The boys review the 1st pre-season game. A look ahead @ game #2. Would you prefer Swayman or Markstrom between the pipes? Is this gonna be the year the Devils put it all together?
[00:00:06] Hey everyone, Mr. Devil here, Kenny Danico, three-time Stanley Cup champion of the New Jersey Devils.
[00:00:13] You're listening to The Uncle Puckers, New Jersey Devils Podcast with Chris, Dan, Bobby, and Tony, The Uncle Puckers.
[00:00:20] Let's go Devils!
[00:00:23] And away we go. What's up Bob? How are you?
[00:00:27] Hey man, I'm doing pretty good. I'm very excited for this time of year.
[00:00:32] Chris and I, for everyone listening, we're just kind of bullshitting before the show started about how great it's been to have exciting football back, to have playoff baseball coming, and of course our Devils are playing.
[00:00:42] We have an actual game to talk about, so it is a wonderful time of year.
[00:00:46] An actual game that meant absolutely nothing, but it was exciting nonetheless.
[00:00:51] You want to start with that? We'll start with the preseason home opener.
[00:00:55] Oh, sorry, first game of the preseason.
[00:00:57] Yeah, sure.
[00:00:59] So, did you watch the game?
[00:01:01] I did watch about half of the game.
[00:01:04] I had to jump over to the Mets game in the playoff chase here during the middle, but I did get a feel for it.
[00:01:10] So, right about the time of the goalie switch was when I was done.
[00:01:13] That's the same with me.
[00:01:14] When Dawgs came in in the third, that's when I flipped over to the Kansas City Chief Atlanta Falcons game.
[00:01:19] Yeah, I just really wanted to kind of see how the team was playing, who was playing with who.
[00:01:23] You know, first game, new system, new coach.
[00:01:25] You expect to see a lot of rust and that kind of thing.
[00:01:27] So, yeah, I was very interested to turn it on, though.
[00:01:30] And we did see a lot of rust.
[00:01:32] You know, but we'll start with...
[00:01:34] So, our first line, was he sure he was centering Thomas Tatar and Jasper Bratt, which is exactly what we thought would be happening?
[00:01:40] And then the only other line that seemed to be in place would be the third line, which was Lazar with Bastion and Cotter on his wings.
[00:01:51] Now, Shane Bowers was centering line two between Palat and Stephon Nason.
[00:01:57] You have to assume that Eric Hollis, that's his spot whenever he gets healthy enough to get back in.
[00:02:02] And then our fourth line was Shelzer centering foot and Chase Stillman, I guess his name.
[00:02:10] Yep, Stillman.
[00:02:10] Defensive pairings, we had Brendan Dillon, Dougie Hamilton, Siegen Dauer with Kovacevic, and Colton White with Nick DeSimone.
[00:02:19] And they got some ice time.
[00:02:20] That is what we expected.
[00:02:20] That was a little mixed up.
[00:02:21] Obviously, we've got some big changes there.
[00:02:24] And already in the preseason, you're going to have mixed up lines and matches.
[00:02:28] Yeah, I was a little bit surprised that they put Brendan Dillon with Hamilton to start.
[00:02:33] I thought that maybe Dillon would be with Kovacevic, but it is what it is.
[00:02:37] I was actually also happy to see Markstrom in the pipes because we had talked on one of the shows about,
[00:02:42] is this guy going to want a little more time given he's not been with the team, given they have to travel?
[00:02:47] I don't remember the last time I saw our number one play the first game, the first half of the first game.
[00:02:55] And he looked pretty good.
[00:02:56] He did.
[00:02:57] I made some nice saves.
[00:02:59] Again, this is preseason.
[00:03:01] So like you said, the first game, it's going to be rusty.
[00:03:05] The thing is, well, real quick on Markstrom, they were showing his mask, right?
[00:03:09] And they're showing it from the side.
[00:03:11] And my wife and I are watching.
[00:03:12] We're like, what the hell is this?
[00:03:13] What's on it?
[00:03:14] We can't tell.
[00:03:15] Yeah.
[00:03:15] Then you posted a picture on X today at the top view.
[00:03:19] Holy shit.
[00:03:20] That mask is fire.
[00:03:22] It is so fucking nice.
[00:03:23] So I'm staring at it right now.
[00:03:25] I mean, easiest way to describe it, right?
[00:03:27] It is a skull of some kind with basically what amounts to eyes that look like a demon's red black hole.
[00:03:35] The eyes are awesome.
[00:03:37] It's just the line work, the black and white in it is just absolutely insane.
[00:03:45] And then there's not – it's pretty much more of the same going down the sides and everything.
[00:03:48] But the cage, you know, that's – I mean, it's red splatter.
[00:03:53] I mean, it's blood splatter.
[00:03:54] Let's call it what it is.
[00:03:54] It's really cool.
[00:03:55] This is a pure demon mask.
[00:03:56] He's definitely buying into the whole devil thing.
[00:03:58] As well, he should.
[00:03:59] Yeah.
[00:04:00] For sure.
[00:04:00] And to get into the game, starting off in the first period at 218, it was a power play goal.
[00:04:07] Nico Heischer, his first, of course, from Bratt, first of the preseason.
[00:04:11] What a beautiful goal.
[00:04:13] I mean, it was just Nico doing Nico stuff.
[00:04:16] And I really think that he is on the verge of a massive season this year.
[00:04:20] He looks bigger.
[00:04:21] He looks stronger.
[00:04:22] He looks more confident.
[00:04:24] I just think that the game – he finally caught up to this game.
[00:04:29] And he's always been good.
[00:04:30] But I think this will be the year that he kind of takes it to the next level.
[00:04:34] And it was a really nice goal.
[00:04:36] It's another reason why I kind of have that full line of riches, you know, in my mind with Timo Hughes and Bratt.
[00:04:44] Because I just feel like Heischer – again, going back to Tatar, they just had great chemistry.
[00:04:48] I feel like they're going to do that again.
[00:04:49] But I just feel like he can kind of make a line on his own productive in his own way.
[00:04:54] He doesn't need one of those other two.
[00:04:55] And it's not that it won't change.
[00:04:56] He's probably going to be flanked by one of those guys plenty of times during the year.
[00:04:59] But, yeah, I agree with you.
[00:05:00] There's something about him, his look, his mannerisms.
[00:05:03] He's ready to take this team to the next level.
[00:05:04] Looks like a grown-ass man now.
[00:05:06] He does.
[00:05:07] And that's, you know, so many – it's a skinny little – remember when he came in?
[00:05:10] He was this skinny little kid.
[00:05:12] We're like, Jesus Christ, this dude better bulk up.
[00:05:14] He's going to get pushed in half.
[00:05:15] Walked by him at the rock, didn't even know it was him.
[00:05:16] I'm like, I think that's our number one pick.
[00:05:17] The guys are like laughing at me.
[00:05:19] They're like, who, that little guy?
[00:05:20] I'm like, yeah.
[00:05:21] He's not a little guy anymore.
[00:05:23] No.
[00:05:24] Then that was all the scoring in the first.
[00:05:26] Devils had a 1-0 lead.
[00:05:28] And second period, Anders Lee at 8-16 scored on Jacob Markstrom.
[00:05:32] That was from Oliver Wallstrom.
[00:05:34] And then at 8-48, Jesper Brack gets his first from Nico Heischer.
