Oilers Playoff Preview!

This episode of TORP sees Faiz and Greg discuss the upcoming playoffs, how the Oilers might do, some playoff picks, and more!

Subscribe to our channel!

Follow all our socials!

Edmonton Oilers coverage
🛢️ Website: https://theoilrig.ca
🛢️ Facebook: https://facebook.com/oilrigEDM
🛢️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/oilrigedm
🛢️ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/oilrigedm.bsky.social
🛢️ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/oilrigEDM
🛢️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oilrigedm

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Oil Rig Podcast, The Torp. This is our playoff preview edition. Um, and as always, I'm FaZe, and I am being joined by Greg. Hello. Hello. Uh, so it's the best time of the year. It's it's playoff hockey time, it's the first round, which is always just a crazy, crazy time. And luckily the Oilers did, in fact, make it, despite maybe some worries earlier in the season.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Some tense moments, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

I mean, you know, they at least, at least, you know, they went out with a bang against Vancouver in the last game to really show, you know, some dominance, and they're not sleepwalking necessarily into the playoffs, which is kind of a concern. I mean, they don't want to be coming in slow, I'd say that's for sure.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

Well, all season it kind of like we've been saying, like, oh, they're they're their game is gonna round into form, they're gonna win three in a row. Trust me, guys, they're good. They did it quite yeah, and who knows? I I think that we probably haven't even seen their like best and most consistent yet. So I'm expecting big things.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Well, and I mean, you know, the last stretch, not having Dry Side or not having Hyman, uh, like obviously those are big losses. So the fact that the team was able to be over 500 is kind of impressive in that sense, at least.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Yeah, help them scrape and crawl uh claw a little bit. I mean, like it maybe you could argue it gave some room for other players to step up, like Savoy. Yeah, and he did. Or Samansky. Uh this is like, yeah. Yeah, so some some positives from the obvious negatives of Dry Saddle being injured. And maybe that's a good place to start phase. Like all the injuries the Oilers have, who's gonna be back and when?

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Yeah, like well, I mean, today Dry Saddle was practicing on like a regular line on the second line. Um, so that's encouraging for sure. Like there's no reason you would I know the game, you know, we're two days away, three days away from the game, so you know you can make the argument it's just to see how he's doing. But I think that, you know, I think that's that's a good sign. And I think knowing how com competitive he is, um, he if the injury is not if an extra day or two isn't gonna make a difference to the to the injury, he's gonna play, I think is my take on it. Um, and then I mean Dickinson, they said he's gonna he skated today on his own, I think, and he's gonna practice on Sunday. I would expect he's maybe not gonna be ready for game one. I mean, we don't know what his injury is. It was like the shin or ankle or something, so I mean, I'd expect he obviously would also want to play if he's healthy enough, you know, he's not full health. Max Jones, though. I mean, he was in crutches yesterday uh in the Vancouver game. So yeah, he's still, I think, two, three weeks out at least.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

Yeah, I mean, Dry Saddle obviously is a huge one. We've seen him just be excellent through the playoffs like hobbled before. So I you hate to like take the uh the excellence for granted, but I've assumed that would be the case. Dickinson's an interesting one because his he's kind of fulfills like a unique role on the roster. I mean, I think there's a lot to be encouraged about like how Samansky played, maybe. I think that's huge. Yeah, so uh but yeah, definitely it's nice that it seems like both of them will be back at some point, even if it's not game one, you know. The Others have a definitely like a long they can't look past the ducks, who are a very interesting team in their own right. But yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

I I know, I I think everyone was I think everyone in Edmonton was was rooting for this situation to to get home ice and be against the ducks. So I'm always weary when that happens, uh you know karma or the hockey gods being like, okay, the monkey paw this you got what you asked for kind of thing. Right. But I mean I think the others stack up well against Anaheim. I think it's I'm assuming it's gonna be a track meet. Like I don't think either team is gonna be playing shut down defense.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

No, the ducks are the ducks are super interesting because like obviously they're the young team, lots of kind of players coming into their own, like um lots of new faces, they're kind of getting their first crack at the playoffs here, and they're also interesting because like they are a good offensive team. And you look at the roster and it seems really good, but they're really not they haven't really like necessarily learned to win yet. Like if you look like they're giving up a ton of chances still, their special teams are not good, you know. Like they're leaving a lot of meat on the bone. I think they're they're gonna continue to improve, you know. But I mean, whereas you look at the Oilers, it's like the power play is obviously amazing. The penalty heals are ending into form. I think there's a lot more reason to believe they could shut it down a bit where the ducks look like destined to like it's Lucas Dostal against the world.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

