The Hockey PDOcast

James Mirtle joins the show to discuss who's pulling the strings for the Leafs behind the scenes, why Roman Polak is still in our lives, and the importance of squeezing the most out of every single roster spot. We also talk about how fair it is to expect our readers to have a certain baseline understanding of the subject matter, and his new gig at The Athletic. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 1:00 How much are readers expected to already know by now? 4:45 The Florida Panthers are now a team run by "computer boys" 8:01 Who's making the personnel decisions for the Leafs? 13:27 Why are Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick still a thing? 16:21 Mike Babcock's blindspots as a coach 20:30 Optimizing every single spot in the lineup 23:00 Dougie Hamilton's name in trade rumours 27:40 Mirtle's exciting new career news Every episode of the podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are also greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Chris Johnston joins the show to discuss the newly minted list of expansion draft exempt players, how it affects the decision-making process for various teams between now and the trade deadline, and certain notable names to keep an eye on. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 5:00 Expansion Draft Rules 11:30 How can the Ducks keep all of their defensemen? 16:00 Are the Blue Jackets goalies in play? 18:45 What do the Wild do with Jonas Brodin? 22:00 Which young forward are the Rangers willing to part with? 25:40 Can Vegas double dip with the Lightning? 31:40 What do the Penguins do with Marc-Andre Fleury? 34:00 Will the Red Wings stay loyal? Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Bret Hedican joins the show to discuss how much the game and the demands of the defense position have changed since he came into the league. Plus, how the San Jose Sharks went about constructing their blueline, what it's like watching Brent Burns on a nightly basis, and some other quick-hitting topics about his time playing in the NHL. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 0:30 Difficulty evaluating defensemen 7:15 How the San Jose Sharks built their blueline 11:30 Brent Burns as a force of nature 14:40 The chicken vs. egg of winning and chemistry 19:15 Staying Power of Coaches in Modern NHL 22:15 Is Patrick Marleau a hall-of-famer? 24:20 Favourite defenseman to watch Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Micah Blake McCurdy joins the show to discuss how well early-season numbers translate towards the rest of the season, the biggest surprises thus far, and where we most noticeably went right vs. wrong with our projections before the year. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 0:30 What early-season stats can tell us 2:45 New York Islanders struggles 8:50 How long can the Rangers keep scoring this often? 11:45 Bruins surprising depth 15:00 Flyers inability to get a save 18:30 Ottawa Senators under Guy Boucher 26:30 More concerned: Predators or Stars? 31:10 Winnipeg's young offensive talent Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Mike Johnson joins the show to discuss what the New York Islanders need to do to make sure they keep John Tavares, playing through early season shooting percentage fluctuations, and what he looks for when tuning in to a game. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 0:50 Deep dive on the New York Islanders struggles 10:35 Why do teams keep passing on P.A. Parenteau types? 14:27 Is the East better than the West right now? 17:10 Buying into teams exceeding preseason expectations 22:01 Young players having no leverage 27:45 Playing through a hot or cold streak 31:40 What to watch for when watching a game This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks, an online accounting service designed to save time and help avoid all of the stresses that come with running a small business. They’re currently offering a free 30-day trial to listeners of our show at Freshbooks.com/PDOcast (just remember to enter “Hockey PDOcast” in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ section). Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Bill West joins the show to discuss how Sidney Crosby is still holding onto his claim as the league's best player, how the Rangers are trying to emulate the Penguins style, and what it's been like covering Mike Sullivan. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 1:00 Sidney Crosby is still the best 10:45 The difficult Metro Division 16:00 Creating a high number of scoring chances 21:00 Mike Sullivan's emergence from Tortorella's shadow 25:30 The battle for the crease This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks, an online accounting service designed to save time and help avoid all of the stresses that come with running a small business. They’re currently offering a free 30-day trial to listeners of our show at Freshbooks.com/PDOcast (just remember to enter “Hockey PDOcast” in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ section). Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Jonathan Willis joins the show to help rank the Top 10 General Managers and the Top 10 Head Coaches. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 2:00 Honourable Mentions 6:00 Bob Murray's rough summer 10:00 Building the Washington Capitals 13:30 Young GMs rising 18:15 Jim Nill's trading record 20:30 David Poile's makeover 22:15 The cream of the crop 25:30 Coaches Intro/Honourable Mentions 30:00 Young coaches 32:00 Ken Hitchcock's longevity 35:45 Alain Vigneault's pet projects 40:30 Peter Laviolette's omission 45:15 Carlyle vs. Tortorella This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks, an online accounting service designed to save time and help avoid all of the stresses that come with running a small business. They’re currently offering a free 30-day trial to listeners of our show at Freshbooks.com/PDOcast (just remember to enter “Hockey PDOcast” in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ section). Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Nick Mercadante joins the show to help rank the best puck-stoppers in the game. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 2:45 Methodology for the rankings 8:30 Win Threshold Percentage and Loss Threshold % 18:30 Andrei Vasilevskiy's rising star 20:15 Roberto Luongo is still good 27:45 Braden Holtby vs. Tuukka Rask 30:30 Jonathan Quick? 38:30 Brian Elliott's sneaky efficiency 40:45 Another Steve Mason diatribe 43:00 The Top 3 This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks, an online accounting service designed to save time and help avoid all of the stresses that come with running a small business. They’re currently offering a free 30-day trial to listeners of our show at Freshbooks.com/PDOcast (just remember to enter “Hockey PDOcast” in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ section). Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Chris Johnston joins the show for an early season edition of the Legit-O-Meter and Panic Meter, in which we try to figure out how sustainable the surprises thus far are moving forward. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 1:15 The spike in scoring 6:00 The Rangers rolling 4 skilled lines 10:00 How legit are the Oilers? 15:00 How worried should we be about Freddie Anderson? 22:30 The ghosts of Pavelec and Cam Ward 27:30 The California Teams This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks, an online accounting service designed to save time and help avoid all of the stresses that come with running a small business. They’re currently offering a free 30-day trial to listeners of our show at Freshbooks.com/PDOcast (just remember to enter “Hockey PDOcast” in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ section). Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Andrew Berkshire joins the show to continue our Top 10 series, this time focusing in on the best defencemen in the NHL. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 1:43 Honourable mentions 5:02 Shea Weber's omission 7:45 Anaheim starting the year without Lindholm 11:30 Washington's best defenceman 13:00 John Klingberg personifies the Dallas Stars 16:00 OEL being overlooked down in Arizona 18:20 The overwhelming force that is Brent Burns 22:18 Why don't people take Shattenkirk seriously? 24:35 The hate has gone too far on Drew Doughty 28:30 Kris Letang does everything for the Penguins 31:30 The Top 4 This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks, an online accounting service designed to save time and help avoid all of the stresses that come with running a small business. They’re currently offering a free 30-day trial to listeners of our show at Freshbooks.com/PDOcast (just remember to enter “Hockey PDOcast” in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ section). Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed straight from this website. Make sure to subscribe to the show so that you don’t miss out on any new episodes as they’re released. All ratings and reviews of the show are greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.