[00:05:38] That was, of course, the most productive line as far as points go for the Devils.
[00:05:42] But the Cotter, Lazar, and Bastion line were skating really, really well.
[00:05:47] I liked everything I saw from them.
[00:05:50] Unfortunately, that was the end of the scoring for the Devils.
[00:05:53] Gautier scores at 17-05 to tie it up at 2 for the Islanders in the third period.
[00:05:59] Thiessing?
[00:06:00] Never heard of him.
[00:06:01] He scores at 2-47 for the 3-2 lead.
[00:06:03] And then Holmstrom scored an empty net ball in 1954.
[00:06:07] Markstrom played like two periods.
[00:06:08] I believe he was out in the third.
[00:06:10] He made 17 saves on 19 shots.
[00:06:13] Dawes played the rest of the game.
[00:06:14] He had one goal on eight shots and then the empty netter.
[00:06:18] And the three stars of that game were Thiessing, was the third star.
[00:06:22] If I'm saying his name wrong, I apologize.
[00:06:24] I don't know who he is.
[00:06:25] Heischer got the second star.
[00:06:26] And Jesper Brack got the first star.
[00:06:28] And that was it for our first preseason game against the Islanders.
[00:06:32] And tonight, starting right around now, we have the second preseason game.
[00:06:35] I do have the lineup if you want to go over that before.
[00:06:39] If you want to know who's in.
[00:06:40] One more thing just to kind of wrap up the first game.
[00:06:43] I'd just like to say that I think that Rachel did a great job.
[00:06:46] She was definitely a little nervous in the beginning.
[00:06:48] But she pulled her stuff together with a new team and she was a joy to watch.
[00:06:51] So congratulations, Rachel.
[00:06:53] I didn't watch her.
[00:06:54] I'm still a little upset.
[00:06:56] I just sat there staring at a picture of Erica Wachter.
[00:06:59] In all honesty.
[00:07:00] Dreaming.
[00:07:01] In all honesty, like joking aside, you can tell the shoes she has to fill with Erica.
[00:07:08] Erica is also, let's be honest, a very attractive host as well.
[00:07:12] But she was very good at what she did.
[00:07:15] And you can see the difference now.
[00:07:16] And again, this was her first game.
[00:07:18] She was a little nervous at first.
[00:07:19] I was speaking in jest, but I'm being serious.
[00:07:21] She got a lot better as the game went on.
[00:07:23] A lot of confidence.
[00:07:24] She definitely knows her hockey.
[00:07:26] Which is good.
[00:07:27] Yeah.
[00:07:28] I'll give her the next game that's actually televised.
[00:07:31] I will give her a fair shake.
[00:07:34] There's no score right now between the Devils and Canadians for the second preseason game
[00:07:39] tonight.
[00:07:40] And I think they're only playing like four, right?
[00:07:42] I think.
[00:07:43] And then like their starters.
[00:07:44] And then they're there because it is much shortened preseason.
[00:07:48] So I have a question for you.
[00:07:50] Because of the way that hockey is where, you know, it's you show up for training camp and
[00:07:57] you have like two or three practices and then you're basically just playing games every
[00:08:02] other day.
[00:08:03] Yeah.
[00:08:04] And because now that it's shortened, we start a week before every other team.
[00:08:09] So that's a whole nother week that other teams get to play other games, to get practices in,
[00:08:13] to, you know, work out kinks.
[00:08:15] It's literally a lost day of travel too.
[00:08:18] This is not small travel.
[00:08:19] This is no, this takes away a day.
[00:08:21] Now, do you expect the Devils to have a slow start this year?
[00:08:26] And, or, or do you think that they're going to be okay?
[00:08:30] I mean, I know that they're playing Buffalo the first two games and on paper, we should
[00:08:35] blow them out, but that's, we don't play the game on paper.
[00:08:37] Buffalo also does have a short preseason.
[00:08:40] They're going to want to win for Lindy Roth.
[00:08:42] I get all that.
[00:08:43] They're going to want to beat us.
[00:08:44] It's going to be a tough two games, but I'm more concerned about after those two games,
[00:08:49] when we get back into the United States and we start playing North America rather and start
[00:08:53] playing more of these, you know, our full season and without Pesci and without Hughes
[00:08:58] to start.
[00:08:58] Do you think that the Devils possibly can come out of the gate a little bit slow here?
[00:09:03] It's totally fair to predict that as a possibility.
[00:09:07] It just really is.
[00:09:08] To your point now, as far as playing Buffalo, these are two teams in a similar situation.
[00:09:14] Adrenaline's going to be pumping.
[00:09:14] I think they're fine going out there, but I mean, it is fair and it is a concern.
[00:09:19] The one thing they do have is a little bit of a layoff once I get back, a little bit
[00:09:23] of rest time.
[00:09:26] In my mind, I do kind of think we might see that, but I also think this team's just going
[00:09:31] to be super amped, so maybe that low isn't going to start for a couple of days after
[00:09:35] the home opener, you know what I mean, before it kind of sets in.
[00:09:39] I'll tell you, I think that it's possible that they could get off to a little bit of a slow start.
[00:09:45] I'm not talking like Edmonton Oil or last year's slow start, but I mean, just would I be shocked
[00:09:50] if we split the games in Czech Republic or Czechoslovakia or whatever?
[00:09:55] I would not.
[00:09:56] I would not be shocked.
[00:09:58] But to tell you who impressed me a lot on the first game was Kovacevic.
[00:10:02] I mean, the dude had 22 minutes of ice time.
[00:10:05] Him and Siegenthaler and Hamilton had the most ice time of any player.
[00:10:10] Forward-wise, who had the most ice time was Nico Hischer with 1947.
[00:10:15] So they gave a lot of ice time to these bottom guys, you know, like the Foote, Shelzer,
[00:10:22] and Stillman line averaged 11 minutes of ice time.
[00:10:25] Like, that's not bad for a Foote, you know.
[00:10:28] So he really wanted to see what these guys can do.
[00:10:31] Because they're going to get a shorter look this year.
[00:10:33] That's how he said it.
[00:10:33] Basically, he's going to go NHL heavy for most games.
[00:10:36] Obviously, he's not going to put most guys on a bust up to Montreal today.
[00:10:39] They got a lot of travel coming up going across the pond there.
[00:10:44] But yeah, I think that he's going to get as much of that in as he can so that we can start
[00:10:48] to see the NHL team as much as possible.
[00:10:50] Do you expect the next preseason game to be, you know, to see Hughes in there, see Mercer
[00:10:55] in there?
[00:10:56] Yeah, and I think the next one would be pretty full, you know.
[00:11:01] And then if they're going to play another one after that or two, I don't know.
[00:11:04] I think they said four preseason games.
[00:11:07] So they would have two more after tonight.
[00:11:10] Yeah, definitely.
[00:11:11] I would expect maybe a pretty full lineup in both.
[00:11:15] Some of these guys playing tonight, I don't know who they are.
[00:11:17] So our number one line is the Lazar Cotter Bastion line.
[00:11:23] I love this.
[00:11:24] So he's saying, obviously, we all saw they did really good.
[00:11:27] Let's get them on line one and give them even more minutes.
[00:11:29] Let's see what they have.
[00:11:31] And then we have the second line is Justin Dowling.
[00:11:34] And he's centering Mike Hardman and Kevin LeBanc.
