On Episode 13 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Pete Blackburn, NHL media personality and host of What Chaos!

We start the episode talking about Pete’s journey in the sports media world at CBS Sports and Fox Sports before he landed doing what he loves, talking about hockey (2:00). Pete then goes into his lane in hockey media and how What Chaos! has carved their own niche, and how Pete’s Twitter presence complements his show (4:30).

Then Pete talks about working on the NHL Amazon series (7:15), and how impactful the Johnny Gaudreau episode in particular was to him. We dive into the Boston Bruins current team landscape, Pete’s favorite team, and how they can navigate this season and beyond (11:15).

The Bruins have star-caliber players like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman, but have done a good job recouping assets in trades last season. Pete gives his view on where they look to go into the future beyond this season (15:00), do they have to trade some stars or can they re-tool around them?

Then we talk about the rest of the NHL and some of the interesting storylines that have taken place (17:45). The Utah Mammoth are 8-2 to start the year, the Pittsburgh Penguins (who were expected to be the only sellers in the NHL) are 7-2-1 led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and the Montreal Canadiens are the top team in the Atlantic Division.

Then we segway into the upcoming Olympics in February and talk about the rosters for the USA and Canada (24:00). Cole Caufield is a player that USA should be on the team according to Pete due to his goal scoring ability. Macklin Celebrini is another player who might be playing his way on to Canada. Matthew Schaefer from the Islanders is another name to keep an eye on for Team Canada, but also talking about the future of the Islanders and what they are building in their prospect pipeline (28:30).

Then we touch on the Frozen Frenzy that is taking place Tuesday night on ESPN (31:30), and discuss the lack of promotion around it and what the NHL should do to improve the execution around such an awesome concept. We wrap up the episode with Pete’s Stanley Cup picks (35:45).

 

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On Episode 12 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Drew Shore, former NHL player turned NHL Agent with Wasserman, now on his own running his own agency and other entrepreneurial ventures.

 

We start the episode talking about how he got his start playing his hockey (2:00), and how his family with his brothers and parents helped him get started. Drew moved to Vancouver when he was 13 with a billet family because there was not much high-level hockey in Colorado where his family was located (4:15).

 

Then we talk about his junior career and being selected in the 2nd round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers (5:30), even though he thought he was going to be a 1st round pick. He talks about being in the locker room when the Florida Panthers’ now owner Vinnie Viola came in and told the players he bought the team and was going to turn things around (6:45).

 

We get into the decision that went into signing his entry-level contract vs. staying in college and having the opportunity to play with both of his brothers (7:15). We get Drew’s view on the current landscape of the NCAA/CHL and the impact NIL is having on these leagues (9:45).

 

Then we talk about the end of his NHL career, having a 3-year gap between NHL games, playing overseas in Switzerland and Russia, then playing during the COVID year with the Carolina Hurricanes (11:45). We also get his perspective on what it’s like playing in the AHL and how it’s a lot more mental than physical.

 

Once his playing career wrapped up we talked about how he decided to go the agency route (15:30). He talked about everything he learned at Wasserman, one of the top agencies in the NHL (17:30). Drew talks about NHL players and how they lack behind the other major sports in personal branding, and why the Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk’s of the world celebrating their Stanley Cup win the way they did is actually good for the NHL, similar to Alex Ovechkin when the Washington Capitals won (19:30).

 

We discuss why it was bad for the NHL that a lot of the pending UFA’s got signed by their current teams in the recent weeks. Drew has some ideas of how the NHL management staff could do more roster moves to make things more entertaining (22:45), like how we saw the Carolina Hurricanes last season trade for Mikko Rantanen, then trade him away to the Dallas Stars a couple months later when they couldn't reach terms on a new deal. We also touch on the current NHL playoff format and how the league needs to go back to the 1 vs. 8 format.

 

We talk about Drew going off on his own from Wasserman to running his own hockey agency and other business outside of hockey (30:00). He gives us a deep look on negotiating NHL contracts and a behind-the-scenes look on what happens during these tough talks (32:00).

 

We wrap up the episode talking about Amalfi, the company Drew started that connects high-level athletes, CEO’s, and business executives to build a community to help others win (37:30).

 

 

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For Episode 3 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh are live after Day 1 of NHL Free Agency! Hart talks about the Cap Cam on Daily Faceoff's live stream, as well as how he was managing the site with all of these signings coming through.

 

Then they recap some of the day's big signings. It started last night with Mitch Marner and his sign and trade to the Vegas Golden Knights from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The day kicked off with a trio of signings for the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko, Conor Garland, and Brock Boeser all re-signed to stay in Vancouver. The New York Rangers also had a big day. They signed the best free agent defenseman on the market, Vladislav Gavrikov, to a 7-year deal. They also re-signed Will Cuylle. The big move they made was trading defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for draft picks and Scott Morrow. Miller also signed an 8-year deal with the Hurricanes.