It's just yeah. Dusty's the reason why I'm like a little worried about the ducks is we've seen before how big of a part a goalie can play. Um, so that's the scary thing, is he is good enough to do that. I mean, the other thing too is the ducks are stumbling into the playoffs here. Oilers are you know, kind of ramping it up, if you will, if you want to look at it that way in any event. But so you just gotta hope that you can pounce on them early, I think. I think if you can really in that first game, especially, like in that first period, if you can really take it to them. Again, it's a young team, so you can maybe get to them in that sense. I mean, like in terms of, yeah, like their top four scorers are 21 years old, 20 years old, 19 years old, and 24 years old. Like it's it's a young, young team. And they've got some, sure they have some, you know, decent veterans in like Kreider, Granland, um, Truba, and Carlson, obviously, um that they can draw on. But yeah, I think I think you know, the Oilers, you can't take them for granted, for sure. Um, and I think you need to come out hard and really just there's no easing into to this this first round.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Yeah, no, the Ducks, yeah, a young, explosive team for sure. Like, I'm it's I'm excited to see like how some of their players do in their first playoff action. Like, I mean, Cuttergote obviously had like a great season.

unknown 6:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:44

Leo Carlson, I mean, we talked about him a bit in our Olympic episodes, like how important I would was thinking he was gonna be for Sweden, just kind of like as their top center back at Seneca. I mean, just kind of coming into his own, scratching the surface.

unknown 6:58

Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

No, Verbique, the GM there is like he made all these interesting picks. Everyone thought it was gonna be Fantilly or someone else, he's always going in his own direction. So it's nice to see like his convictions pay off in a way, like of their young players, maybe Mason McTavish is having like kind of a tough season. But a lot of them have have worked out really nicely. A lot of his big gambles here. Yeah, of course, the the veteran offshoots like Kreider and and Truba cast off from the Rangers. Yeah, finding a way to you know, stay around and be useful. So yeah, definitely like there's some young defensemen that like them adding John Carlson was really big, obviously. But getting after their young defensemen, like really making life tough for uh Jackson Lacomb, who's uh their top defenseman, is gonna be like uh yeah, yeah, definitely uh something to watch for in the series.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

Yeah, because I mean like I mean Gudis, I guess is another defenseman, good as and truer defensemen to watch just in terms of dirty play. You know, play, yeah. Uh no, I'm gonna stick with dirty play. They show time and time again that they're dirty players. Yeah, well, they're not they don't get any respect for me in that. Wow, okay. They hit to they don't just hit to hurt, they hit hurt, hit to injure. I think those are two different things. But so that's the one thing is like you always just need to make sure that when those two are on the ice, that they're you keep your head up. I mean, they've also got upfront like Frank Fachano is obviously a a decently uh aggressive guy and stuff, but I really think it's you can play these good parts for sure. Um but I don't know. I think it's yeah, it's a good matchup for the Oilers. I mean, realistically, I'd say the only real bad matchup that could have happened was Colorado.

SPEAKER_02 8:58

So that would have been a tough, tough one in the first round.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Well, I mean the funny thing is it's not even just playing them in the first round. It's even if you beat them, then you're playing one of Dallas or Minnesota next. Like it's not an easy path.

SPEAKER_02 9:13

Right. I mean, to me, like those three in the central, and then the Oilers and the Knights, that would be kind of like the the favorites of the West. I know that's like more than half the teams.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

I think one of these eight teams is gonna make it out of the West. That's my Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

I mean, the Oilers obviously they should feel really good. I think like they've like owned the Western Conference for the past couple years here. Yeah. I think, yeah, just even though like the regular season maybe wasn't as impressive as some other teams, it's like to me, you know, they still deserve the benefit of the doubt in some extent. Especially if I'm gonna just try to predict what's what's happening. Like I still have to go out there and earn it, obviously, but like they they've shown that they can do that. I think that this team, comparing it to last year's team or the year before, I think it's hard it'd be hard to argue that this is a weaker team.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

Uh I think it's a it's a it is a less experienced team for sure.