[00:11:38] Yeah.
[00:11:38] We talked about LeBanc a little bit in the last show we did.
[00:11:41] Justin Dowling and Mike Hardman.
[00:11:43] And I don't know these guys, but Hardman's a big dude.
[00:11:46] He's 6'2", 205.
[00:11:49] So I'm interested to see how they play when we finally get some highlights of this game.
[00:11:53] I mean, listen, any other year, I would probably do a little more homework on some of these guys,
[00:11:58] but they're not making the team.
[00:12:00] There is no room this year, so I don't really have to worry about that.
[00:12:03] So I'm not sure who they are either.
[00:12:05] Then we have the third line is Shane Bowers, and he's centering Adam Foote.
[00:12:10] Nolan Foote, sorry.
[00:12:11] Adam Foote's his father, right?
[00:12:13] Adam would be slower.
[00:12:15] Max Willman.
[00:12:16] So that's our third line.
[00:12:18] And our fourth line is Xavier Perrant, and he's with McDermott and Brian Hallinan.
[00:12:23] On the defensive pairings, it's Siegenthaler with Kovacevic, Hataka with Nemich,
[00:12:30] Topias Villan, V-I-L-E-N.
[00:12:33] It's a great name.
[00:12:35] What's that?
[00:12:35] It's a great name.
[00:12:37] Topias Villan.
[00:12:39] He's with Seamus Casey, and Jake Allen and Nico Dawes are our goaltenders
[00:12:43] tonight up there.
[00:12:44] So Jake Allen gets to start against his old team.
[00:12:47] So yeah, I mean, there's nobody on here that I'm interested in seeing that isn't on the
[00:12:53] team because, like you just said, they're not going to make the team.
[00:12:56] You know, and if there's an injury, like, you know who's going to be called up.
[00:13:00] It's going to be the Bowers.
[00:13:01] It's going to be the Hollinans.
[00:13:03] Well, Kovacevic is obviously trying to make a name for that, you know, steady seventh spot,
[00:13:08] especially now with a couple guys out.
[00:13:10] Hataka we know about.
[00:13:12] I would be interested in watching Casey in this game if it were televised.
[00:13:15] Yes.
[00:13:15] But it's not.
[00:13:16] And just more of that fourth line turn first line, you know.
[00:13:20] I do like the makings of that.
[00:13:22] I think my biggest disappointment, other than the obvious, which is the injuries to Luke
[00:13:28] and Pesci, is Hala.
[00:13:30] Like, I didn't even, you know, it's going to be a lot for him to assimilate in the more
[00:13:35] time he misses because, I mean, again, this is a whole new coach, whole new system.
[00:13:39] I mean, I read that he was back in the building and skating a little bit on his own.
[00:13:42] And I guess he had an illness.
[00:13:44] I don't know what he had, a flu or something.
[00:13:47] But, you know, hopefully he'll be in the next game.
[00:13:51] You know, I want to see Jack.
[00:13:52] I want to see Hala.
[00:13:53] And I want to see Mercer in a game.
[00:13:55] Well, yeah, for sure.
[00:13:56] But it was exciting actually watching Devils hockey.
[00:14:00] I have to admit, like, it was so cool sitting down and putting MSG on and actually seeing,
[00:14:04] you know, Spalding and Danico and Erica Wannabe and Bryce and all of them, you know.
[00:14:12] So that's what was so cool.
[00:14:13] I was even so excited to put it on early and just, you know, get not the pregame, but,
[00:14:18] you know, all that all that kind of stuff that they talk about, which usually I miss, to be
[00:14:22] honest, I'm so late getting to the games or I'm recording them.
[00:14:25] So I'm watching it, you know, a little bit later at night.
[00:14:27] But I just enjoyed like just every second of it and seeing our building lit up.
[00:14:30] It really is.
[00:14:31] I don't think we talk about it enough, but it's a world class facility.
[00:14:35] The arena up there.
[00:14:36] I mean, it's I've been to a lot since since the newer ones started.
[00:14:39] And it's beautiful.
[00:14:42] You know, it really is.
[00:14:43] I'll tell you that Danico mentioned it during the broadcast, what, how, you know, talking about
[00:14:48] how excited everybody is for this season and the fans talking mostly and said, like, look
[00:14:54] at this crowd.
[00:14:55] This is our first preseason game.
[00:14:56] This is a hell of a crowd.
[00:14:57] I was showing my family that too.
[00:14:59] A lot of people for preseason game.
[00:15:01] When they were showing the crowd, I thought the exact same thing.
[00:15:04] Like, holy crap, man.
[00:15:05] There is a ton of people at this game because, I mean, usually preseason games, you know,
[00:15:09] you sit wherever you want.
[00:15:10] It's a quarter filled.
[00:15:12] And, you know, you're just there to enjoy a little bit of, you know, minor league hockey
[00:15:16] in your head.
[00:15:17] Right.
[00:15:17] So certainly I'm assuming I've never been to one that, you know, lower bowl is a lot
[00:15:22] cheaper than during the regular season.
[00:15:24] So maybe they're, you know, making those more available to people to kind of pack in down
[00:15:28] low.
[00:15:28] Because otherwise, if I were going, I'd be up in the rooftop where I'm going to go for opening
[00:15:31] day, you know.
[00:15:32] So, but no, it was great to see the energy was definitely there.
[00:15:36] The excitement this year, like we said, is you can taste it.
[00:15:39] It's huge.
[00:15:40] And I'm just hoping that it's more like, you know, two years ago.
[00:15:44] Remember last year when I was at the game, I was reporting you guys.
[00:15:46] I'm like, there's something about the pre-energy outside.
[00:15:48] And don't get me wrong.
[00:15:49] It was still exciting and great.
[00:15:50] That was just fell a little short of the year before, which I just thought was odd because
[00:15:54] coming off 112 points and all those expectations, I just thought it was going to be raucous,
[00:15:59] but it was at best it was even.
[00:16:01] And maybe I just expect too much.
[00:16:02] But I mean, the fans are passionate and you know how much fun it is out there when we
[00:16:05] close down the road and start the chance.
[00:16:07] It's so much fun.
[00:16:08] Absolutely.
[00:16:09] And also, I think you have to, you know, they opened up against Detroit, right?
[00:16:13] Last year.
[00:16:14] Yep.
[00:16:14] Right.
[00:16:14] So, I mean, it's a rivalry, but it's nowhere near the rivalry that like this year, I mean,
[00:16:20] you got Toronto, October 10th.
[00:16:22] Like that crowd should be ridiculous.
[00:16:24] And there should be a ton of Maple Leaf fans there.
[00:16:26] I mean, the Leafs travel well.
[00:16:27] Sure.
[00:16:28] The Leafs travel.
[00:16:28] It should be a hell of an atmosphere.
[00:16:31] It should be a ton of fun.
[00:16:33] And I think the devil spank them.
[00:16:35] I do.
[00:16:36] I hope so.
[00:16:37] So, the only other thing I've heard from some of the people that were at the game is that
[00:16:41] apparently the arena has not figured out this food thing yet.
[00:16:45] And it's actually becoming kind of a big deal.
[00:16:48] Like people are a little bummed.
[00:16:49] They can't get anything good to eat.
[00:16:50] Now, if you think back to when that arena opened though, that one of their whole big
[00:16:55] entertainment premises was all these different foods, different regions.