 

They talk about some of the other deals that happened around the league. Over 100 contracts were signed today for over $650M combined! There are still some interesting names on the market like Nikolaj Ehlers, Pius Suter, Brent Burns, Jeff Skinner, Jack Roslovic, and others.

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On Episode 2 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Hart Levine, founder of PuckPedia. Hart gives a brief introduction of why he started PuckPedia (2:00) and why all hockey fans should be using their best-in-class features. He was boots on the ground for the NHL Draft in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday, and he goes over his thoughts on the de-centralized format (5:15). We also talk about the Noah Dobson trade from the New York Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens and why this deal might make sense for both teams (10:00). Then we dive into Free Agency, which starts on July 1 (16:15). Mitch Marner is the big name on the market and we discuss why a deal to the Vegas Golden Knights could make sense instead of re-signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs or signing elsewhere (17:00). We talk about some of the other big names on the market and what teams might make some big splashes (24:30). We wrap up the episode with “Ask the Capologist” where we answer some fan-submitted questions (35:30). We discuss why some Restricted Free Agents aren’t eligible for offer sheets, the difference between No Move and No Trade Clauses, and what qualifying offers are and how they are calculated.

 

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On Episode 1 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on Jason Bukala, founder of the Pro Hockey Group. Jason talks about his experience in the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers Amateur Scouting Departments. He goes over what it’s like to interview top NHL prospects (3:30), insight from interviews with this year's prospects at the scouting combine (4:25), and a fun story about a future Hall of Famer from prospect interviews in the 2010's (5:35). We take a look if teams like the Chicago Blackhawks or Utah Mammoth might consider trading their first-round picks (6:45). Then we dive into the 2025 NHL Draft, why Matthew Schaefer is viewed as the presumed number 1 overall pick (13:00), and a player who might drop a bit that will pay off for a team in the future (15:45). We wrap up the show talking about his draft ranking process (18:00), the evolution of scouting in the NHL over the last 15 years (19:00), and his insight on best ways for the average person to break into an NHL Front Office or Scouting Department (21:10).

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On Episode 11 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Chris Powers, one half of the Empty Netters podcast. We start the episode talking about how Chris and his brother Dan Powers started the Empty Netters, as they embark on season 4 (2:00).

 

They have a new venture with NCAA Hockey that will be starting this week so we touch on that and how they became UNH fans over Maine fans, even though they grew up in Maine (3:30). The NHL season is just underway so Chris gives his initial thoughts on the season. His Boston Bruins are off to a great start, as are the Pittsburgh Penguins (4:30).

 

Then we dive into our Western Conference preview, starting with the Minnesota Wild (7:10). CP picked the Wild 7th in their division on his show and we dive into what he was thinking there. The big story of the summer was the Wild signing Kirill Kaprizov, but Marco Rossi was also a really important signing to their roster. We dive deep into the money on the Kaprizov deal and if it was a good deal or not.

 

We then dive into the Colorado Avalanche, who are one of the Stanley Cup favorites (16:00). Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are about the best 1-2 punch as you could have in the NHL. And Gabriel Landeskog will be playing his first regular season games in 3 years and having their captain should help them make a deep playoff run.

 

Next we talk about the Dallas Stars and former Avs superstar Mikko Rantanen (23:20). The Stars should also be a Stanley Cup contender this season, with Jake Oettinger manning the net, and other superstars like Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen, and Wyatt Johnston. Then we wrap up the Central Division with quick hits on the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Utah Mammoth, and Chicago Blackhawks (30:00).

 

We then go into the Pacific Division and start with the hometown Los Angeles Kings (33:00). The Empty Netters guys did their schedule release in the off-season and we talk about some of the Kings top players like Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Darcy Kuemper, and Drew Doughty. As well as some of the contracts Ken Holland signed over the summer with Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin.

 

Then we go deep on the Anaheim Ducks, a popular sleeper team to have a breakout year (41:00). The Ducks locked in Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, and Lukas Dostal to long-term deals, and already have young players like Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke. Mixed in with some veterans like Chris Kreider, Frank Vatrano, and this team will be interesting this season.

 

Then we talk about the rest of the Pacific quickly (45:10). Vegas with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel should be lethal. Connor McDavid signed his team-friendly deal with the Edmonton Oilers, and Leon Draisaitl will be there for another year of this incredible duo looking for their third straight Stanley Cup appearance. Then we wrap up the episode with our Stanley Cup picks (52:00).

 

 

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On Episode 10 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Jonny Lazarus. We start the episode talking about Keith and Jonny's rivalry (1:15). Jonny does a quick thought on how the New York Rangers shape up hyping his new favorite player Noah Laba (2:45).