SPEAKER_02 10:11

Um that could be a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

But like I think, you know, with the injuries to Dry Sylvan Hyman, what it did was it allowed other players to have to step up. And like you mentioned Savoy at the top and you know, put Coles in, Roslavic, even Kapanen to an extent. Like all these guys started to Frederick's been playing great. Like now we have that fourth line of like Frederick, Doc, and Simansky. Right. Is just like the the best kind of fourth line you could have in a playoff, I think. Like all big boys who hit um Samansky is very defensively responsible. Frederick isn't necessarily a slouch in that area either. So like I think like it's that, you know, there's that part of it. And then again, now you've got Savoy up on the first line, which allows you to have like a third line with one of like Nugent Hopkins or Roslavic and Roslavic. The depth is there. It's just obviously it's not the battle-tested depth we've had the last two years when it was like Perry and Brown and Jan Mark and those kinds of guys.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Yeah. I mean, like from two years ago, I thought like having McLeod, like that kind of shutdown center, was uh really useful thing. So I think that that's part of the reason why I'm excited for Dickinson. Obviously, like Savoy, the Savoy trade looks like really good, obviously. Uh but you now to have kind of Dickinson filling in in that McLeod role is like you got your cake and you're eating it too, after that go. So yeah, I think in in some key areas, like obviously, I think, especially against the Ducks, like getting off the start here. You mentioned it was gonna be like a river goat riverboat gamble series of like lots of offense. I think that should be the expectation for sure, but I think of the two teams, the Oilers kind of they have what it takes to be like a much um much better defensive team than their work through the whole season shows. I think like as the season has gone, they've kind of been rounding into form with glimpses of it at least. Yeah, I I agree.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Like I the one thing I guess I would say that I'm be cautious, and I think the others need to be cautious of, I would say like if this does become a track meet with a younger team, you can't necessarily get into the bad habits. Like, like you say, like focus on being defensively responsible as well, because you're gonna need that in the next round, right? Um so I think it's you still wanna, you know, if you have the chance to run them out of the building, obviously do it. But I think I think the big thing is is making sure to continue to focus on strong team play, which they've been doing over the last little while, I think. So it's not a big deal. But I I would just say that's the one concern of a track meet first round.

unknown 12:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

And the Ducks have had like tons of like games with comebacks and big lead changes. Uh yeah, they're in to some extent, like they're just like kind of a young and inexperienced enough team that they're going to make mistakes. Like uh in some ways they might like beat themselves. Uh I mean, obviously if you're the Oilers, you're hoping for that. Whereas like, you know, the Oilers, like, I don't know, I think like you can afford to be like a little patient. Like you don't have to you don't have to be up five nothing after the first, you know. Like if you're down by a goal or two, like you can't like uh lose your structure. You know, there's gonna be yeah, different different opportunities, I think, to get the oilers to find a way back into a game that they're down, you know, without um cheating too much.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

No, I agree completely. It's I think at the very least though it'll be fun. Like I'm so glad we're gonna see the gangs because those series tired of the games. They're just I'm tired of them. I and it's like they just they was fun, I think, the first like three years. I think it was. The first two years was fun, the third year was like kind of fun. Last year because it wasn't fun because it's just and especially this year, like they're they're just two different types of teams, and so it it's not entertaining hockey necessarily. I think so that's why I'm happy about this. I think all the series actually everyone talks about you know the playoff format, blah blah blah. I actually think all the series this year they could all be fun. Like I want to watch every single series. There I don't think there's one where I'm like, uh, I don't like Colorado, LA, I think is actually gonna be a fun series to watch because Colorado's so good. But you know, LA's got the hot hand right now, and and Anz like Anzai Copatar's last season kind of vibes. Yeah. Minnesota, two of the best teams. Vegas, Utah, I think is gonna be fun. Um Pittsburgh, Philly is always a good time.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Like the only one I think you can maybe argue is Carolina, Ottawa, but even then, like Yeah, it's there there are like it's a fun battle of opposites there where the hurricanes is like they've been so successful for so long, but maybe ma lacking like the star power. And then the Sens, they kind of do have the star power in a way, you know, like they've got you've got Jake Sanderson as a legit number one defenseman.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

You've got Linus Allmark who, when he's on his game, is uh has no trophy winner. Sure, sure. Up front as a franchise player. You've got I mean you've got Brady Kick Shot, but whatever. Um no, they're a good team, like they've got the pieces.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Yeah, that's an interesting upset watch for sure. Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

I was gonna say my upset watch though would actually be Montreal over Tampa. I is that really an upset, I think. Okay, I guess that's a question. Some people would call it an upset, some people wouldn't.

