NHL @TheRink – Details, episodes & analysis

Dan and Shawn are joined by NHL.com columnist Nick Cotsonika (09:06), who is in Columbus covering the candlelight vigil in remembrance of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau. Nick, who recently wrote about that tragedy and its impact on hockey, shares his thoughts on the news. The conversation shifts to other hockey news, including Leon Draisaitl's eight-year, $112 million contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers and its implications for Connor McDavid and the team. They also discuss Tomas Hertl's potential impact with the Vegas Golden Knights now that he's healthy and expected to join training camp. After chatting with Nick, Dan and Shawn delve into restricted free agents, focusing on Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman and what the Montreal Canadiens can expect from Patrik Laine. They also touch on Brad Marchand's recovery from injury and the ongoing talks regarding Sidney Crosby's contract extension.

Dan and Shawn discuss a potpourri of offseason moves and start by talking about the splash made by the Nashville Predators, who signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei on July 1. Does this make the Predators the best team in the Central Division and a real Stanley Cup threat? They wonder why the Lightning did not re-sign Stamkos, instead opting to sign Jake Guentzel. They hit on the Maple Leafs and their main moves, including signing Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to bolster their defense. Does it make the Maple Leafs better? If so, how much better? They discuss the Boston Bruins signing Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, and why both are perfect fits. They also talk about the Carolina Hurricanes and the hit they took on July 1. They banter about Jake DeBrusk's seven-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks and the Seattle Kraken hiring Jessica Campbell to be the first female assistant coach on the bench.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (18:00) to discuss the Panthers advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, how the team is handling the days off, the importance of ending series early, Paul Maurice's coaching style, his welcome to the Playoffs moment and when he started dreaming about winning the Stanley Cup as a kid. The guys start he episode discussing what series has the best chance to go 7 games and really diving into the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights matchup. They also look ahead to the future of the Tampa Bay Lightning and whether it includes Steven Stamkos and/or Jon Cooper. They wrap the episode with an in-depth discussion on the NY Rangers/Carolina Hurricanes series and look at the Edmonton Oilers first round win over the LA Kings. Plus, they update the coaching carousel and talk about the Seattle Kraken parting ways with Dave Hakstol. 

Dan and Shawn are joined by Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour (25:41). He talks about the art of shutting down games, the high powered offenses of the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, the state of the Hurricanes heading into the Playoffs, the stabilizing force that Freddie Andersen has been for the Canes and how he defines the qualities that the winner of the Hart Trophy should exhibit.  The guys start the episode talking about whether the Panthers, Maple Leafs and Oilers can be successful in the playoffs with their style of play and the importance of being able to shut down games come playoff time and they compare Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, wondering if Matthews is being overlooked as the best player in the NHL. They close out the episode talking about Roman Josi's chances of winning the Hart Trophy, answer a mailbag question on the Norris Trophy race and reflect on Ryan Getzlaf's retirement announcement. 

Dan Rosen and Shawn Roarke were joined by Amalie Benjamin (15:25), NHL.com's Boston-based staff writer, who discussed her recent visit to Vancouver to report on and write about the new-look Canucks' executive staff complete with Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato, the first two women assistant general managers in NHL history. Benjamin discussed her interviews with Castonguay and Granato along with conversations she had with Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin, the first Swedish GM in NHL history, and Jim Rutherford, Vancouver's president of hockey operations. Benjamin also discussed the Bruins (32:00), the team she covers most for NHL.com. She touched on the immediate questions about goalie Jeremy Swayman and how he will handle the pressure of the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs, and hit on the future of center Patrice Bergeron, who is 36 years old and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. 

Rosen and Roarke also had a breakdown of the race in the Western Conference (9:00), specifically the Pacific Division, and gave reasons why it's hard for them to believe in any team besides the Calgary Flames. They talked about goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's impact on the Minnesota Wild since his arrival in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks (5:00). The Wild have won seven in a row, including five straight since Fleury got to Minnesota. The co-hosts also gave some thoughts on the news that came out of the NHL General Managers' meetings (56:00) this week and the passing of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who died Monday night. He was 62 years old (58:00). 

Dan and Shawn react to all the moves made leading up to and on NHL Trade Deadline day. They each share their thoughts on the Wild acquiring Marc-Andrew Fleury, discuss the impact of Giroux's decision to waive his no-movement clause to go to the Panthers and what that says about Florida as a destination for NHL players. They discussed the New York Rangers and the impact of adding forwards Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte, and defenseman Justin Braun. They dissect the moves made by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken. They also discuss why the Edmonton Oilers didn't make a bigger splash. 

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Tom Gulitti, NHL.com's Washington-based staff writer, joins co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn Roarke for the entire episode, giving perspective on Ovechkin scoring his 767th goal to move past Jaromir Jagr and into third place all time (2:00). They also talked about the Capitals being 5-0-1 since general manager Brian MacLellan said the team may be less aggressive at the Deadline (12:00) and went into detail on the Vegas Golden Knights' struggles and reasons why they've lost five straight games (18:00). 

Who are the Claude Giroux suitors? Will Giroux accept a trade? The guys ponder these questions and also discuss the future of the Philadelphia Flyers (34:00). The Maple Leafs goalie issues are discussed and Dan believes that the team needs to make a move for a defenseman (57:00). Are the Vancouver Canucks sellers? What will the Florida Panthers do at the Deadline? and what are some dark horse teams that will make significant moves? All these questions are asked and answered on this Trade Deadline preview edition of NHL @TheRink. 

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Dan and Shawn are joined by Tage Thompson (21:47). The Buffalo Sabres  leading scorer with 42 points talked about the return of Jack Eichel to Western New York, the growth of the team under Don Granato, some of the keys to his success on the ice and his journey from a youth player to the NHL. In addition to the interview with Thompson, the guys focused on Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin catching Jaromir Jagr (7:04) for third all-time in goals with 766, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews' push to score 60 or more goals this season (11:53), New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin's candidate for the Hart Trophy (49:40) and the New York Islanders plans at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline (44:00).

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Dan and Shawn are joined by Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin (21:50). Bill talks about whether he's concerned about the Wild's recent 4-game losing streak, explains how he's looking at his team as the Trade Deadline approaches and marvels at the emergence of Matt Boldy. He talks about some of the teams that have impressed him this season, including the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche and is convinced that the Wild can compete to win a Stanley Cup this season. He remembers what the Trade Deadline was like as a player and explains how his perception of the deadline has changed as a GM. The guys start the episode discussing the Blackhawks hiring Kyle Davidson as their GM and the decisions that Davidson will have to make with Marc-Andre Fleury, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. They also dissect the Washington Capitals and ponder whether they should be buyers at the Trade Deadline. They wrap up the episode debating whether the Toronto Maple Leafs have a major issue at the goalie position and who the best U.S. born player is that's under 23 years old; some interesting picks by Dan and Shawn. 

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Dan and Shawn are joined by former Nashville Predators goalie and current Predators broadcaster Chris Mason (6:30). Mason reflects on Pekka Rinne's legacy, the growth of Nashville as a hockey market and the anticipation of this weekend's Stadium Series. He discusses what makes Rinne so special and the reason why the Nashville fanbase adores him so much. He also talks about the trade rumors surrounding Filip Forsberg, the state of the Predators and the reasons for Juuse Saros' success. Dan and Shawn dissect a bunch of other NHL storylines (30:30), including Zdeno Chara's milestone, their Super 16, and the trade deadline market. 

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