 

Then we get into our preview, starting with Jonny's favorite team, the New York Islanders (4:00). We talk about their new leadership group, starting with GM Mathieu Darche. First overall pick Matthew Schaefer will start the season on Long Island, Mat Barzal will look to bounce back this season starting the year at center (7:30). Then we talk about Jonny's second favorite team, the New Jersey Devils (10:15)). The Devils just signed Luke Hughes to a 7-year extension, a healthy Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier look to lead the charge for the Devils. There are a couple Devils in trade rumors (Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat), and we see how it would look if those guys are traded.

 

Then we get into the New York Rangers for real this time (17:30), starting with the younger players (Noah Laba, Gabe Perreault, Brett Berard, Scott Morrow). Then we talk about how Adam Fox can have a really strong year, lined up with Vladislav Gavrikov.

 

We switch divisions over to the Atlantic to talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs and how they will fill their Mitch Marner-sized hole on the wing (27:00). Auston Matthews and William Nylander will have to help make up for the offensive production lost by Marner, but some nice moves in the off-season gave the Leafs some much needed forward depth.

 

Then we finish off the team previews with the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (31:30), talking about their big injuries with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. They bring the band back together, and guys like Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett will have to step up in their absence.

 

We wrap up the episode talking about the Montreal Canadiens (35:30) and why they are a team that could surprise Jonny this season. And we finish the episode with the Stanley Cup picks (37:30).

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On Episode 9 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome back founder of PuckPedia Hart Levine. We start the episode talking about the summer and how the month of August was relatively quiet on the NHL transactions front (2:30). 

 

We get into some of the recent signings (Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks and Anthony Stolarz - Toronto Maple Leafs), as well as the two unsigned RFA’s (Luke Hughes - New Jersey Devils and Luke Evangelista - Nashville Predators) (4:00). Then we talk about the site updates on PuckPedia that includes the new NHL Playoff Salary Cap (9:45) and how the Projected Playoff Cap is calculated on site. Hart dives into the nitty gritty details of this new change in the CBA and how it will impact teams this upcoming season (13:30).

 

That naturally transitions into the LTIR changes for this upcoming season, the main reason the playoff cap was implemented in the first place (20:30). With Aleksander Barkov’s recent knee injury, Hart gives us his take on how Florida will likely set their LTIR pool at the beginning of the season with Matthew Tkachuk also being out to start the season (23:15) and explains why the Panthers can take their time determining if Barkov will end up on Season Ending Long Term Injured Reserve (SELITR). 

 

Then we take a look at a couple other teams and their LTIR situations, including the Vegas Golden Knights (25:20). It is assumed Alex Pietrangelo will be out for the season, therefore eligible for SELTIR, but he recently made some comments that open the door for a return this season. If Vegas does not put him on SELTIR to start the season they will have to shed over $3M in cap space before next Tuesday.

 

The Edmonton Oilers (30:30) and the St. Louis Blues (34:15) are the two other teams who will likely use LTIR to begin the season. We wrap up the episode with a couple of ‘Ask the Capologist’ questions (38:25), talking about the difference between Projected Cap Space and Deadline Cap Space, as well as a good breakdown of how the waiver system works.

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On Episode 8 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Jason Bukala, NHL Analyst on Sportsnet and NHL Network, and founder of The Pro Hockey Group. 

 

Bukes was boots on the ground at the NHL Rookie Games over the weekend. He kicks us off talking about the Montreal Canadiens, and particularly Ivan Demidov (3:00), who is the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy according to our friends at Coolbet. Jason also talks about some guys who could give Ivan Demidov a run for his money for the Calder (6:00), like Zeev Buium, Isaac Howard, Matthew Schaefer, and Michael Misa. 

 

We then get back into the other Montreal Canadiens prospects who played really well over the weekend, Jacob Fowler and David Reinbacher (10:00). Next, we dive into the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects and discuss the chances of Easton Cowan to make the Leafs opening night roster (13:00). 

 

Then we talk about the Ottawa Senators prospects and Carter Yakemchuk (19:00). Jason thinks the former first-round pick has a good chance to make the Senators opening night roster. We wrap up prospect talk with two goaltenders (21:30), Jackson Parsons in Ottawa and Dominic Divincentiis, otherwise known as The Teflon Don, from Winnipeg. 

 

Then we discuss the future of the NCAA and the CHL (25:30). With the emergence of NIL we are seeing top CHL players like Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, and Porter Martone heading to the NCAA with Penn State, North Dakota, and Michigan State, respectively. 

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On Episode 7 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome David Ludwig, Assistant General Manager for the Utah Mammoth. We dive into some great topics with David. He went to undergrad at the University of Colorado before getting into law school at the University of Denver with the goal to become an NHLPA certified agent. 