SPEAKER_02 16:08

Yeah, Montreal. Yeah, that that seems like a fun bandwagon to be a part. I mean Yeah, um yeah, uh it is like maybe one of the themes of this playoffs is like there's so many teams that I think a neutral observer can be happy about that they made it. Like you talked about Kings and the Copadar last season, the Mammoth and their first time ever, the Ducks making it for the first time with this core, the Sabres finally making it, you know, like Crosby back in it. Uh so yeah, there's lots of like yeah, teams that it's it is a big change over a year in a way. Like, because it's not like oh maybe the bottom two teams in each conference like whipped out and someone different made us. Like there's some some real players that it's it's very different from like last year's playoffs, if you're thinking.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Well, that because I did the bracket challenge for our uh win column sports. So I thought uh uh guess who my two teams are in the finals.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

I'm gonna guess that you have Edmonton and Pittsburgh just for Stu Skinner, your old boy.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

I was I wasn't hearing about that, I wasn't hearing about that. You know, Stu versus John Stu coming back, Crossy versus McDavid. But I actually I have Pittsburgh losing to Montreal in the in the conference finals.

SPEAKER_02 17:27

Wow. The all Canadian final. I haven't done my bracket yet, so I can't I can't speak to what I what I would do, what I would have. I mean, it's interesting to kind of put myself in like the shoes of like I don't know, like the stars. I mean, that's gonna be a tough one. I mean, they're kind of turning into the Hurricane West, where it's like they're making it to the conference final, and then every year they run into Edmonton. How is this year gonna be different?

SPEAKER_00 17:55

You know, like I have in mind this year too. I know like they've got like injuries this year, and so I I was like a little hesitant to pick them over Minnesota, but I don't know. And Minnesota, I just don't I don't have confidence in Minnesota. I think Dallas, I think I just have confidence, and I think I have them beating Colorado. Yeah. Like to win the central. I'm not a huge, like I I'm not gonna say I'm confident about that pick, but yeah, Colorado is interesting.

SPEAKER_02 18:25

Like it's funny how much like maybe this bleeds into like the Norris conversation too, is like that one cup. It's funny how like how much credit that gives them, like unquestioned. Yeah. It's like have they even won a round since then, you know? I guess Kadri's back, so maybe they have a chance. But like yeah, no, I mean they've been really disappointing in the playoffs recently. Last year was like half Dallas is a tough first round series for sure. Dismite them, basically. But yeah, obviously they're they're dangerous. The second half of the season, they have not been as good. Like they were really just like cruising off that. Yeah, I was gonna say you're just cruising through it. Yeah, so it's definitely it's definitely gonna be tough for them.

unknown 19:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:23

Yeah. On the east side, I don't know who I would like. Like, I mean, Ottawa's so interesting because if they can beat the hurricanes, like the flies and the penguins are kind of unproven. The metro is just like completely wide open, like what a mess. Whereas obviously the Atlantic is the opposite.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

It's it's basically the central, the central and the Atlantic are the same. And then Pacific and Metro are the same. The pillow of the pillow fight.

SPEAKER_02 19:56

The pillow fights. That's gotta be Nick David's best work. That's a great line. I mean, all the heart trophies are won. The consmyth on a losing team as a skater, unbelievable, but that was a good that was up there too. Classic. Yeah. I don't know why. I don't even know who who I'm really cheering for outside of the Oilers and some of these other skins, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:19

I I would I I'm cheering for Utah, I think, you know, first year, nice story. Also, they're playing Vegas, so Vegas is an issue for sure. I think the teams I would be, I mean, the only thing is I don't want Utah to obviously win because they'd have to go through the Oilers to do that. But I think in in the West, if I had to pick one other team outside of Edmonton, that I would be like bandwagoning, I guess. It probably would be Utah. And then in the east, I mean I said Montreal already, and I mean the only other option would maybe be Buffalo, but I I like Montreal better than Buffalo.

