Ep. 33: An All-Canadian Game 7, MacKinnon's Magic, and a Chat With Brian Boucher

To kick off today’s edition of the DFO Rundown, Jason and Frank talked about last night’s wild finish between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes. There were over 140 penalty minutes in the game, but the moment that had everyone talking was Jalen Chatfield’s takedown of Connor McMichael during their fight. Did Chatfield go too far and could he face supplemental discipline? The guys debated that.From there, they talked about whether or not this Hurricanes team is built well enough to go on a deep playoff run. They also talked about the Maple Leafs heading into the playoffs and the Boston Bruins free fall in the final month of the season.That led to some draft talk and Frank has some ideas on how the league can improve the draft process. With the changes coming to the way that the NCAA allows players in, Frank thinks that now is the perfect time for them to change how the draft works. He explained his thought process and the trickle down effect that it would have on other leagues while Gregor poked some holes in his ideas.Tyler then popped in for a new edition of Fill in the Blank, where he asked the guys about the Art Ross trophy, Mitch Marner’s next contract, and the Cup Contender that they’re least bullish on.To wrap, Gregor talked about Gavin McKenna’s remarkable run in the WHL and where he could play next season. The tank for McKenna next season could be unlike any we’ve seen in the last 10 years.1:15 - Chatfield vs McMichael fight9:50 - Can the Canes go on a run?12:00 - Leafs clinch playoff spot19:25 - Bruins free fall21:40 - Frank’s Draft plans38:20 - Fill in the BlankWant to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Apr 53min

Frank and Jason return with a new installment of the DFO Rundown. To get things started, they broke down the playoff picture in the West.The St Louis Blues are running away with the final wildcard spot as they continue a hot streak. The guys comment on if they have played their way into serious contender consideration. The Wild could be getting Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back from injury before the playoffs. The guys commented on the Wild’s playoff chances and the impact of a player like Kaprizov. What kind of contract extension will he sign? Frank thinks it could be one of the biggest contracts in the league. As they continue to analyze potential playoff teams and matchups, they focus on both Conference leaders. The Jets have had a spectacular regular season, but they’ve done that before. The guys ponder if they will be able to translate that success and make a deep playoff run. On the other side, the Capitals have lost 3 straight. The guys talked about how some adversity could be good for a team that has been so dominant this year.Staying on the east, the guys analyzed the tight playoff race. The Canadiens are holding on to a wildcard spot. Can they get across the line? The Blue Jackets continue to stay in the picture too, as the guys give their takes on who gets the last spot in the east.The guys also looked at some teams at the bottom of the standings. The Sabres have been sneakily hot to end the year. Frank gives his thoughts on if they should blow it up and rebuild regardless. The Blackhawks and Sharks continue to fight for the best lottery odds. The guys also speculate what Ryan Donato’s next contract looks like.The guys moved on to Hart talks and the dominance of Leon Draisaitl. Is there any chance he doesn't win it? The guys give their thoughts and list some dark horses.Pat popped in for Buy or Sell where he asked the guys about the Art Ross Race, Atlantic Division, and how deep the blues can go in the playoffs. To wrap it up, the guys looked at the Vegas Golden Knights, who continue to play well and lead the Pacific. Frank wonders if there is any team better prepared to contend than them.1:44 West Wildcard9:03 Conference Leaders (Jets & Capitals)13:08 East Wildcard16:11 The Bottom (Sabres, Sharks & Blackhawks)25:17 Hart Race31:51 Buy or Sell36:47 Golden KnightsWant to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 Mar 44min