 

He tells us his story of how he got his first job at an NHL agency with KO Sports and Kurt Overhardt (3:00). He interned there for 2 years before working there in a full-time capacity for 8 years. He touched all areas of the business, navigating CBA compliance, contract negotiations and preparation, and arbitration cases (6:00). Then when COVID hit David was presented an opportunity with the Arizona Coyotes and GM Bill Armstrong to work in their Hockey Operations department, with Bill showing David his Stanley Cup ring to seal the deal (9:00). 

 

He enlightens us to what it's like to work both sides of an arbitration case, from the agency side first and now the team side (11:00). We discuss the logistics of moving the team from Arizona to Utah last season when Ryan Smith purchased the franchise and what that whole process was like, including a behind-the-scenes look of what all of that entails (13:45). 

 

Then we preview the Utah Mammoth for this upcoming season, talking through some of the big off-season moves (JJ Peterka, Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev) and what their salary cap picture looks like for the season (24:00). We break down the JJ Peterka trade in the off-season and all of the moving parts that come to be when you make a trade for a Restricted Free Agent and how they had 3 hours to get JJ signed after the parameters of the trade were agreed to (27:00). Then we touch on the new CBA and how that impacts his role as a Capologist and we wrap up the episode with advice he has to break into the hockey industry (31:00).

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On Episode 6 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome William Kawam, NHLPA certified agent at ORR Hockey. We dive into some great topics with William. He talks about what it's like working at an NHL agency founded by legend Bobby Orr and agent Rick Curran. Then we shift gears to talking about his junior hockey career in the BCHL and the AJHL before transitioning to college at the University of Louisville. He then talks about getting rejected from every NHL team and NHL agency internship he applied for. William then got setup at a hockey academy in Banff, Alberta working with former player Gary Unger. He knew Glen Sather and was able to introduce William to Glen. William then met Glen at his house in Canada where he did tasks for him for the better part of two summers before landing his first role in the NHL for the New York Rangers in their Hockey Operations department. He played multiple roles during his time there (clipping video, updates on trades and signings, cleaning the equipment room). When he left the Rangers after a season he was introduced to Mike Curran at ORR Hockey. Then he started working at ORR and finding different ways to add value to the agency before becoming a client manager and eventually an NHLPA certified agent. We touch on the NCAA and CHL hockey landscape, specifically Gavin McKenna going from the WHL to Penn State, and how the new changes to the CBA will impact the future of those leagues.

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On Episode 5 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show, PuckPedia founder Hart Levine joins host Jonathan Davis for an in-depth look at the new NHL CBA. We get into how it could effect transactions going forward and how it may have affected this past year's Stanley Cup Final. Hart also touches on how LTIR and playoff cap will be different going forward. We wrap up the episode hearing about the changes to performance bonuses and qualifying offers.

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On Episode 4 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Ian Pulver, NHLPA certified agent and founder of The Will Sports Group. We dive into some great topics with Ian. His client K’Andre Miller signed one of the biggest deals this off-season with the Carolina Hurricanes for 8-years, $60M. We get into how that came about, but also the complexities of doing a sign and trade with his former team the New York Rangers. 

 

Ian also talks about his busiest time of the year in June and July, and what prep is like for the NHL Draft and the beginning of Free Agency. He also touches on the state tax discourse that has taken over the media that last few years and if it’s a real thing or if it’s a media-driven narrative due to the no state income tax teams (Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning) being successful the last few years. 

 

We also talk about what it was like when he was negotiating Scott Gomez’s contract in 2007 when he left the New Jersey Devils as a free agent to go across the Hudson River to the New York Rangers, and what it was like dealing with the legendary Lou Lamoriello. We wrap up with some advice he has for aspiring NHL agents.

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For Episode 4 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 contract extensions just recently signed. Adrian Kempe signed an extension with the Los Angeles Kings for 8-years x $10.625M AAV (5:00).

Then the Winnipeg Jets announced a 5-year x $5M AAV extension with Adam Lowry (10:25). Hart also breaks news that Victor Hedman has landed on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). He will be out a minimum of 10 games and 24 days.

Then they talk about trade protection in the NHL, and how almost two-thirds of the players in the league who are eligible for trade protection have it (15:50). They dive deep into some teams like the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames, as those teams are the most likely sellers at the moment with player like Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson, Jordan Kyrou, and Brayden Schenn on the trade block (19:00).

Then they wrap up with a couple of fan-submitted questions. The first has to do with why a player would have a No Move Clause and a No Trade Clause. Then the second question has to do with the new CBA rule about salary retention and if there might be a 2nd Trade Deadline because of the new rule (29:30).

As always, reply on X or get in the YouTube chat to submit your questions and have them read live on the show!

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On Episode 16 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Steve Dangle, media personality and co-CEO of the Steve Dangle Podcast Network (SDPN).