SPEAKER_02 20:56

Yeah, I mean, I I wouldn't mind some of these teams. Like Pittsburgh, I could I could get behind McFarland. Uh Crosby's final final cup kind of thing. Last down, you know. We'll see. Uh he's got a lot of years left, in my opinion. But maybe with the three that people talk about, like Malkin and Latang, maybe closer to the end. I mean, obviously the Skinner angle would be hilarious, even though like it might just as well be she lost there, like Yeah. But also just yeah, this is truly the best time. I think this first round is just chaotic, especially if you have a lot of days off where you could just watch the whole time.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Man, like like the first day of the playoffs, it's Saturday, it's a triple header.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Yeah, no, that's true. That's true. And then the Oilers start on Monday, which obviously is beneficial to them, uh, just with the injury situation.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:59

That Take those extra days where you can get them. And the ducks, like Gudus is kind of like they say day-to-day, but they don't really have any like huge injuries. So, I mean, obviously people are more banged up than being led to believe. Yeah. But but but yeah, it probably does really benefit the oilers at this matchup is like coming through on just in a daylight, you know.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Like yeah, that that in itself, definitely. Like it'll be interesting to say the least. It's gonna be 20 degrees in Edmonton 2, I think, on Monday. So just, you know, the weather.

SPEAKER_02 22:40

Easy, yeah. Yeah.

unknown 22:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

I don't know. Did you want to hit anything else? Like, do you want to do any Bouchard Norris talk?

SPEAKER_00 22:51

We already did that. Yeah. So like you had talked about McDavid Hart. I mean it's so it's it's such an interesting year for the regular season awards. Um and especially in Edmonton, right? Like you've got Bouchard for the Norris and McDavid for the heart. And it's just like there's just so many competing narratives going on and and criteria being thrown around. And it always happens, but it's it's crazy this year, just how everyone, every defenseman and every player who's up for either of these awards, you can make a different argument based on a different criteria, essentially. So, you know, Kale McCar is in the conversation for Norris, not necessarily because he's had the best season, but because everyone just has accepted he's overall the best defenseman in the league on any given day. Right. But it's like that's not what the Norris is for. The Norris is for the best defenseman this season. So, no, and then the funny thing then is like, okay, if you want to make that argument for Makar, then guess what? You have to give the heart to McDavid, right? Like you can't then say, oh, but it's the most, you know, who's the best for their team or blah, blah, blah. It's like, no. You're gonna say McCarr deserves the Norris for being the overall best defenseman in general, McDavid gets the heart for being the overall best player in general. I don't agree with either of those interpretations. I want to be clear. But, you know, let's be trying to be consistent in what people are saying. And then it's like point, it gets to the conversation as it always does in the Norris of how important points are supposed to be, even though nine times out of ten, the highest defenseman gets it. In this case, Bouchard is what, 11 points ahead of the next like defenseman? Stats are actually like really good. It's just a bad 10-game start, and just people watching him, like watching just the mistakes that get posted on Twitter and stuff, and then they make a decision based on that. Sorry, he's 14 points up. Yeah. Like that is a third-pairing defenseman amount of points. But so like and like I think with Rerensky, I was kind of on not bored per se, but I was like, okay, I can kind of understand him winning it, but then down the stretch, doesn't make it. He was fading during that stretch. It brings a couple of yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

Did you see that bonus uh press conference the season? Some people are are looking at that basically for those that didn't see it, as he's just on a tirade about I mean it does seem to be his classic. He did it with Winnipeg a few years ago where Yeah. Um where he just kind of like ripped his team's effort and care level. What was it, 23 giveaways and three hits? Yeah, so season on the line, and that's what he put up. Like and but anyways, a lot of people are kind of like probably unfairly, because Will Rensky's is like a really great player, but they're saying, well, maybe he's part of the problem. Maybe he's one of the guys that is kind of like wilting in these big moments.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

So I mean it yeah, so again, it's it's hard to say because he's and then again though, the Norris is not the the like again, the heart, the the issue that always comes up with the heart is most valuable to his team. The Norris is not most valuable to his team. So he can say yeah, so so the the Norris is really the MVP on defense, right? Like that's how it should be. And that's why I think Bouchard should get it. I think you can make arguments for Woransky, Dalin, and even Hudson. Um there's a whole thing about like he doesn't play any penalty kill. Like he doesn't. And there's also the fact that like he actually has like the most even strength goals against when he's on the ice kind of thing. That it got worse when he moved to Minnesota from going to Vancouver. Wow. Like I think it's I think it's Bouchard, Hughes, uh sorry, Bouchard, Dallin, Waransky with an outshot at outside at Hudson. If if the winner is any of those four, uh I um whatever, even if Bouchard doesn't win, I just think if Makar or Hughes wins, it's it's just not yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

