Dimitri Orlov out of nowhere because they were one of these teams, like a lot of teams right now that were on the cusp of being in the race. But they made that move, later parlayed the first round pick and everything into the Rasmus Sandine trade. Now Sandine part of their blue line, and they're one of the best teams in the league. A lot of things can still play out in these next few days. That's the point I want to hammer home here. Not everything is scripted. The Leaps, I do think, are of a mind to try to take a big swing because this is a season, as I started, who knows what's beyond this?

They do have a strong team. I was talking to another Eastern conference-based executive who said that he looks at the Leaps and actually thinks they're better positioned right now today to have a long play-off run than they've been in the past. He likes the way the roster construction has gone, and he likes what he sees from that team. I think the Leaps have a lot of reasons to feel good about the team, but now you're like, what can be the cherry or cherries on top? What can we do to at least give ourselves the best margin for hope here? They're into crunch time now. It doesn't help. The team is playing every night, it feels like, and they have another back to back Sunday, Monday this week. They're on the road because injuries or anything can change things up. You see Chris Tanev leave after the second shift of a game against Boston. You're like, what does this mean? In that case, it was okay. But there's a lot of different variables I guess, still at play.

One more thing for Leef's Corner. Any update on some potential contract extensions if they're in the making for one John DeVaris and Mitch Marner? Those are two names who have garnered a lot of attention in that regard.

Marner, I don't see it happening. If it hasn't happened yet, I can't imagine why it would. His value is not going down. So if you're on his side of this negotiation, what is compelling He's telling you there's no evidence to say he can't play with this hanging over his head or with this in the back of his mind. He's coming off that star turn for Team Canada, scores in overtime in Boston among the top 10 scores in the NHL. I think if you're him, you're comfortable to ride this out. While the Leaps obviously would like to get him signed, there's a limit to what they're willing to spend at this point in time to do it. I think on both ends of this equation, everyone's comfortable with this. It's not to say the die is not cast about which direction it's going. I think he rides it out. Taveras would more likely want to sign. I think John Taveras has been very clear that he wants to be in Toronto, that his life is based here, that he's invested six and a half or six and three quarters years of his life into trying to help the Leaps get over the top, and he still believes in what they're doing as a team and wants to be part of seeing it get across the finish line.

But at this stage, I don't think the Leaps have engaged on a meaningful way. I think that they want to leave some doors open. They probably have some comfort knowing that Tomaras wants to be in Toronto so badly. The way it was framed to me by someone inside those discussions this week was that it's doubtful that anything gets done by March seventh. I throw that out there with the usual caveats that perhaps the least could come back with an offer that Tomaris can't refuse between now. Everything could change on a dime. But at this point in time, I just don't get the sense that there's any movement towards a deal there. For that big picture, that makes sense to me, if you're the Leaps, why not see what the playoffs hold? Why lock in to even as great... John Towers is still a very good NHL player. He's on pace for 30 goals, 70 points this year plus. Obviously, Mitch Marner is among the most skilled offensive guys in the game. He's trusted defensively. He's a bit of a unicorn. I understand why you want to sign those types of guys because they're hard to come by if you let them go.

But why lock into a core that hasn't got the job done before you know if they've got the job done or even taken some meaningful steps or whatever? So at this point, I wouldn't expect either to be signed. But let's wait and see. Day by day, Julian, we might even talk about this again. Each A successive podcast might be like, hey, it's repetitive. You're hitting on the same names. But that's because things can move and things can change with these guys before March seventh. For sure.

I didn't mean for it to turn to a situation where we'd start hitting into different Canadian teams. We mentioned Winnipeg briefly. We had a little Ottawa moment. We have a leafs corner. I wanted to get to another Canadian team. I want to talk about the Edmondson Oilers, not to mention Vegas again. But they're in a really interesting spot where they have that lead on division, and some of the other teams in that Pacific division are also not playing that well. The Oilers are right at the top of that list in terms of teams not playing well. Losers are four in a row, very intrigued with what they could be doing ahead of the trade deadline next week. What do you think?

