Takes

Jacob Chychrun will be the biggest name defenseman moved at the deadline

For trade for defenseman right now the biggest name is Jacob Chychrun and he plays for the coyotes. ... I would say that he's gonna be a big name defenseman that moves at the close to the deadline.

Connor McDavid is the most dominant pro athlete in the world right now

Conor McDavid is the best pro athlete right now... Conor McDavid dominates hockey more than any other athlete in the world dominates theirs.

Cale Makar will be the greatest defenseman of all time

Kale Makar is number two... Kale Makar is the Conor McDavid of defense. He almost might be more valuable according to Wayne Gretzky... [Nathan McKinnon] said that this will be the greatest defenseman of all time.

The Colorado Avalanche will repeat as Stanley Cup champions

I think the abs [Avalanche] unfortunately will probably beat the Oilers again in the Western Conference final. And I'm picking the abs to win again.

Alex Ovechkin will definitely break the NHL goal-scoring record

Is Ovie gonna get the record, just yes or no? Yes. Definitely yes.

The NHL beat writer who celebrated with the Stanley Cup should be fired for a lack of integrity

There was a Colorado Avalanche beat writer that picked up the Stanley Cup and celebrated with the team and called it one of the best nights of his life. And frankly he should be executed. Yeah. Send him to the LIV tour. They should chop his head off. That's not what journalism is supposed to be in America. It's supposed to be fearless truth tellers, impartial scribes.

The Stanley Cup lifting ceremony is a top-three sports tradition

When you see that, no matter who you root for, it's a great ceremony. Like you're seeing the person lift the cup for the first time, the team captain, or like a long time veteran on that team finally get their Stanley cup. It's awesome. That's like a top three sports [ceremony].

The Colorado Avalanche were one of the most dominant Cup winners in history

The avalanche incredible team, like an absolute wagon of a team... they went 16 and four in the playoffs. They had, they had a four game sweep [of the Predators]... the Oilers [sweep]... 4-2 against the lightning. They, if you combine it all and he'd take out overtime losses and the regular season, they had, they won a 78% clip, which is insane. It's pretty like dad is just, thrills are just awesome. Awesome hockey team that deserves to win the cup.

Cale Makar has a chance to be one of the greatest defensemen ever

Cale Makar... who we talked to Whitney about it, like one of the, he has a chance to be one of the greatest defenseman ever in terms of where he's at his career right now in the talent level.

The current Colorado Avalanche core will win exactly two Stanley Cups

I think they're getting exactly two Stanley cups.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will come back and win the 2022 Stanley Cup

Tampa is coming back and winning this thing really? But I've been, I've been on Tampa for the past two years. I've picked them the wind, the last two cups. And I picked them again this year. Cause I won't pick them until they lose.

Game 4 is the pivotal game of the Stanley Cup Final

I'd say that it's gonna come down to pivotal game for winner that game... if they lose it, it's over no way that they went three in a row.

Wayne Gretzky's dominance over his peers will never be seen again

Just given how much he was better than his peers at that time. I don't think that we're ever going to see anything like it. I think Lemieux was close... Wayne was like three times as good. Maybe four times as good as some guys... The sheer dominance and the amount of points that somebody could produce and comparable to the better overall competition, it's just going to be very diff Wayne was just so much more ahead of his time.

The Avalanche vs Lightning series is over; the Cup is in the building

I'm pretty excited for my Avalanche bet. I'm feeling comfortable about it because this does feel like a game seven now... This is game seven for the Lightning. And it's a game two for the Avalanche... Are we sure the Lightning are good? Are, do they just have Vasilevskiy... The Avalanche just look like the far fresher, far faster [team].

The Lightning are perfectly set up to win the Stanley Cup if they win Game 4

The Lightning are set up so perfectly where they've done this now a few times in these playoffs where they start slow in a series. And so if they win Game 4, you're just going to be like, well, here it goes. It's happening again.

The Lightning are the worst back-to-back champions of all time

The idea that the, the lightning might be the worst back-to-back champions of all time. If you look at the bubble when put an asterix on that, and then you look at them playing like maybe one of the worst Stanley cup champion or say like a finals teams in recent memory, like last 30 years and the Canadians, and now they finally run into a wagon in the Stanley cup finals.