To kick off a fresh episode of The DFO Rundown, Jason and Frank talked about the big breaking news of the day: John Tortorella is out as the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.Tortorella was in the third season of a four-year deal and the Flyers were having their worst season since he was hired. The guys broke down why the Flyers made this decision, debated whether or not his comments from earlier this week had anything to do with it, and discussed where the Flyers will go from here. Frank made the case that they are the team that is the furthest away from being Stanley Cup contenders.They then turned their attention to some other coaching situations around the league and talked about the cycle of hiring re-tread coaches in the league. Could that start to change? Frank talked about how organizations might need to change their mindsets when it comes to coaching.Tyler then popped in for a new edition of Fill in the Blank where he asked the guys about the playoff race in the West and the chances that not only the Calgary Flames get in, but the Minnesota Wild fall out of things. He also asked a question about which defensemen outside of Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar have a shot at the Norris Trophy in the next decade.1:00 - The Torts era ends7:00 - What’s the future like in Philadelphia?16:30 - The Coaching Market33:10 - Fill in the Blank (Flames, Wild & future Norris wins)Want to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Mar 52min

Frank and Jason are back with a fresh episode of The DFO Rundown. To start things off today, they started talking about the idea that the NHL could potentially be once again looking at expansion.There has been lots of chatter about both Atlanta and Houston as cities that the league could potentially have interest in, but does going to 34 teams make sense? The guys gave their takes on that and Frank tried to explain why the league could want to get this done. They also had some fun tossing around the idea of relegation coming as well.From there, they talked about the Western Wild Card race as the St. Louis Blues continued their hot-streak and now control their own playoff destiny. Their turnaround this season also came after they hired Jim Montgomery, who came over from Boston. That led to some talk about how far away the Bruins are and if that front-office is going to make this through the summer.That conversation naturally turned to another front office that could be seeing some big changes this summer: the Buffalo Sabres. What’s the appetite for change in Buffalo? Frank gave some insight.Tyler then popped in for Buy or Sell where he asked a little bit more about front offices that could be changing, the future of the Sharks and Blackhawks, and the Hart Trophy race.To wrap up, they talked a bit about the Jets managing Connor Hellebuycks' workload and if the Jets are leaning too hard on him. They also talked about whether or not the Caps or Jets are better built for a long playoff run.0:40 - Expansion13:55 - Blues red hot run16:10 - Bruins front office25:30 - Sabres & Kevyn Adams32:30 - Buy or Sell43:20 - Hellebuyck’s workloadWant to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Mar 56min

Frank and Jason are back for an all new edition of The DFO Rundown as Frank returned from the NHL’s GM Meetings. To start the podcast, they talked about the NHL’s penalty problem as Frank had a chance to ask some General Managers about the research that Jason did on the drop in penalties this season. Will the league do something to address this? Will they even admit there’s a problem?From there, they talked about what was discussed between the 32 GM’s earlier this week, starting with the future of the NHL All-Star Game. As it sits right now, there is a game scheduled for right before the 2026 Olympics, but could that change? Frank gave us the latest.They then talked about what could be on the negotiating table as the two sides sit down and try to find labour peace ahead of 2025. There seems to be a pretty high level of confidence that the two sides will be able to figure things out without much struggle.Tyler then popped in for Fill in the Blank, where he asked the guys about a couple of future record chases that the NHL could be seeing in the next decade and the chances of either Winnipeg or Washington going on a heater and getting to the 120-point mark this season.To wrap, the guys talked about Ovechkin’s chase of Gretzky, which is coming right down to the wire. 1:10 - The NHL’s penalty problem9:00 - Future of the All-Star Game18:20 - The next CBA26:10 - Fill in the Blank37:40 - Ovi & the Gr8 ChaseWant to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Mar 58min