Well, they've been tagged with some tough losses out of the break, too. I've been more willing than most for any player that played right to the end of the Four Nations to give those players a pass. But obviously, you look at Conor McDavid stats minus seven in the three games since then. I think it's entirely possible there's been an emotional let down after that, just maybe being physically tired, all those things. I don't want to judge too much on the three games, but it's hard not to look at Edmonton down in the 20s in terms of team save percentage and just wonder about the goal tending. Where management seems to sit on this, Julian, is that they look around the potential options available and just don't see upgrades on Stuart Skinner. But you wonder even when we talk about how things can change in a week, if they don't reverse the tide here, does that pressure mount? Does the internal view of this change? John Gibson is a player that has some trade protection, but he He's willing to go play for the Oilers. Now, there's risk with Gibson. He's been a long time since he's played a game that truly mattered.

He's been on a Ducks team that's been swimming in the wrong end of the standings for a long time. His stats have actually bounced back this season, but he's also splitting starts there and not being a true number one necessarily this season. But I just wonder with Edmondson, they want a defenseman. That's been a known need. They got Travis Dermot back on waivers. They signed John Klingberg, but I still think that they're going to want to bolster that blue line. I see them in the market for another forward to try to balance their top lines. It's like forever the benefit of the curse and having McDavid and Dreisaital, is those guys play so well together, but I think you're always wanting to try to have an ability to play them on separate lines and then go to the nuclear option when it's needed. So I could see them there, but do they risk not making a move in net? Because Stuart Skinner has been up and down. I don't think Calvin Pickard, their backup, anyone... Look, he played games in the playoffs last year in one game, so I'm not... But you're not running with him for an extended period of time as a plan.

And so I just wonder about that. But who else is available? Like, Carol Vamalka, having a decent year again in Utah. Two things there. As I mentioned earlier, Utah has eight UFAs. They're one of the teams that could flip or not. But as of right now, I can tell you unequivocally, they're not of a mind to sell their players. They've done a lot of selling back when they were the Arizona Coyotes, so they've had a lot of draft pick capital. They're in a new city for the first year in Salt Lake City. I think they see value in wanting to get fans excited about the team, doing everything they can to get the playoffs. I think they might even add. On top of that, they've had discussions about an extension with Vamelka. Obviously, he hasn't signed one yet, but he's a pending UFA. How available or not he might be, I think it depends on what happens in the next couple of games for the hockey club. Edmonton is just in a tough spot. This is an all-in or win year for them. Do they trust Skin or not? It's a tough call, I think, for management.

They're feeling some heat there. The fan The base is on this one. Obviously, the local media talking a lot about the goaltending issue. It just feels like if you don't make that trade and we get to the first round, and even if they're overmatched with a team, but they get a bad run of goaltending. Can you pass up this opportunity. I mean, that to me, I think they have to at least consider it, even though at this point in time, their stance 100% is we believe in Skinner. We've seen it last year in the playoffs, and there's just no clear upgrades out there. That's how they're viewing it.

Every year, you have Ronald McDavid and Leon Dreisido on your team, and you're not thinking of making... Not to say the oilers wouldn't be doing that.

They're going to make moves. Don't get me wrong.

They are going to make moves. But I think just you got to do something. I love... Maybe it's just because you mentioned it, it's just immediately in the moment, John Gibson splitting starts with Stuart Skinner could be a remedy. I think that could be something that could work out for him if they were able to make that work.

Yeah. And I think Gibson would welcome that very much so. He wouldn't mind going to Carolina either. And Carolina is another team. You don't know what you're going to get with Freddie Anderson. He's been injured so often and so often at the big moments. So often it comes at the end of a season or right when playoff time rolls around. Obviously, they got Pyotr Kocetkoff, too. But is that enough? I mean, look, Carolina has got enough things to worry about. I don't get the sense necessarily. They definitely have scoured the goal-tending market earlier in the year to see where the upgrades are. I think they actually concluded similar to Edmonton, that there's just nothing out there worth doing because there wasn't there wasn't certainty in the types of moves that could have been on the table for them at that point. But man, you get down to crunch time. This is where GMs aren't sleeping a whole lot because you got to go one way or the other And obviously, if you go the wrong way, you might be regretting it come about April 22nd, give or tell.