[00:17:02] And it wasn't the draw for us because we're all devil's fans, but it was nice to have
[00:17:06] these options.
[00:17:08] I just got to wonder, I don't give a crap because I'm going to get full down the bar
[00:17:11] before I go in, but I mean, why is it is just my question.
[00:17:15] Why can't they just put out what was always been out for the last, you know, 10, 20 years
[00:17:21] in all different arenas?
[00:17:22] Why is it so different now?
[00:17:23] 90% of the time when there's, whether it's an airport or, you know, ballparks or, you
[00:17:33] know, any kind of arena and stuff like that, all that stuff is done by a huge company.
[00:17:37] And most of the time one company takes care of the entire building.
[00:17:43] Now there's of course different, you know, like they'll throw a fucking Panda Express in
[00:17:49] or something stupid like that or whatever, but most of the time it's generic owned by
[00:17:53] credentials.
[00:17:54] And, but usually whoever runs their concessions is a whole separate company.
[00:17:59] I'm guessing that there's an issue with their contract or whatever, and something just isn't
[00:18:04] getting done right because if you, because they can just sub it out to somebody else.
[00:18:11] So like if this company that you had doing it, it's not working now, I could be completely
[00:18:15] off base, but I would think that the Prudential Center, whoever runs it would say, well, just
[00:18:20] get us another company in here and let's start serving food, which makes me think that there
[00:18:25] might be some legal issue with the company that they were using.
[00:18:29] And now, you know, so I don't know, but that's a, it's a huge hole in revenue when you're not
[00:18:36] selling food.
[00:18:37] That's the point I'm ultimately getting to, right.
[00:18:39] You're, you're selling enough obviously to sustain because people are going to drink their
[00:18:42] beer.
[00:18:43] They're going to buy their drinks, seltzers, and they're going to eat whatever they can,
[00:18:46] but you are missing an opportunity.
[00:18:48] And we are now run by like some savvy businessmen.
[00:18:51] So this isn't, you know, isn't something you should easily overlook because the more convenient
[00:18:56] it is, the faster it is, the more people you do.
[00:18:59] You've worked in the bar industry before.
[00:19:00] If you can get everybody to stay for one more drink, that's an exponential amount of revenue.
[00:19:05] Maybe Josh Harris is just too preoccupied with his starting quarterback down there in Washington
[00:19:12] that he doesn't care about the devils anymore.
[00:19:14] We'll see.
[00:19:16] Maybe.
[00:19:16] All right.
[00:19:17] Let's do a little shout out to some sponsors here.
[00:19:19] We have a new sponsor starting.
[00:19:21] I think that this better help one is done October 7th and we have a new sponsor site.
[00:19:28] It's a, I don't know, some like ticket company.
[00:19:31] I got to get the read, like not StubHub or whatever, but one of those type of companies.
[00:19:36] And I think we have them for the whole year.
[00:19:39] So anyway, touchdown, tutty, take it into the house.
[00:19:43] Whatever you call a touchdown, they matter more when Sam Darnold is throwing them the Justin
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[00:21:00] The crown is yours.
[00:21:02] This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.
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[00:21:57] Question.
[00:21:59] Answer.
[00:21:59] Answer.
[00:22:00] On a scale of 1 to 10, how fucked are the Boston Bruins?
[00:22:07] I'm sorry, I missed a question.
[00:22:08] How fucked are the Boston Bruins?
[00:22:12] Yes, quite.
[00:22:12] Quite fucked.
[00:22:15] We talked about it before.
[00:22:16] I don't know how else to put it.
[00:22:17] I mean, they didn't have the backup plan.
[00:22:21] They just made their moves assuming everything would be fine, and they're really paying themselves in the corner.
[00:22:28] They really are.
[00:22:29] And it's crazy because I was just hearing that.
[00:22:32] Because I think the amount that I heard Boston was like around six, right?
[00:22:38] That was like in that ballpark.
[00:22:41] Swamin apparently is nine or more, and he's pretty much firm on that.
[00:22:46] That is far apart.
[00:22:48] That's a big difference.
[00:22:49] That is very big.
[00:22:51] That's, I mean, that's three players on your roster on some teams.
[00:22:56] Even us, I mean, McDermott at 1.1 and a couple of the young guys at 700, 800,000 is literally three people on our roster.
[00:23:04] So that's a lot of money.
[00:23:06] I just don't know.
[00:23:08] With that big of a gap, I don't know how you get that settled.
[00:23:12] I really don't.
[00:23:14] And obviously the urgency is not playing into it because here we are.
[00:23:18] Games have started.
[00:23:19] Teams are ramping up.
[00:23:21] And you know athletes, they need their consistency to get ready.
[00:23:24] So this is looking bad for them.
[00:23:26] I mean, if this thing's not done by, I say, the first week of October, it's going to be really hard to even get this guy into the lineup and opening night.
[00:23:40] Like, it's crazy.
[00:23:41] You trade Allmark and now you don't even have Swayman as your opening starter.
[00:23:46] Like, it really is mind-boggling that they let that happen.
[00:23:51] Like, I just, okay, I was all for trading Allmark.
[00:23:54] But under the assumption that you were going to have Swayman locked up.
[00:23:59] Like, if I was a Bruin fan, I'd be losing my mind right now.
[00:24:01] You mentioned this last episode.
[00:24:03] Like, of all the teams, this is not a Bruin thing to do.
[00:24:06] They're usually very prepared for what they want and they have it laid out.
[00:24:10] And again, they're one of those teams that's been on record of having a few guys, you know, accept a little less for the benefit of the team.
[00:24:16] Ain't nothing against Swayman if he wants what he believes he can earn.
[00:24:19] But the team, this just should have been worked out beforehand.
[00:24:22] I mean, I don't think...
[00:24:24] Go ahead.
[00:24:25] Here's a question.
[00:24:26] So how far into the process could he...
[00:24:30] He can get off or she's whenever, right?
[00:24:32] He can get off or she's whenever he's not.
[00:24:33] Right now.
[00:24:34] So even if the season started, if he's still in RFA status, he can get off or she's whenever.
[00:24:38] Yes.
[00:24:38] Because the longer this goes, the more you got to think there's some team out there that's got a lot of money going, guys, should we jump on this?
[00:24:43] I'm almost positive that if he is not locked up and playing by December, I think he then can't play for the year or he becomes...
[00:24:55] At least from the contract maybe or something?
[00:24:57] Yeah, I think...
[00:24:59] But yeah, I mean, if you were right now, if you're a goalie needy team, why not offer sheet Swayman at seven and a half, $8 million?
[00:25:09] And either you do Boston's work for them or you get yourself a top flight goaltender.
[00:25:14] Well, I mean, think about it.
[00:25:15] What if you're one of the bottom teams that has to just kind of overpay just to get to the floor?
[00:25:19] Right.
[00:25:20] If there's any teams left that do that, I don't know.
[00:25:22] But there's plenty of teams that have a lot more room.
[00:25:23] Like we got $900,000.
[00:25:24] They're a team with millions and millions.
[00:25:26] And why not say, okay, we're allowed to offer them seven years at $8 million?
[00:25:30] We're going to be kind of crummy for the next three, but then we got Prime Swayman for four.
[00:25:34] But what about certain teams that look like they're, let's say, perennial playoff contenders or playoff teams that just don't do shit?