Steve tells us about what it was like starting his YouTube channel in 2007 (2:15), making a video after every Toronto Maple Leafs game. He has only missed 7 or 8 games in the last 19 years. He talks about the grind of doing this for 6 years before people started to care (4:00).

He then tells us how that ended up landing his job at Sportsnet in 2013 (5:45), working there for about a decade. Then he goes into detail of what it was like to go off on his own and build his own company and the reason he decided to leave Sportsnet to go out on his own (7:00).

Then we talk about the media rights in social media, and why the MLB has decided to lean in (through their partnership with Jomboy), as well as the NFL and NBA, but not so much on the NHL (9:00). That somehow took a turn into discussing the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef from last year.

Then we talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs, Steve’s favorite team (17:45), and he gives us an inside look on some of the issues with the team this year. Aside from Mitch Marner not being there, Steve thinks the coaching change on the defensive side with Lane Lambert going to the Seattle Kraken has played a big impact on their structure this season (20:00).

Then we wrap up the episode with Steve giving advice to anyone who might want to make a career in the hockey media space.

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For Episode 3 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 contract extensions just recently signed. Shane Pinto signed an extension with the Ottawa Senators for 4-years x $7.5M AAV (3:00). This deal bought 2 UFA years and Pinto has a 10 team No Trade Clause in Years 3 and 4. The Colorado Avalanche also signed goaltender Scott Wedgewood to a 1-year x $2.5M AAV extension (7:30).  

Then they talk about the Edmonton Oilers cap situation with Zach Hyman about to be activated from LTIR. When Hyman is activated, the Oilers will need to clear $2.2M salary to be cap compliant (12:25). Hart dives into what some of those options might be, including sending Isaac Howard down to the AHL.

Then they talk about the current situation with the Toronto Maple Leafs and David Kampf (19:00). Hart breaks down the behind-the-scenes conversations that usually go into these situations, and also what the salary cap implications are. He also goes into why a player like Kampf would be fine getting his contract terminated and leaving money on the table.

Then they wrap up with a question about the Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick situation and what happens if they get a top 5 pick this year, that would normally be sent to Boston but is protected, while also owing a first round pick to Philadelphia next season (25:45).

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We start the episode talking about the start of his hockey career (2:15), how a kid from Florida got into hockey. His parents had season tickets to the Florida Panthers and he went to his first game at 30 days old (5:30). Then started playing roller hockey and ice hockey at a young age, and left Florida to go to Connecticut to advance his career, then played in the BCHL before getting a scholarship and going to Quinnipiac.

Then he got drafted as an overager during his college career to the NHL by the Washington Capitals (9:00). He talks about his process of going to their development camps for three seasons before becoming a Free Agent and never signing his Entry-Level Contract with Washington, due to their roster composition (11:00).

Chase signed with the Carolina Hurricanes after graduating college (12:00). His agent Lewis Gross helped compile a list of the available roster spots and made a decision based on his position and the organization. Chase played a couple AHL seasons with Charlotte before getting traded to the Florida Panthers organization as part of a deal that also included Vincent Trochek, Erik Haula, and Eetu Luostarinen (16:45).

Then he tells us about the time he got called up to the NHL and was all set to play before the league shut down due to COVID (18:00). He was a part of the taxi squad for the Panthers during the COVID bubble playoffs in Toronto. Then the following season he was up with the Panthers for 30 games, playing in 4, so he touched on those NHL games. He talked about the culture shift in Florida when Dale Tallon got fired and Bill Zito came in.

Then he talks about signing with the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent (21:00), being assigned to Rochester out of training camp, then requesting a trade due to not meshing well with their team system. Then he ended up back in Washington and playing in Hershey, winning a Calder Cup (24:30).

Chase then hit veteran status and got squeezed out of the AHL, so he landed in Siberia in the KHL with Sibir in Novosibirsk (26:45). He tells us how he is adjusting to life on a different continent than his wife and family, but also a completely different style of play in this league (29:45).

Then we wrap up the episode talking about Chase’s LinkedIn journey, and how he has become such a star on the platform and how Hockey Twitter has become infatuated with his updates (32:45). 

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For Episode 2 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the entry-level contract slides for some of the young players in the NHL (2:30). Matthew Schaefer, Ben Kindel, Sam Dickinson, and Zayne Parekh have already passed the 10-game threshold and will burn a year off their ELC this season (5:00).

Other players like Michael Misa, Berkly Catton, Harrison Brunicke, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are close to that threshold but still remain with their teams. We also talk about why those players can't be sent to the AHL and have to go back to their junior teams (10:00).

Then they talk about the Jacob Markstrom extension with the New Jersey Devils, where he signed a 2-year, $6M AAV deal beginning in the 26-27 season (13:15). We talk through the trade protection in his deal, how the tandem of him and Jake Allen will only cost New Jersey $7.8M for the next couple of seasons (15:00).