I also love the idea of Utah going for it. As we're talking right now, they're only four points out of a playoff spot. And I get that Calgary and Vancouver are also in the thick of that as well.

They think they can reel in one of those teams, though. I like them thinking that way.

And I think the points you made are excellent. First year in a new city, go for it. Make fans be excited about that team? And even if you miss the playoffs, fans could look at that and be like, you know what? There's something there to build on.

Yeah. And look, you might miss the playoffs, but you might play down to game 81 with a chance still to make it. Exactly. You might still They'll have six more weeks of really entertaining hockey and games that get people engaged and excited. It's funny because they're set up perfectly to be a team that sells at the deadline. They just have a lot of useful veteran players that don't make a ton of money, that are rentals, essentially, that they could 100 % make three or four trades, I think, without much struggle. Just also because it's a seller's market right now. And what's interesting is they're set up better than maybe anyone, even better than the other teams at the bottom. If you look at the Anahimes and Chicago's, they just don't have as many rentals. They have some good players, and they have guys that they will trade 100 % by March seventh, but no one is set up better to be aggressive sellers than Utah. It all depends on what the next three games or four games look like, though. I mean, that's just the truth of it. If they lose three in a row between now next Friday, Bill Armstrong might wake up next Thursday morning and be like, You know what?

It's this smart thing to do. We're just too far back. But if they keep winning, I don't see them trading much. And it honestly wouldn't rule out them making a small acquisition. Again, I don't think they're taking a big swing, but they might be fishing in the same pool as teams like the senators and just looking for some players that can fortify things a bit and help them on the playoff run. And so they are 100 % on the seesaw. Like It could go either way. But right now, the internal thinking in Utah is we're not selling anything. We're trying to win.

Before we get to stick taps, two more questions. Give me a player who we haven't discussed today who's on your trade board, or maybe not on your trade board, who's very buzzy, who is top of mind right now.

I don't have that. Honestly, my head is swirling. I know it's such a great question, though. It's a perfect You want me to say something that gets clipped. I tried. It's just my brain is buzzing doing the trade boards. I'm down in the weeds. I'm not thinking about one name per se. I tried. You tried.

If you don't want a name, what about a team? Go ahead. I was going to cut you off.

No, I'm going to say it's not that I don't want a name. I just I don't I don't have the name for you. I don't have- That's okay. A team is... There's lots of teams. Like, Boston, to me, is a team because they have Trent Frederick and Justin Brazzal, players that are UFA's that I think it's a no-brainer they would be trying to move those types of guys. But do the Bruins want to do something bigger? Are they moving out a Brandon Carlo or Charlie Coyle? When we talk about teams that might lean into, Hey, there's not a lot of... This is a seller's market. Maybe this is the time to sell someone. I'm not saying that's going to happen, but I wonder about that. I wonder what the Islanders are going to do just because Lou Lamorello is ever fascinating. Would he actually hang on to Brock Nelson and Kyle Paul-Merry, who, quite frankly, could be two of the best players that end up getting moved at this deadline? If they're moved, both UFAs, both veterans, neither it appears at this point willing to extend or going to extend with the calendars before the deadline.

Does he really hold on to those guys with where they're at in the standings, with what his blue line looks like? I know that a lot of that's injury-based, but they're not... Matt Barzell is out for a while. It just doesn't feel like the cards are lining up for them to actually make a playoff push. You got to wonder what Vegas is going to do. What do the Leaps do? Honestly, I know we just spent a good chunk of time on that, but I do think it will be a hard deadline for them to sell publicly if they don't come away with having maybe made a bit of a risky trade of some sort or a trade where they've given up a fair bit. But the truth is, as much as you might be attached to any of those prospects that I mentioned, When are they really going to be in a position to help you win? I think Toronto is in the stage where they have to just go for it every year now. I don't think long term thinking benefits the least at this point. Even The young guys aren't young anymore. You might have saw it, Mitch Marner's wife's pregnant.