[00:25:45] And a big reason is goalies.
[00:25:48] Oh, yeah.
[00:25:49] Why isn't LA making a move on Jeremy Swayman?
[00:25:52] Like you want to tighten up your freaking team, a team that plays very good defense.
[00:25:56] Yeah.
[00:25:57] Jeremy Swayman.
[00:25:58] Colorado.
[00:26:00] I mean, I can totally see Jeremy Swayman in Colorado.
[00:26:03] Why is that not getting delicate?
[00:26:05] There's got to, there's something else.
[00:26:07] I mean, maybe, maybe the $9 million, maybe there's, there really is no team that's saying that, you know what?
[00:26:13] We like Swayman.
[00:26:14] He's a great goalie, but $9 million for a guy who essentially has been a number one goaltender for zero time.
[00:26:22] Like, and I'm fair with that.
[00:26:24] We've, we've discussed that too.
[00:26:25] Where does he really lie?
[00:26:26] It's, it's, it's somewhere between what he's asking and the Shesterkin money.
[00:26:30] It shouldn't be that close to him at this point.
[00:26:33] I mean, I don't know why he couldn't just put it a couple of years under his belt and then know he's going to get 10 million a year, two years from now or whatever.
[00:26:42] That's his prerogative.
[00:26:43] But yeah, you're right.
[00:26:44] I mean, there are teams kind of perennial playoff teams that maybe aren't full caliber contenders that this could put them over the hump.
[00:26:52] And even if they couldn't put you over the hump, theoretically, if you're already a playoff team and you're inserting Swayman, it's definitely, there's only a few teams that have a better goalie.
[00:27:01] Well, what about Vancouver?
[00:27:02] They don't know what the hell's going on with Demko.
[00:27:20] Demko.
[00:27:20] If he's not there, then I don't think Vancouver goes very far.
[00:27:24] So again, there's a couple of places where Swayman could fit in that just mind boggling to me that you had this guy and you said, okay, you're going to be our number one.
[00:27:35] We're all set.
[00:27:36] We're going to ship off Omark.
[00:27:38] We're going to put you in place.
[00:27:39] You're going to start 60 games for us.
[00:27:42] We're going to go and get Corpus Sala just to give you a few nights of relief.
[00:27:46] Finally got everything you wanted, Jeremy.
[00:27:48] You are the number one goaltender on a top line NHL team.
[00:27:54] And he says, I'm not going to hold up unless you fucking pay me.
[00:27:56] So let's recklessly speculate for a second.
[00:27:59] I love doing it.
[00:28:00] We know what the offer has been around, right?
[00:28:04] Six.
[00:28:04] You've just said it.
[00:28:05] And that maybe he wants something more like nine.
[00:28:07] So let's just agree on a number that would get it done on a contract, you know, like from an offer sheet.
[00:28:14] Like where do you think realistically that would be?
[00:28:16] It's getting late in the season.
[00:28:18] Where would he say, fine, I'll do it.
[00:28:19] And in this scenario, he's not going to Boston.
[00:28:21] I'm saying like somebody else is offer sheeting him.
[00:28:23] Well, I mean, that's the thing though.
[00:28:26] Like is Boston because you don't want to offer sheet him and then have Boston match it.
[00:28:33] Right.
[00:28:33] So like you, so if I was, let's say, okay, if he's in the six, let's say you offer him 8 million a year.
[00:28:40] So you tell him, look, seven by eight, that's what we're going to give you.
[00:28:44] And Boston will have, I guess, however long a week or something, I think, to match that.
[00:28:49] And basically then the other team would do Boston's negotiating for them.
[00:28:53] Yes.
[00:28:53] And if not, then they don't match it and Swayman goes to the other team for the 8 million.
[00:28:59] Then you get some compensatory bullshit or whatever back to Boston.
[00:29:03] But yeah, 8 million.
[00:29:05] That would be a pretty good compensatory pick for that million if it is an $8 million range.
[00:29:10] So let's say, okay, so we're just going to assume that it's the $8 million.
[00:29:13] That's what would get him signed.
[00:29:14] So now go back to our team.
[00:29:17] We didn't get Markstrom and we now won't be able to get Pesci and maybe a Dylan or a Cotter, but we can do the Swayman deal.
[00:29:28] So we didn't have an off season worth crap, but this we can do.
[00:29:32] Would you do it?
[00:29:34] No.
[00:29:35] No.
[00:29:36] Because of hindsight or foresight or just because you don't want to wrap up that much money?
[00:29:41] Look, we said it a million times last year.
[00:29:45] We could add a Marty Brodeur in that net and this team would have been bad.
[00:29:48] Like you had to shore up that defense.
[00:29:51] Like Dylan and Pesci are big pieces that are, to me, because look, Markstrom or Swayman, I'm okay with either one.
[00:30:02] I mean, Markstrom is more experienced.
[00:30:04] You're thinking, you know, the drop there is just from fifth best to 10th best.
[00:30:08] Like it's not an enormous drop, right?
[00:30:11] You are putting a true, legit number one guy between the pipes, regardless of which one they are.
[00:30:18] But one you're giving help to and the other one you're throwing on an island.
[00:30:23] And I just don't know if this team is, I don't know if any team is good enough to win a Stanley Cup without a strong defense.
[00:30:31] It's just not.
[00:30:31] You can't do it.
[00:30:32] Maybe, you know, so I did go a little hard there with almost all our guys not coming through, but make it even more realistic.
[00:30:38] Hey, because we got Swayman, we weren't able to get Pesci, but we still got Dylan.
[00:30:43] We still got Cotter.
[00:30:44] We still got Nason.
[00:30:44] We got basically everybody else.
[00:30:46] Except Brett Pesci.
[00:30:48] Except Brett Pesci.
[00:30:49] And, you know, yeah, basically except Brett Pesci.
[00:30:54] I'll be honest with you, Bob.
[00:30:56] I don't know.
[00:30:57] I mean, it's not like we have, you know, Vanacek now.
[00:31:01] I mean, it's Jacob Markstrom.
[00:31:03] And I know he's older and stuff, and it is only for two years.
[00:31:06] But what about you?
[00:31:07] Would you go with Swayman?
[00:31:09] Unfortunately, I'm blocked by the hindsight that I get to see here.
[00:31:13] And I just absolutely love the way the team is built.
[00:31:16] But for my own exercise that I'm trying to do, I don't think so.
[00:31:23] And this is coming from a guy who earlier last year, late last year, kind of lost favor with the Markstrom situation.
[00:31:28] Remember now I've learned so much more about him from watching him.
[00:31:31] I don't think on this team it's as much of the upgrade as we need.
[00:31:37] The best thing about it is we would be talking about five more years a term, but we really don't know what's going to happen with Markstrom.
[00:31:44] We're assuming two years and done these old, but he might be perfectly fine and do another two.
[00:31:48] And for me, that's the one thing that I hedge a little bit on is just the fact that Swayman is so young.
[00:31:57] And, you know, we have a young team in Jersey.
[00:32:00] You throw a guy like Jeremy Swayman in for the next six, seven, eight years, Swayman is there.
[00:32:06] For whatever this team does.
[00:32:08] Right.
[00:32:08] Markstrom, like you said, we know we got him for two.
[00:32:11] We don't know what's going to look like afterwards.