NJ won't have to rush their young goaltending prospects Mikhail Yegorov, Jakub Malek, or Nico Daws. They also touch on NJ's cap picture for next season (16:30), they have $93.825M committed for next season with around $10M in projected space for a few RFA's (Nemec, Gritsyuk, Cotter, and Daws).

Then they wrap up with user-submitted questions. The big question for this week was David Kampf with the Toronto Maple Leafs and what will happen if his contract gets terminated. Hart goes through all the scenarios and details that could play out in the near future (18:00).

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We start the episode talking about Aaron's journey in hockey, at the club level at DePaul during college, then with a bunch of different teams in the CHL and IHL, eventually overseas in the Czech Republic and Poland, before returning back to North America (2:15). He talked about how he self-represented himself and how he helped a bunch of other players, which helped him build relationships with NHL and AHL executives.

Then he talks about going the legal route and doing law school (8:30), getting an internship with the Washington Capitals and starting the day they won the Stanley Cup, showing up to the office the next day as the rest of the team was still partying in Las Vegas (10:30).

Then he talked about helping out with the Montreal Canadiens in a legal consulting type of role before latching on full-time with the Carolina Hurricanes as the Director of Hockey Operations (18:30). We talk about the various hats he wore in Carolina, specifically helping build their AHL team the Chicago Wolves, which eventually won the 2022 Calder Cup (22:00).

Then we talk about his role in the Martin Necas arbitration deal (26:45), how they were comfortable giving him a 2-year deal and “walking him to free agency.” We also touch on his new deal with the Colorado Avalanche and the trade that ultimately led to Mikko Rantanen joining the Hurricanes before being dealt again to the Dallas Stars, and Logan Stankoven ending up in Carolina (29:30).

We wrap the episode up with Aaron giving some great advice (33:30) for someone trying to get into the hockey industry (hint: pick up the phone and make a call).

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For Episode 1 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the new contract extensions. Martin Necas re-upped with the Colorado Avalanche, as did Thomas Harley with the Dallas Stars, and Loogan Cooley with the Utah Mammoth.

They break down all 3 contracts and their structures, and why some opted for more signing bonus. They also talk about how last year’s talks with Mikko Rantanen might have impacted their urgency to get Necas locked up. This also tanks the upcoming UFA class for 2026, as now pretty much all of the big fish have extended with their current teams, leaving Artemi Panarin as the best remaining UFA.

Then they get into the difference between Injured Reserve and Long-Term Injured Reserve. Not only that, but how the new rules in the CBA impact how teams are using LTIR this season. There are currently 10 teams in LTIR for cap purposes, with another 3 teams having at least 1 player on LTIR but not needing the extra cap space, for now. 

Then they wrap up with user-submitted questions. As always, reply on X or get in the YouTube chat to submit your questions and have them read live on the show!

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On Episode 17 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we are joined by Steve Werier, former Assistant General Manager of the Florida Panthers.

Steve tells us about how he got into hockey (2:00), growing up in Canada, going to law school, then working at a law firm where the partners ended up purchasing the Florida Panthers. Steve then took on a role in Hockey Operations doing a bunch of behind-the-scenes work in 2014 before being promoted to Assistant GM in 2016 (4:00).

Steve tells us a great story of how the Panthers were weighing an offer sheet for Nikita Kucherov before ultimately deciding against it as an organization (5:00).

Then Steve dives into the current state of the NHL. We talk about the new provisions in the CBA and whether that will impact how teams operate from now until the Trade Deadline (11:15). We also touch on the state of three teams’ rebuilds (San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks) and how they might approach the Trade Deadline (21:00).

We also talk about a few teams who are currently in the process of deciding whether they will rebuild or re-tool: Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and Vancouver Canucks (25:00). We wrap up the episode with Steve’s advice on how to break into the NHL (28:15). 

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For Episode 5 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 contract extensions just recently signed. Ryan McDonagh signed an extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning for 3-years x $4.1M AAV. Then the Montreal Canadiens announced a 5-year x $6M AAV extension with Mike Matheson.

Then they talk about the recent injury to Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin and do a deep dive on how Dallas can fully optimize their salary cap if they place him on Season Ending Long-Term Injured Reserve. They also talk about the Vancouver Canucks and some questions around the trade protection for Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes, as well as potential retention in a hypothetical Thatcher Demko trade.

Then they wrap up with a couple of fan-submitted questions. The first has to do with why a team wouldn’t place an injured player on LTIR if they know he will be out for at least a month. Then the second question has to do with 35+ contracts and who is on the hook for bonuses if that player were to be traded.