It's easy to think of these guys. Congratulations, of course. But I'm just saying it's easy to think of these guys as kids, but they're not kids anymore. They've been through a lot. And now it's about, can they win? Can they get the job done or not? We know this because we've followed the sport long enough. Very few players spend their whole career in one place. These guys aren't guaranteed to be Leaps forever. What can you get out of that program And so I think it would be very interesting March seventh if the Leaps only end up making small moves. I don't know how that will be received in the market. I would guess probably not too well. So I think there's a lot of heat there. What do Winnipeg and Washington do? The two teams I've mentioned that are at the top of the league. How much do you want to mess? There's a real balance there. There's a definite chemistry thing going on with those groups. How much do you want to mess with that? We've seen Winnipeg in particular, I think, take some big swings in recent years. They've traded a lot of first-round picks, whether it was getting Monahan, Toffoli last year, but you can go way back to the Stasny deal.

Some of those deals that Winnipeg has made have worked out better than others, naturally. So where are they at? Certainly, they're involved in bringing in potentially a center and a defense or at least a forward. But I think that if you're Kevin Sheffel, it's a great problem to have, but you're watching your team win every night. You're like, Well, how many holes do we really got here? And I think Washington also may be less inclined to make a big deal, even as great as they've been. Remember, too, they have Ryan Leonard as a pick who's lighting up the NCAA, who I think could still sign with them after his NCAA season has done a step right in the lineup. A little bit like we saw with Matthew Nye a few years ago in Toronto, He finished up his season in the NCAA Championship, played three regular season games, and was on the least play off roster immediately in terms of actually playing for the team. I think you could see that in Washington, so maybe different there. There's a There's a lot of teams that I sit around going like, wow, there's some interesting calls to be made, and this is why this week is so much fun.

The other thing, Julian, we didn't get into it. We've not seen a meaningful trade since February first.

Yeah, it's been really quiet. That was my next thing. You've mentioned the fact that it's been a seller's market. It's a little too quiet.

No, don't do that.

I'm not trying. If we saw seven big trades in the last four days, we'd be doing this pod going, what's There's a lot left.

Oh, yeah, that's true. Do you know what's great? There's a lot left. There's a lot left. I don't know when the cork is going to come off the bottle here, but it's inevitably coming. There's going to be a flood of activity. Let's hope it saves as much up till next Friday, but history tells us it's going to come before then. Probably at the least opportune time when I'm wanting to do something on my weekend, it's probably when it's going to happen. Maybe it's Friday night at 11: 30 or something PM. But point being is we still got a lot of action to come, and that's exciting, too.

Past history shows that Friday night has been a good time for NHL Trade activity these last couple of weeks. So you just put that And to the existing. And years. Yes, and years, too.

I remember this, personally, but Ryan O'Reilly was trading to the Leaps at 11: 00 PM on a Friday night. Toronto made another Friday night deal last year for the defenseman struggling for his name. Oh, God. Plays in Dallas now.

I don't know why my brain's...

Nice guy. Anyway, point is, Friday night trades are in vogue this time of year, so don't make plans. If you're a hardcore hockey fan, just stay glued to X on Friday night. Stay in. Snowy outside anyway.

It is snowy outside. It's not snowy where I'm at, actually.

It is in Toronto right now. I'll tell you what else is happening.

What else is going down?

I'm flying to Mexico two days after the trade deadline, so that's nice, too.

Are we going to do... So how's it going to work? We're getting a postmortem before you go.

Of course. Yeah, and we'll do shows when I'm there. But I'm just saying that I'm looking forward to getting out of the winter because as awesome as the Four Nations was, man, Man, it was winter hell. Both cities, cold, snowy, blowy, windy, travel disruptions with all that snow in Montreal, the whole bit. So I'm about ready to get through this deadline and get a little sun on this pale skin.

You deserve a break, too. You've been going at it for the last how many weeks, of course.

Yeah. I don't know if my bosses would agree, but I'm mentally, I'm personally about ready for that break. But we got to charge through the deadline here still.