The Lightning will win the Stanley Cup because Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best goalie in the world

I lean towards goaltending. It's like having the number one ACE pitcher. It's like having the best quarterback, having the goal, the goalie that is the best in the world. It's like, how am I going to pick against that? I've honestly also said I will not pick against tip until they lose. I picked him to win the past two Stanley cups.

Cale Makar is a generational talent who could play forward in the NHL if he wanted to

I swear to God he could be a forward in the league. Like he could, if you put them up front, he could probably play wing and be fine and get fricking 80 points. Like he does defensively. So it's just a player, like a generational type talent who I love watching.

I want to bet on the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup despite being underdogs

The Lightning... I think I kind of want to bet on the Lightning to win this series. They just don't lose. Everything says that the Avalanche are the best team in the NHL, but then it tells me, guess what, the Avalanche, maybe I'll wait till the Avalanche win the first two games... and then the Lightning say 'all right, now we're going to start playing'.

The New York Rangers are the team of destiny

The New York Rangers are one game away from the Stanley Cup final let's go. Congratulations. New York. I just got vibes right now coming from New York Rangers. They feel like the team of destiny. They got the hottest goaltender in the planet.

It's a huge disappointment if the Avalanche don't win the Stanley Cup now

The Avalanche looked like the best team. Like if they don't win it now that's would, that's a big disappointment, big disappointment, huge disappointment.

The New York Rangers are playing unsustainable hockey and got lucky against Pittsburgh

Rangers fans were losing it because I was like, yes, this team has had success all year, but fuck, do they give up a lot of high, dangerous scoring chances and rely on their goaltending. I think that they're going to get worked in playoffs... believe me when I say they got so lucky that Jarry got hurt and they had to play a three third string goalie, they got [worked].

Cale Makar is as good as Paul Coffey and approaching Bobby Orr status

[Makar] is the greatest defenseman we've seen since Paul Coffey's probably as good as Paul Coffey. If he keeps going on this trajectory easily, right. Maybe right below Bobby Orr could eventually become like a Bobby Orr type. He is a freak. He's a Connor McDavid of defense.

The Avalanche will easily advance to the Stanley Cup Finals

Yeah, I would say the Colorado is going to easily advance... [Edmonton is] basically kind of without [Draisaitl]. And also now Kane just got a one game suspension... I think they're going to Colorado is going to advance.

The Lightning will kill the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals

And then you kept on saying the lightning are going to kill him... [Memes] Yeah. A four. Not that sweet. Really? No, that's probably not going to happen. It's a rest verse rust.

Nathan MacKinnon's coast-to-coast goal was the greatest goal ever that everyone will forget

The hockey needed [Nathan] MacKinnon was maybe had the greatest goal ever that everyone's going to forget. That was my big hockey take... coast to coast, like insane goal.

The Colorado Avalanche are destined to win the Stanley Cup this year

I'm just convinced that the avalanche, that this is their year, this is their, I feel like they're just...

The Hurricanes will win the series against the Rangers and finish them off at home

I knew they were going to lose tonight. I think they'll win [Game 5] and then they'll finish them up at home.

The Hurricanes will sweep the Rangers

Big Canes fan now. Canes in four. They can't lose at home.

The Maple Leafs will win Game 7 against the Lightning

The fear in the city of Toronto on Saturday morning, waking up is going to be at an all time high. ... I'm nervous for them, but I think they're going to win, but I'm very, very nervous.

The Lightning are psychological locks to beat the Maple Leafs in Game 7

They've been there. They've experienced it. They've played as a team. They've won championships. This is the first round. ... Toronto has the pressure of a city that needs a championship and an entire country that needs a championship.

If the Capitals win this Stanley Cup and the next, they are officially a dynasty

I did say when they were up three, nothing. I was like, if we win this Stanley cup and the next Stanley cup, does that count as a dynasty taking into account the 2018 Stanley cup that they have?

The Leafs are perfectly set up to lose to the Lightning in Game 6

The Leafs are back, which means that's where they're perfectly set up to lose. And I mean, we might have to game of the year, the Lightning in game six.

NHL scoring is up because of power play strategies and better talent

The scoring staying up has a lot to do with the power plays and also just the games. Good right now. I think hockey's, I think the ratings are up... I think because of all the penalties called. So people's complaint right now is that it's not even, it doesn't even feel like hockey, some games... It's turned into just survive five on five, wait till you get a power play.