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On Episode 18 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we are joined by Stefen Rosner, beat writer for the New York Islanders at NHL.com, The Hockey News, and Elmonters.

We start the episode talking about Stefen’s background (2:15), growing up an Islanders fan, and how he was able to navigate a career covering the team he’s rooted for his whole life. We talk about the shift in vibes around the team with the transition from Lou Lamoriello to Mathieu Darche as General Manager (5:00).

Then we talk about the Islanders start to the season, boasting a 13-10-3 record only a couple of points outside of a playoff spot (10:00). We talk about the great start to the year from Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, as well as the goaltending tandem of Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich.

We take a look at what the team might try to do at the Trade Deadline (14:30), if it makes sense to go all-in this year or add around the margins while not impacting the future.

Then we talk about star defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the incredible start he’s had to his career. Not just the on-ice stuff where he’s shattering records every night set by legends like Bobby Orr and Scott Stevens, but how he handles himself off the ice (20:00).

Living with former Islander Matt Martin and his wife Sydney, how he treats fans, and also the adversity he has faced with his mom passing from cancer and his billet mom also passing away (25:00).

We wrap up the episode talking about how a resource like PuckPedia is an invaluable tool for hockey media and Stefen gives a great answer of how he uses the site every single day (30:00).

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On Episode 25 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on multi-platform Montreal Canadiens reporter and NHL insider Eric Engels. We start off the episode talking about Eric’s background, how he had to work multiple freelance jobs for years before landing his full-time gig at Sportsnet (3:00).

Eric provides really good insight into how hard work and passion is only half the battle (9:00), and what else it takes to get to land a “dream job.”

Eric is on his 18th season covering the Canadiens so we take a look down memory lane at some of his favorite moments on the Canadiens beat (19:00). There was one moment that really stuck out to him, aside from the playoff runs, COVID bubble, PK Subban for Shea Weber trade, and more.

It was when the Canadiens went through multiple 8 game losing streaks in a season, and how the story to break one of the losing streaks wasn’t the players who scored. It was how Carey Price (23:00), who took the blame for the losses, pitched a shutout and was seemingly not the player the media wanted to talk to following the game. Eric received a nice message following his article from Price directly letting him know how much it meant to him.

Then we talk about the current Montreal Canadiens team (29:00), how they are led by captain Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. The offense is not the problem with this team, their goaltending and defensive structure has been the areas of their game needing improvement.

We talk about what the plan might be as we approach the Trade Deadline at the beginning of March (34:00). We wrap up the episode with Eric telling us how he thinks this season will end for the Canadiens (46:00).

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For Episode 9 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Steve Werier and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the big trades and extensions that happened this week. The Calgary Flames traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Zach Whitecloud, a 1st round pick, a conditional 2nd round pick, and an unsigned prospect. Calgary retained 50% salary in that deal. The Vancouver Canucks traded Kiefer Sherwood for the San Jose Sharks in exchange for 2 2nd round picks and a prospect. The Buffalo Sabres extended Josh Doan to a 7-year, $48.65M contract ($6.95 AAV). Doan was an RFA at the end of the season. He was traded to Buffalo this off-season in the JJ Peterka deal. Chris Drury and the New York Rangers released a letter letting fans know they were going to retool their team. Steve had an interesting take on that before we dove into the futures of Panarin, Trocheck, Lafreniere, Schneider, and more. We also talked about the playoff salary cap this year, a new article of the CBA, and how teams might approach managing that. Then we wrapped up with Steve’s World where he talked about his thoughts for how he thinks the agency world might evolve in the future with the emergence of social media and building players’ brands. Then he touches on the Kraken as they’ve been rumored to have been shopping former first round pick Shane Wright.

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On Episode 19 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on hockey media legend Jeff Marek, currently of The Sheet at The Nation Network / Daily Faceoff, and The Hockey Lifers with Bruce Boudreau on Monumental Sports Network.

Jeff brings us in a ton of different directions, much like his career. We start the show talking about how violence in hockey might be making a comeback (4:45). Jeff brings us down memory lane on the origin of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick (8:00).

Then Jeff tells us about his background, how at the age of 8 he would go to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and take notes on all of the exhibits there (9:30). Also how he spent much of his time at the old Maple Leaf Gardens. Then we get a little heavy as Jeff tells us at the age of 16 his mom passed away from brain cancer, and it was hockey who saved him from going down a deep drugs and alcohol spiral in 1987, one of the best years for hockey (13:30).

Then Jeff dives into his Hockey Night in Canada career with CBC and Sirius XM (18:00), as well as his move over to Sportsnet. Jeff then tells us his tricks for how to tell a story in the hockey world, which leads into a previous PuckPedia episode where the Florida Panthers almost offer sheeted Nikita Kucherov, and also a possible Leon Draisaitl-Kucherov swap with the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers (22:00).