Well, it has been interesting to see people kind of like admitting that they went back to the tape on Bouchard. We're like, oh you know, I was tough. Yeah, uh no, exactly. Uh but I think like a Friedman is is saying that he's definitely not gonna be alone, you know. It's obviously it's a challenge to watch all the teams and really have like a full feel. Totally.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

It's also your job as well. You're a professional hockey. You're getting you get paid to watch hockey and talk about it. Like you're obviously not gonna watch every game, but yeah, like to say that on game 81, you're gonna go back and start looking, it's not great. I will say, like, there's been it has been funny watching a lot of the you know panels that have been happening recently about the Norris, and you've seem to have like the one guy who is just spouting you know old cliches about just Makar being the best and and all these things, then saying how bad Bouchard is. And then you have another guy on the panel being like, well, actually, no, Bouchard's are this good. This like you have one guy in every single panel right now being like, he's not even in the conversation. Then you have a guy being like, no, he arguably is the best defenseman this year, and what you're saying is wrong. So it's at least that kind of gives me some some hope of the fact that there are people who are like, no, like let's not be so denigrating to to Bouchard. Right. I don't think he's gonna win. I think he should. I don't think he's going to.

SPEAKER_02 28:32

In some ways, like um left off Team Canada is where he lost.

SPEAKER_00 28:39

Which is not supposed to be.

SPEAKER_02 28:41

Yeah. It's like and because like whether it's right or wrong is like when these national teams or best on best teams are selected and you're left off it, that's like taken as just the truth, like undeniably. So, you know, like I think things would be different if he was on that team. People would probably be recognizing, like, oh yeah, he does this award. The other thing, like, just yeah, the other thing that like the Norris is funny, like, because it historically it does usually go to the guy with the most points. Um, and I don't necessarily think that that is how it should go, but that is 100% the pres precedent. And of course, it's it's when Bouchard is 14 points up on the next guy that all of a sudden it's not an open and shut case.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

Well, I mean, you know, like last time weather's defenseman led the league in points, he didn't even get a single Norse vote. Oh my goodness. Nice and very much.

SPEAKER_02 29:45

Not when I was fired. I think everyone was like, yeah, no, no, but it does uh it does like make me think of um those defensemen that are kind of like lost in the shuffle for this award. Like I think about Miro Heisken in Dallas or Jake Sanderson, who you brought up in Ottawa, or Jacob Sullivan, Carolina, where it's like they're super good. Maybe the best in the league, but not offensively inclined enough to really garner much attention that way, you know. Yeah, no worries.

SPEAKER_00 30:26

Yeah, no, and I agree. Like, and that's like, yeah, more its cider's another guy.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

That's a good one.

SPEAKER_00 30:32

Is it best defenseman? What what does that mean, right?

unknown 30:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

I think it's just you're and you're never gonna have a perfect definition, and like having an offensive defenseman award then just becomes the R Ross of defense, which maybe is fine. Yeah, it's the best overall defenseman. Right. Maybe that does make sense. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 30:53

I like you know how in baseball they do like the the gold gloves. Yeah. It's like a whole team of best defense. Like part of me thinks of like the Selkie, like, imagine maybe you don't have to get rid of the Selkie, but have like, you know, the golden stick or whatever, like the all defense first team kind of thing, you know. You could do that for sure. But I don't know. It's meaningless in the end because there's only one trophy that really works. Um well, yeah. I mean uh this is just McDavid fatigue. It's like the opposite of Bouchard.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