I know some of your bosses pretty well. I'm sure they would... I'm sure they felt you've worked pretty hard these last few weeks. Stick to that before you go.

You got to go first.

I'll just give to quit in piefield. Qb went... Qb1 earlier this week, the four-assist game. Still thinking about that insane backhand pass. I forgot to finish the play, but dude had an intense game earlier this week. I think it's worth giving him the stick tap for that. Why not? I think we're allowed to give stick taps for insane incredible performances when we can. Awesome. I'll give it to him.

I don't think I have one today. Wow. To be honest, I'm I'm not over the Four Nations yet. I know the games are back up and running, but I'm still living in the past. I'm scrolling through my social media and you're still seeing stuff on there. Obviously, the K'Chucks had a nice run between Matthew going on with Jimmy Fallon and both brothers on the The New Heights show. The New Heights show, yeah. I got to check that out. Hearing them break down how the group text went and all that. I'm still living in the past a little bit. I can't even I would say it's our first show since that tournament ended where I could do a stick tap because we did one on the Friday morning after last Thursday's final. So I can't really stick tack the tournament, but I need one more week of actually reintegrating back into of life because that tournament, honestly, was next level. Even a week later, I'm still buzzing about it, and I'm a little sad it's gone just because with due respect, there's still great games in the league. It hasn't quite been the same thing since.

That's okay. Look, I promise we're going to get right back to that intensity sooner than you know it.

Do you know what? I'll give a pre-stick tap to Columbus. That's a city that gets kicked in the knees a lot. It's a place I've always loved going. They got the outdoor game this weekend there, and they have a team somehow against all odds, not to make light of anything they've been through, of course, as an organization, but just how are they in the playoffs right now? Good for them. And it's so cool that this outdoor game actually means something in the standings. It's not just a celebration of whatever, which it could have been. Obviously, Detroit had a great run since making the coaching change after Christmas. Those points that are available in that game are huge. And obviously, Columbus is one of the few markets that they've never had their team, even as a visitor in an outdoor game, they get to host one. And so I will give a pre-stick tap because I know Columbus is going to show out. And I do think that they're at times a bit of a forgotten place, but actually a sneaky good hockey market, and the Blue Jackets have been a sneaky good team this season.

Underrated city. I think the one time I was at Nationwide Arena, it was a really cool atmosphere. I like Columbus.

It upsets me, though, that the league is insisting on bringing a louder canon somehow to the football stadium. The canon is the one thing I don't love. But I mean, I get why. If you're a fan of the team, you love that nobody else loves it. It's your thing.

Have I ever shown you my video of me getting shook by the canon? Have you ever seen that?

No, but I mean...

Yeah.

I don't have video of it, but I always get rocked by that thing.

Oh my God. Anyway. We'll extend your stick tap not to the cannon.

As As our producer, donkeyface, points out in the chat, too, we should be stick tapping the k'chucks for growing the game because in all seriousness, it was cool to see them doing the circuit this week. I had no problem with it. I realized their team finished second in the tournament. I don't have any issues with I think the more we can get our game... I've never seen anything like even during that term, but even the week since, the places where hockey is being discussed, it's awesome. We all know, anyone who's listening to this podcast is probably a hardcore hockey fan. Julian, you and I are hardcores. The Sdpn, we're all hardcores. We don't need to sell the game to us. We already know what's great about this sport, but a lot of people are still discovering it. And I think the K'Chucks are a great entry point for the game in the league to do that.

Yeah, I'm in agreement with that, too. So, yeah, you can count that as a lot of love we give.

So I went from no stick taps to seven stick taps.

All these people can get a stick tap. That's totally fine. We're all about showing out and showing love to whoever is deserving of it on the CJ show. Get your questions in now for the next Ask CJ. Will we have emergency shows between now and the deadline?

Maybe. My phone is blown up. We got to wrap this thing up, bud.

All right, let's get on out of here. Get your questions in for the next show. Talk to you guys next week.

The Chris Johnston Show. Follow Chris on Twitter @reporterchris, and follow Julian at JKA McKenzie. The Chris Johnston Show.