No Canadian NHL team will win the Stanley Cup this year

I don't think Canada is going to win the Stanley cup. You're a maple leafs hater. You're an Edmonton Oilers alum... I just think the Leafs have this vibe about them... I don't know if [the Oilers] can figure it out.

The Maple Leafs have a legitimate mental block when leading series

The maple leafs recently, while leading well down in the series, they're like seven or eight and three, well tied in the series. There are about 500 to eight and eight. And when leading these series, they're one to nine. So it's more of like, it might be a legit mental thing.

Cale Makar is currently the best player in the NHL

Right now Cale Makar is the best player in the league. He is a fucking treat to watch every single game. He's doing things that I've never seen before really done. Like he's the McDavid of defensemen.

I won't pick against the Lightning until they actually lose a series

I said I won't pick against them [Lightning] until they don't win. So I am on the Lightning. I want the Lightning, but I'm going to be very surprised if the Avs don't win the Stanley Cup.

The NHL is potentially rigged for certain ratings-friendly matchups

The whole debate that we were having last night about the NHL being rigged? Because I think that you're insane for not thinking... the NHL would prefer to have caps first penguins. One last showdown between [Ovechkin and Crosby].

This is the year the Toronto Maple Leafs finally figure it out

Leaf's are fine. They'll figure it out. That's the Leaf's year. I'm still confident in the boys up north.

I'm 79% of the way back to declaring the Capitals are going to win the Cup again

I'm having a hard time believing in these Caps as of eight hours ago. Right now I'm almost fully back. I'm like 79% of the way back to declaring that these Caps are different. That these Caps—it's our year again.

Losing a triple-overtime game at home is the worst feeling in sports

There's no worse feeling than having committing six hours of your time into a hockey game and coming away with absolutely nothing. It sucks the soul right out of you. And it was against the backup goalie too.

High taxes in Minnesota and Canada prevent their NHL teams from landing top free agents

My cool throne is Minnesota and Canada. The reason why they can't land good free agents to make their hockey teams good is because of taxes.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are 'fucked out' and will lose to the Maple Leafs

I just think they're fucked out. You know, when you just been fucking all night long and finally it's 6:00 AM and the sun's coming up and you're like, I'm blowing dust. They went back-to-back, man. A lot of hockey. Your central nervous system can only handle so much. I think that the Tampa Bay Lightning are done.

Cale Makar is the next Paul Coffey and the best defenseman in the world

Cale Makar is easily the next Paul Coffey. We hadn't seen a defenseman who's able to drive traffic like him. He's essentially stepped in as the Connor McDavid of the back end. He's probably going to score 30 goals as a defenseman. He is just a freak of nature.

The Stanley Cup Final will be Colorado vs. Florida and it will be the most electric ever

I think this is a year where the favorites get to the top. I think it's going to be Colorado and I think it's going to be Florida. And I think it will be the most electric Stanley Cup Final of all time... both of those teams are extremely fun to watch.

The NHL should use a 1-8 seeding draft where the top seeds pick their opponents

I would be okay if they ended up switching the patterns up. It would be the first seed selecting, starting with the first team, they would pick their opponent and then all the way through. I definitely think they should go back one through eight... and then reseed after the first round.

The New York Rangers will win it all because they finally moved on from Henrik Lundqvist

The narrative that I want get going ... now that the Rangers don't have Lundqvist anymore and they've got a clutch playoff goalie [Igor Shesterkin], this is what they've been missing over all the years. ... It's the Bryce Harper orthosis where after we got rid of him, then the Nats win the title.

I'm bringing the Stanley Cup to Canada by betting on the Flames and the Maple Leafs

My other cool throne is Canada because I've decided I put a future on the Calgary flames. I'm going to bring a cup to Canada personally... Leafs and flames... I just want to bring a cup to the fine people of Canada because I'm sick of them not having a cup.

The Winter Olympics ratings decline is due to a lack of NHL pros in hockey

The average total audience was 11.4 million viewers for the 2022. And that's a sharp decline... I'm convinced it's the hockey like it's, it's it's hockey, not having the pros and not having it as like a tentpole.