Frank and Jason are back with a fresh episode of The DFO Rundown as the NHL’s playoff race continues to heat up. To start today’s show, they looked at some trade deadline additions that are fitting in nicely with their new clubs and a few that are off the rougher starts.That led them to some talk about the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Senators seem to have all but locked up their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs but the eighth seed is still wide open. The Rangers are the betting odds favourites on Bet365 but both the Canadiens and Blue Jackets are right there in the mix.They also quickly touched on the Pittsburgh Penguins heater and how it’s costing them valuable spots in the NHL’s Draft Lottery standings.They then went out West, where Leon Draisaitl is on the verge of another 50-goal season. Jason talked about the significance of that while Frank wondered if Draisaitl has the Hart Trophy locked up or if Nathan MacKinnon should be getting more consideration.After that, Jason talked about his latest research project which is centred around the stunning drop in powerplays around the NHL. The numbers are jaw-dropping and led to the guys trying to figure out exactly why they have fallen as hard as they have.To wrap, Tyler popped in for a new edition of Buy or Sell where he asked the guys about the Senators chances of getting a divisional playoff spot, the Jack Adams award, and the upcoming NHL GM Meetings.1:00 - Trade deadline early returns5:25 - Eastern playoff race8:55 - Penguins heater11:40 - Draisaitl chase for 50 & the Hart24:20 - Powerplay drop off32:30 - Buy or Sell (GM Meetings, Jack Adams, Senators heater)Want to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Mar 47min

Jason and Frank are back with a fresh edition of the podcast, in which they put a bow on their trade deadline coverage by grading what all the sellers did last Friday. Frank kicked things off with a spicy take and gave which trade he thinks could be this year’s version of the infamous Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat trade.From there, they talked about how they felt teams like the Penguins, Bruins, and Sharks did when it came to selling off assets. They also hit on the New Jersey Devils, who became ‘soft buyers’ with the injury to Jack Hughes. The guys talked about whether or not they should have sold off.The conversation about the Sharks eventually turned into a Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini comparison as Gregor talked about the overuse of the ‘generational’ title and Frank talked about Bedard’s path to having a MacKinnon-esque career.They also talked about the Seattle Kraken and Philadelphia Flyers, who both sold off some assets on Friday, before quickly talking about two teams out West that stood still during the deadline period but still find themselves right in the middle of the playoff race.Tyler Yaremchuk then popped in for a new edition of Fill in the Blank, brought to you by Bet365. He asked the guys about one playoff matchup that they would want to lock in, the Flames playoff chances, and potential summer shake-ups.1:10 - Erat trade 2.0?3:45 - Penguins returns9:10 - Bruins deadline deals14:00 - The Devils moves19:30 - Were the Sharks A+ sellers?30:22 - Grading the Kraken36:20 - Utah vs St. Louis40:30 - Fill in the BlankWant to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Mar 51min

Jason and Frank are back with a new episode of The DFO Rundown as the dust has settled on all of the drama that we got on deadline day. To kick things off, they talked about one of the trades that didn’t happen on Friday: Mitch Marner to Carolina.How close was a deal and what does this mean for Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs? Frank gave some insight into that and the guys talked about what kind of deal he could get if he hits free agency this summer.From there, they talked about the Mikko Rantanen deal. The fit with Dallas makes a lot of sense, but what about the two teams that have traded him this season? Both the Hurricanes and Avalanche have undergone some massive roster surgery over the last few months, but are they better today?They also talked about the very steep price that the Avalanche paid for Brock Nelson, gave some extra context to why the Hurricanes had to move on from Rantanen, and the Brad Marchand stunner that came in right at the buzzer.Tyler then popped in for Buy or Sell where he asked the guys about the Stanley Cup odds, the chances of a deadline rental signing back with his former team on July 1, and the Devils deadline activity.To wrap things up, they talked about the Cozens for Norris deal and what the teams in the Pacific Division got up to at the deadline.0:53 - Marner’s future4:30 - How Rantanen landed in Dallas7:00 - The Avs overhaul12:00 - The Canes return26:00 - Marchand goes to Boston45:20 - Buy or Sell (Stanley Cup odds & NJD)55:50 - Norris for Cozens1:04:10 - Oilers, Kings & Golden Knights1:09:20 - The Canucks deadlineWant to hear more from Frank, Jason and the entire DFO team? Subscribe to our YouTubeYou can get involved with all the NHL futures action over on bet365 by using the promo code NATION at bet365.comConnect with us on ⬇️TwitterInstagramWebsiteDaily Faceoff Merch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Mar 1h 15min