[00:32:13] Even next year, you're probably walking away from Jake Allen.
[00:32:17] You know, is it going to be Dawes?
[00:32:19] Is it going to be one of the other kids?
[00:32:21] Is it going to be somebody that's not even on the team anymore?
[00:32:23] And then next year, you're dealing with it again.
[00:32:26] Like, that's why I think I'd really want to win a cup with Markstrom in the next two years or at least play for one with him.
[00:32:33] Go take him on a nice deep playoff run.
[00:32:36] And maybe he does stick around.
[00:32:38] Maybe you bring somebody else in that's a really good 1B where you can take this 36-year-old Markstrom and give him 35 starts and then the playoffs.
[00:32:48] I don't know.
[00:32:49] I'm just thinking out loud.
[00:32:50] But right now, like you said, the way the team is built, I much prefer the way the team is built with Jacob Markstrom as opposed to losing anybody on the team and putting Jeremy Swayman in.
[00:33:01] Do you think it's possible that as early as this year, by the end of the year, say, that there could be an extension for Markstrom that starts in the back end of year two for like, say, another two years?
[00:33:16] Based on the fact that it looks like he can hold up to it.
[00:33:20] And you could probably still get him signed for a reasonable term price goalie like he is, given all the money we're going to have to pay in the next few years.
[00:33:29] I think there's any chance of that.
[00:33:32] I don't know.
[00:33:33] Maybe even early into next year before they extend him.
[00:33:37] Do you want a guy playing goal up to 38 years old?
[00:33:42] He's 34 now.
[00:33:44] When this contract is said and done, he's 36.
[00:33:48] Guys tend to fall off the age cliff, especially goalies right around there.
[00:33:53] I mean, would I be against it?
[00:33:57] No, because if Tom Fitzgerald and this organization believes that this does give us our best chance with Markstrom, then okay.
[00:34:05] But that would make me nervous.
[00:34:07] The only thing that makes me nervous about Markstrom is his age.
[00:34:09] I get it.
[00:34:10] I get it.
[00:34:11] So let's assume he has a great year.
[00:34:14] We have a playoff run.
[00:34:15] Maybe we don't win the cup, you know, but he comes back next year.
[00:34:18] The other point you can look at and say, if at that point in the middle of year two, that's his last year with us.
[00:34:24] If you give him another two year and you can get it in a marketable price like a $4 million, where basically you're getting one more year of him and whoever's coming up, and then he becomes your backup at $4 million.
[00:34:38] Four years from now, Markstrom has your backup at $4 million.
[00:34:42] Probably not a bad deal.
[00:34:44] No, it's not.
[00:34:45] If somebody else is coming up and taking the bulk of the games.
[00:34:47] I mean, look, you got Jonathan Quick backing up Shosturkin.
[00:34:51] You got Marc-Andre Fleury backing up Gustafson out in Minnesota.
[00:34:56] So yeah, I mean, it's been done.
[00:34:58] It's been done a lot.
[00:35:00] And to have that savvy veteran winning goaltender sitting behind a younger person.
[00:35:07] So no, if he wasn't our only option, then absolutely.
[00:35:12] Absolutely, I would do it.
[00:35:13] And there's other economics in play for this too.
[00:35:16] It makes it easier for the devils if all of a sudden we've got an up-and-coming kid that really looks like the future.
[00:35:20] That's going to be making, you know, league minimum for a year or two.
[00:35:24] You know, like that big kid we just drafted.
[00:35:25] Who knows, you know, who knows what happens in two years where we could say, hey, this guy's not hitting RFA for three years.
[00:35:30] We can afford to overpay Markstrom a little bit as a safety net until he's 37 or 38 years old.
[00:35:37] And bring the kid in.
[00:35:38] I just see it as a possibility given where his salary is because he's $4 million something now.
[00:35:42] You're talking about a contract extension that starts after he's 36.
[00:35:46] He's either going to be like, my last contract, I want a lot of money.
[00:35:49] Or he's going to be like, well, this is a really fair deal for what I'm going to do.
[00:35:53] About $4 million, that's a pay cut.
[00:35:55] Markstrom is a $6 million a year guy.
[00:35:58] Calgary's holding $2 million.
[00:35:59] Oh, that's right.
[00:36:00] Right.
[00:36:01] Yes.
[00:36:01] So would Markstrom say, I'll take a bit of a discount and stick around?
[00:36:06] That's the thing.
[00:36:07] Because that $6 million, that does change things.
[00:36:10] Sure.
[00:36:10] Or if he plays really good, let's say this team wins the Stanley Cup next year or this year.
[00:36:17] So Markstrom's not going to, all right, I just won you a cup.
[00:36:20] You can tell I could play really good.
[00:36:21] You want to sign me two more years.
[00:36:22] It's going to cost you a little bit more than $6 million.
[00:36:24] Good point.
[00:36:25] So, I mean, the dream scenario would be Markstrom the next two years.
[00:36:35] Allen backs him up this year.
[00:36:36] Allen walks away next year.
[00:36:38] Whoever steps into that backup role, whether it be Nico Dawes or the kid we drafted, whatever his name is, or Poulter, somebody steps into that role and shows that they can do it.
[00:36:51] And then you can make a decision.
[00:36:53] Okay, do we run it with our younger guy?
[00:36:56] Do we sign Markstrom for one more year and we run this thing back again?
[00:36:59] What do we do?
[00:37:01] At least he gives you some options.
[00:37:02] Or is there another transaction that could bring a goalie under term over?
[00:37:08] Because, again, at that point, you have to be realistic when you've got guys like Hughes, like Nemec, all going from minimums to bridge or better.
[00:37:16] There's money that has to come from somewhere.
[00:37:18] And this is what we've said a million times.
[00:37:20] In the next few years, there will be a hard trade that divides this fan base.
[00:37:25] Like it's going to be half that understand why it needs to happen and half that just completely against it.
[00:37:29] Because we just have studs coming up.
[00:37:32] And they're not all getting $8 million, $9 million a year.
[00:37:34] No.
[00:37:35] And you're going to have to part with a lot of them.
[00:37:37] And even some guys that are on this team, you know, like to let's say, you know, you're going to have to trade maybe a fan favorite, a really good player.
[00:37:44] But in return, you're getting more pieces that are going to help you in the long run.
[00:37:48] You know, this is one thing.
[00:37:50] It's it's you have to be a really good, savvy, smart general manager to build your team through the draft and a little bit through free agency like Tom Fitzgerald has.
[00:38:00] It looks like Fitzgerald has nailed this.
[00:38:04] All right.
[00:38:04] It looks like, holy shit, this team looks legit and they look like they're for real.
[00:38:09] So you built it.
[00:38:10] You did that.
[00:38:11] Now it's up to Sheldon Keefe and every guy on the ice.
[00:38:14] Tom Fitzgerald gave you all the tools and now you got to make them work and you got to build something nice.
[00:38:20] Now, the hard part then comes you only have maybe two years of this sit back and and watch the fruits of your labor.
[00:38:30] Right.
[00:38:31] Before you have to start saying we built this great team and we did great.
[00:38:36] Now, how do we stay competitive?
[00:38:38] How do we look at Tampa Bay having to walk away from so many guys that are fan favorites that and Tampa Bay just manages to stay consistently good.
[00:38:50] They're not winning cups anymore.