I think you know what's fine though? Up until like what the last up until especially dry soil got hurt, I I was like, Yeah, I don't know if McDavid it should always be in the conversation. But it's like, you know, it it maybe this is not necessarily a year of fatigue. But then he's he turned it up. And again, like he needed to, yeah. The Oilers only won games when he got a point. They didn't win a single game where he didn't get a point. How is that not the most valuable point? Right? So like I look at it and I'm like, you know what? I think that does deserve the heart. And I mean, you can talk about Kutrov McKinnon. I think they're val obviously they're valuable to their teams, but uh, I think at the end of the day, the only other person who had a real argument was Celebrini, but then with the Sharks not making it to the playoffs, it becomes a harder argument to give the heart to someone like that. But like if I was voting, McDave would get the one. I'd probably put Celebrini at too, to be honest, just because he doubles his most next uh next teammate. Like that's how Taylor Hall won. Well, that's exactly and that's kind of it. So that's again the difference is I mean, again, the heart is most valuable to their team, whereas there's the uh the the Lindsay, which is that is basically the most outstanding player. Most outstanding. So at least you have that dichotomy in this. It's unfortunate because realistically the heart is the more prestigious trophy. But at least you have that, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:59

So which is interesting. Because like the heart is voted on by like the writers and the Lindsay's voted on by the players.

unknown 33:08

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

And is it interesting that one gets all the attention of the other. No, I mean, but like I think that's part of like having won so many awards and like the how McDavid has been just kind of like dominating this conversation for so long is like not only do you need to beat your peers um in terms of being the most valuable, but like you also need to beat like your previous self. Like you were saying, like, oh yeah, he was having a good year, but like not great for him, like just regular. Okay. This is only the s the second highest point he's put up in his career this year, the finest year of doing that. Yeah, yeah. Like no one's astounded or surprised anymore. Uh so yeah, definitely two major awards that um Oilers are deserving of, whether it happens or not. We'll see. Uh I mean, it doesn't matter that much, really. I mean, I guess like in the grand sense of history, like, especially for Bouchard, like winning this north would really maybe change like how he's perceived. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

Well, I mean, I mean, I guess you can say that, but you can also look at someone like PK Suban who won it, and I don't or even Eric Carlson, and I don't think their wins changed people's perspectives.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

Yeah. That's a good point, I guess. Especially Suban, like Carlson had a while there where he was like he was the second best player in the world, you know. Like when he was on the sense, like before his injuries kind of caught up to him, it's like he was the fourth on his own. I remember there was that one playoff run he had some just like insane plays.

SPEAKER_00 34:46

Like was that the one where you had like that that saucer?

SPEAKER_02 34:49

Huge saucer pass that conic man. I think it was Hoffman. I think I could be wrong. Do you ever know the good times when you're in a situation? But yeah, Suban is an interesting comparable, obviously, just because of like they're very like polarizing. They were both kind of like left off various team candidates. PK made it, obviously, to one. But he made it, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:20

Um, so yeah. Curious. Curious. I mean, like you said though, none of that really matters right now. All that matters is the playoffs and the the uh the duck. The cup and the yeah, let's start with the ducks.

SPEAKER_02 35:33

Let's start with the ducks.

SPEAKER_00 35:34

Start with the ducks and then we just go from there.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

No, I don't yeah. I'm really excited to s to see the ducks for sure. Um see kind of their like personality come out, especially if the young players like it's gonna be a big introduction for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 35:50

100%.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

We'll see. All right, FaZe. Do you have anything else? Or I think that's enough, right? Yeah, I think that's good. We talked about some stuff.

SPEAKER_03 36:00

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 36:07

Yeah. All right, guys. Well, hopefully you enjoyed mining Greg's ramblings about the playoffs and what's gonna happen. Uh, if Montreal does make it to the finals, you heard it from me first. If they don't, I never said it. And we'll see you guys uh probably after the first round. We'll probably throw another episode together, I think.

SPEAKER_02 36:28

That sounds good. I uh I will say for those watching on uh uh audio only, Aza's got like his coach's like windbreaker on with a boiler's pad. So I'm in coach mode, I'm not in air mode.

SPEAKER_00 36:46

I live right across the ring. I'm right across from the rink here.

SPEAKER_02 36:49

Like if they need uh they need someone to hop over and give them a timeout speech, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

All right, thanks so much. But yeah, thanks everyone for listening. Hopefully it'll be a fun playoff. Like this, like we said, it's gonna be a wild ride this year, I think, in the first round. Uh check us out. Uh check out what Greg and I will be writing about the playoffs at theoilerrig.ca, and we'll catch you on our next episode, hopefully talking about the Oilers second round knocks on all the wood.