[00:38:51] But we said it if Vasilevsky gets hot in April when you cup.
[00:38:56] Right.
[00:38:56] They can win you a cup.
[00:38:57] Yeah.
[00:38:58] So, yeah.
[00:38:58] And that's what I was trying to get to too is that everybody kind of looks at this team.
[00:39:03] I'd say it's fair to say a lot of people look at the team and there's like an eight-year window just based on a lot of the contracts we have that are going along.
[00:39:09] But the reality is as this team's constructed, it's actually more like maybe a three-year window because listen, Luke Hughes is getting an $8 million contract at minimum.
[00:39:19] I believe I just I don't think he's bridging.
[00:39:21] I think they're jumping him right in like he did his brother.
[00:39:24] A couple guys are coming off, but not many.
[00:39:27] A couple guys we have after this year or it's not a ton of money.
[00:39:30] So, yeah, I mean and we don't even know what some of the other young guys and not to get ahead of ourselves because we got such a good team now.
[00:39:37] We had some some drafty guys this year.
[00:39:39] I mean, there are guys that can run right up this system.
[00:39:43] I mean, I mean, especially on the blue line like, you know, I on the blue line, you know, I think that I think that you're going to see Nemec and Hughes being our stalwarts moving forward.
[00:39:55] They're going to be our top two.
[00:39:56] And then, you know, there's a place for the guy we drafted silly ever, whatever.
[00:40:01] I don't even know if I'm saying Casey perhaps Casey.
[00:40:04] You know, we got a lot of dudes.
[00:40:05] So there's going to be a lot of tough decisions.
[00:40:08] And this is where it comes down to can you make your team better or as good as the year before?
[00:40:16] And because every year you are losing pieces, but you have to plug in new pieces that are going to play just as good.
[00:40:23] So it's going to be exciting.
[00:40:25] But first and foremost, this is the team.
[00:40:28] Like this is finally after, you know, we said it two years ago, the rebuild was over 112 points.
[00:40:34] The rebuild wasn't over.
[00:40:35] We popped up.
[00:40:36] We had a good year.
[00:40:37] And then we completely looked like the Devils last year.
[00:40:40] And that's what needs to change this year.
[00:40:43] This team needs to this.
[00:40:45] This needs to be the beginning.
[00:40:47] You know, this is the first year of our window being open.
[00:40:51] I believe that.
[00:40:52] And I think that they have a damn good chance to, you know, win the cup.
[00:40:57] Granted, I said that last year, this time last year with the caveat of goaltending was my big issue.
[00:41:05] You know, I don't necessarily know if I trust these guys, but.
[00:41:09] But I think nobody thought they were going to fall off that bad.
[00:41:13] The goaltenders specifically.
[00:41:14] The rest of the team too, but the goaltenders.
[00:41:16] Like everybody forgets like all this.
[00:41:19] Everybody talking like, oh, Hamilton's back.
[00:41:21] Hamilton.
[00:41:21] And don't get me wrong.
[00:41:22] Absolutely.
[00:41:22] I love that.
[00:41:23] Hamilton's back.
[00:41:24] It's going to help our power play so much.
[00:41:25] But Dougie Hamilton, before he got injured, was abysmal playing defense last year.
[00:41:30] But he was having a bad start to his defensive.
[00:41:32] Yeah.
[00:41:33] So like these are like things started to go bad before all the injuries.
[00:41:39] Yeah.
[00:41:39] You can't outscore your problems every year.
[00:41:41] No, no.
[00:41:42] This team's got to play a very structured, strong team defense is absolutely what they have to do.
[00:41:50] And I think that that's what Sheldon Keefe will get him to do.
[00:41:54] I think Sheldon Keefe is perfect for this team.
[00:41:56] I really do.
[00:41:56] His demeanor, how he wants these guys to play, what he expects from them.
[00:42:01] I'm so tired of hearing people go, oh, he didn't win anything in Toronto.
[00:42:05] Like Sheldon, like Toronto's problems only occurred when Sheldon Keefe was there.
[00:42:10] Like they didn't win.
[00:42:10] They won one playoff series in 20 years.
[00:42:13] That's right.
[00:42:13] Keefe hasn't been the coach for 20 years, dude.
[00:42:15] Like you can't blame that on him.
[00:42:17] He's won, I think the fastest to most wins in the first, what, like two or three years ever
[00:42:23] or something.
[00:42:24] Like it's some crazy statistical number that this guy is just a winner.
[00:42:28] Proven.
[00:42:29] Yep.
[00:42:30] So I cannot wait.
[00:42:32] I'm just checking the score right now.
[00:42:34] There's still no score in this game.
[00:42:35] So it looks like Jake Allen's killing it, man.
[00:42:38] Sweet.
[00:42:39] Let's just take a look.
[00:42:41] No, it's still 0-0.
[00:42:45] We have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine shots on goal so far.
[00:42:53] Oh, wait.
[00:42:54] They scored.
[00:42:55] Montreal just scored on Jake Allen.
[00:42:58] That's a dump of them.
[00:43:00] Yeah.
[00:43:01] That was Pazeta, his first goal.
[00:43:05] And we're going up against Sam Montembeau.
[00:43:07] He's in net right now for Montreal.
[00:43:09] All right.
[00:43:11] Is there anything else you want to discuss this fine evening, Bobby?
[00:43:15] I just like to put out a PSA to any new parents or expected parents that the perfect attendance
[00:43:21] is a farce and it's not real and it can't actually happen.
[00:43:24] My kid's dealing with a big sickness right now.
[00:43:26] I got to tell you, I don't know how it works in New Jersey.
[00:43:28] But if you're like anyone, you're like a hundred degree fever, you need to be 24 hours fever
[00:43:32] free before you go back to school.
[00:43:33] Right?
[00:43:33] So usually by the time you find out they have a fever, you're kind of in the middle of the
[00:43:37] day.
[00:43:37] Then they have it for a day and you got to be 24 hours fever free.
[00:43:40] So generally you find a fever, you're looking at two days to start.
[00:43:43] So anybody who's got this perfect attendance, especially year after year, you've lied, you've
[00:43:47] cheated, you've broken the system.
[00:43:49] There's no way you have it like elementary school children going through a year without
[00:43:54] getting the fever that keeps them out of school.
[00:43:56] It's impossible.
[00:43:57] When my kids, especially my daughter got to high school, she's like, they allow me 18
[00:44:02] absences.
[00:44:03] I am using all 18 absences.
[00:44:06] Love it.
[00:44:06] And she would plan her schedule like, you know, in the spring, like I'm going to a concert
[00:44:10] that night.
[00:44:11] So I'm taking off that day and she would get her 18 day.
[00:44:13] And I tell her like, you better not get sick because this is like, you seriously planned
[00:44:17] 18 personal days and that's it.
[00:44:20] Which I'm all for.
[00:44:21] If you work and you know, you have a job, you get sick days, you get time off.
[00:44:25] Mental health days now.
[00:44:26] Mental health students.
[00:44:26] Exactly.
[00:44:27] And plus he was a fucking, you know, honor student, straight A's.
[00:44:31] I don't give a shit.
[00:44:32] So I had a proud, proud parent moment today.
[00:44:36] So my son came home from school yesterday and he was telling, actually, he was texting
[00:44:43] me a little bit from school.
[00:44:44] And he was saying that a kid in his class is a new student.
[00:44:49] He was like, he was like in school for, you know, like maybe like a couple of weeks from
[00:44:54] Asbury.
[00:44:56] And he said, you know, my son talked to him a little bit.
[00:44:59] And he said the other day, yesterday he had like, you know, what was happening.
[00:45:06] The kid just started tweaking in class, like having an episode to the point that like they
[00:45:12] had to bring security and the nurses in.
[00:45:14] They took the whole class and moved them to another room so they can deal with him.
[00:45:19] He was like screaming as they were taking him down the hallway and all this stuff.
[00:45:23] Right.
[00:45:23] It was like, sounded pretty serious.
[00:45:26] So I get his text, an email today from his teacher.
[00:45:30] So good afternoon.
[00:45:32] She says, I wanted to take a minute to recognize your son for showing kindness and empathy.
[00:45:37] Yesterday in English class, a student had a medical issue and your son and another student
[00:45:42] were very concerned about how that student must have been feeling having an issue during
[00:45:46] the class period.
[00:45:47] Today after class, him and his friend stayed after to reiterate their concern for their
[00:45:52] student.
[00:45:53] Your son's compassion for a student he barely knows speaks volume about his character.
[00:45:57] I am honored to be his teacher this year and look forward to our time together.
[00:46:01] That was a very proud parenting moment.
[00:46:04] Absolutely awesome.
[00:46:06] As for you, he gets that from your wife.
[00:46:09] You're not going to get an argument from me.
[00:46:11] Nope, not at all.
[00:46:13] So, but yeah, that was nice, proud parenting moment.
[00:46:15] That is absolutely awesome.
[00:46:16] No, no, that's, that's, that's real life stuff.
[00:46:18] I love that.
[00:46:18] Yeah.
[00:46:19] Very cool.
[00:46:20] Before we go, we can't go to shows.
[00:46:22] Without acknowledging why Tom Fitzgerald is the absolute man.
[00:46:25] I can't believe we forgot to mention this in the first show, but here we go.
[00:46:30] You got to explain this to me a little bit more.
[00:46:32] So go ahead.
[00:46:32] Tell the story.
[00:46:33] Basically the reporter asked him about the type of character players that he brought in
[00:46:38] this off season and what he thinks it takes to, you know, build the type of team that
[00:46:43] he wants to have.
[00:46:44] And his answer was no dickheads.
[00:46:47] It's just like, it's absolutely the best answer.
[00:46:52] And we all know what he means too.
[00:46:54] Cause you get these dickheads that just think they can do whatever they want.
[00:46:57] I mean, this is a general manager of a professional sports team, you know, the top four sports
[00:47:04] in the country.
[00:47:04] And he says, no dickheads.
[00:47:06] The memes are everywhere.
[00:47:07] This, you're going to see this shirt and stuff like that all year.
[00:47:10] Like this is just our new mantra.
[00:47:12] I want to buy a Jersey.
[00:47:13] It just says dickhead on the back, you know, and no dickheads.
[00:47:17] I think that's, that's, that's awesome.
[00:47:20] Who did we lose this year?
[00:47:22] Who left?
[00:47:23] Anybody who was on this team last year that is gone now?
[00:47:27] I'm trying to think like, there's not many, right?
[00:47:30] There was a couple, but you know, as always, we're doing this thing late.
[00:47:33] You think is like a shot at like, Miles Wood was a dickhead.
[00:47:36] Damon Severson was a dickhead.
[00:47:38] Ryan Graves was a dickhead.
[00:47:40] Graves was definitely not a dickhead.
[00:47:41] You take that back.
[00:47:43] I don't know.
[00:47:44] Maybe, maybe, maybe not.
[00:47:46] But definitely the people he brought in weren't.
[00:47:48] Not the people that left were.
[00:47:50] And that's all you needed for the interview process was to sit down and be like, are you
[00:47:55] a dickhead?
[00:47:56] No, sir, not at all.
[00:47:57] All right, you're signed.
[00:47:58] That's actually kind of funny because my first like real job after college, you
[00:48:03] know, when I first moved in with you guys, I was traveling across the state, but I was
[00:48:05] like 10 making like 13 bucks now and all that.
[00:48:07] And then when I actually interviewed for this same corporation, I met the director, older
[00:48:13] guy, and we're talking and he looks at me at the end and he goes, listen, I already
[00:48:18] knew you were going to get the job.
[00:48:20] I really just had to make sure you weren't a jerk.
[00:48:21] So congratulations.
[00:48:22] You got a job.
[00:48:23] I'm like, this is great.
[00:48:24] He was so old school.
[00:48:25] That's awesome.
[00:48:26] Yeah.
[00:48:27] No dickheads.
[00:48:27] I like it.
[00:48:28] We will be a cup winning team free of all dickheads.
[00:48:33] I love it.
[00:48:34] I love it.
[00:48:35] So maybe Manichek was a dickhead.
[00:48:38] Could have been.
[00:48:38] Yeah.
[00:48:39] So final thing.
[00:48:40] What?
[00:48:40] Final thing.
[00:48:41] Happy birthday to Arlette.
[00:48:44] Arlette's birthday.
[00:48:45] Arlette's birthday's today.
[00:48:46] Very nice.
[00:48:47] Just posted.
[00:48:48] Yeah.
[00:48:48] Very nice.
[00:48:49] I did not know that Arlette and I were a day apart on our birthdays.
[00:48:53] And happy birthday.
[00:48:53] She's got a couple years on you.
[00:48:54] Yes.
[00:48:55] And she has a much better voice.
[00:48:57] So.
[00:48:58] Yes.
[00:48:58] Yeah.
[00:48:58] I will not be singing the national anthem.
[00:49:01] Kind of career trajectory altogether.
[00:49:02] Actually.
[00:49:03] She's been doing that for.
[00:49:04] I mean, as far as long as I could remember.
[00:49:06] I don't remember anybody else.
[00:49:07] In fact, when you've heard somebody else on the odd day, it was very weird.
[00:49:11] Yeah.
[00:49:12] Like when Danico's son comes out and does it.
[00:49:14] And it's like, Danico, this is your son?
[00:49:17] Like you're a big, tough hockey player.
[00:49:19] That was crazy.
[00:49:21] Little dude.
[00:49:22] Because look, an elf looking dude.
[00:49:23] It comes out.
[00:49:24] It's got a heck of a voice though.
[00:49:25] It sure did.
[00:49:26] Yeah.
[00:49:27] But speaking of getting something from your mother, I'm sure that that came from Danico's
[00:49:31] wife.
[00:49:31] Yes.
[00:49:32] I would imagine.
[00:49:33] Yeah.
[00:49:33] Arlette.
[00:49:33] Happy birthday, Arlette.
[00:49:35] I hope you have a wonderful day.
[00:49:37] But we are going to wrap this thing up.
[00:49:39] And wherever you're listening to us, a like, a five-star review, positive comment, download,
[00:49:42] subscription.
[00:49:42] Helps a little podcast that could.
[00:49:44] We are the Uncle Puckers.
[00:49:46] We'll see you when we see you.
[00:49:47] No dickheads.
[00:49:48] No dickheads.
[00:49:50] Bye-bye.
[00:49:50] Bye-bye.
[00:49:55] It's over, Jenny.
[00:49:57] It's over.
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