Then we discuss the fun debate where Quinn Hughes referred to Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald as “Fitzy” and what that all means, and if brothers Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes have any impact on that (25:15). We touch on a recent interview Lou Lamoriello recently did on the Steve Dangle Podcast Network, which got Jeff to ponder how good these stories would be from General Managers once they retire on things that didn’t happen (28:00).

Then we talk about Jeff’s move to The Nation Network, and how his producer Amil Delic from Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts, who is now Jeff’s boss, played a key role (32:00). He talks about how he enjoys some of the younger shows (Morning Cuppa Hockey and What Chaos!) and how his veteran presence adds some value. Jeff talks about his On The Road series over the summer and why he was able to get such good stories out of the players and executives (36:00).

Then we wrap up the episode talking about the Olympic ice rink dimension issue in Milan, and how that got Jeff thinking about how each NHL team could have different dimensions similar to MLB with Fenway Park and the Green Monster, or the New York Yankees with their short right field porch (40:30).  

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On Episode 24 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on Director of Analytics & Insights for Sportlogiq Mike Kelly.

We start off the episode talking about Mike’s background (3:00), and how he started in more of a broadcasting role and path before shifting gears with tech company Sportlogiq. We talk about how Sportlogiq data is being presented on broadcasts, not just at the national level (TNT, Sportsnet, NHL Network) but also on regional broadcasts (MSG and FanDuel Sports Network).

We discuss how the data is just one piece of the larger pie that includes scouting, coaching, development, performance sciences to name a few (6:00). Then we talk about how Mike’s role evolved at Sportlogiq to add more media to explain Sportlogiq’s proprietary data to the hockey audience.

Mike mentions how shots on goal are not one of the top metrics he looks at when evaluating how a game played out (10:00). Then we talk about how NHL teams use the Sportlogiq data and platform, and how they each leverage that information differently (12:00).

Then we talk about the difference between the private and public expected goals models, as this is the most mainstream metric to come out of the analytical wave (16:00).

Then we talk about some of the things that are catching Mike’s eyes this season (22:30). Connor McDavid’s speed is one thing, the NHL EDGE data gives him 92 speed bursts of 22+ MPH and 2nd place was Roope Hintz with 29.

Then we talk about New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin and how he has the most “Goalie Steals” this season, which is when a goalie has more Goals Saved Above Expected than the actual Goal Differential of the game (27:00).

We also dive into San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini, and what makes him such a special player (30:00). Then we wrap up the episode talking about if Mike thinks any team can compete with the Colorado Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup (33:00). 

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For Episode 8 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the big signings that happened over the last week. First they talk about the Philip Broberg extension with the St. Louis Blues, he signed a 6-year, $48M contract ($8M AAV). Then they talk about the Alexandre Texier extension with the Montreal Canadiens, he signed a 2-year, $5M contract ($2.5M AAV). Then Hart goes on a rant about the Salary Cap Floor, and why he thinks deals like the Chicago Blackhawks acquiring Ryan Ellis and his $6.25M contract to get to the floor isn’t the most efficient way to get to the floor. Then they dive into 2 teams salary cap situations, the Edmonton Oilers and the New Jersey Devils. Both teams are up against the cap and had to do some gymnastics recently to activate healthy players from LTIR. The Oilers added Adam Henrique to LTIR before activating Jake Walman and Tristan Jarry. The Devils added Stefan Noesen and Zack MacEwen to LTIR before activating Johnathan Kovacevic and Evgenii Dadonov. They finish the episode answering user-submitted questions.

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On Episode 23 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Tyler Madarasz from Sirius XM’s NHL Network Radio. Tyler gives us a brief dive into his background and how he got into this role and working in hockey (3:00). We talk about the progression he has made throughout his time there.

He tells us a great Wayne Gretzky story about how he had to give me a call to get him on their show, and how Wayne called back after the show thanking them for the time (8:00).

Then we dive into the Olympic rosters, and where we thought Team Canada and Team USA could have made tweaks to the rosters announced (11:00). Besides the popular takes of Jason Robertson, Adam Fox, and Sam Bennett being the big snubs, we dove into some other players who had a case to make these teams (16:00). We talk about how we think the teams will finish and if any of the other nations could challenge these two favorites for a gold medal in Milan.

Then we talk about the current state of the NHL, and what surprises we’ve seen so far (22:00). The Eastern Conference standings are still really close, with a team like the Detroit Red Wings leading their division, and surprise teams like the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Buffalo Sabres holding onto Wild Card spots.

In the West, the top 3 in the Central Division (Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild) are having remarkable years, and teams like the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks are surprising others by holding onto playoff spots (27:00).

Teams like the Winnipeg Jets, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals currently find themselves on the outside looking into the playoff picture.

We wrap up with advice Tyler has for anyone wanting to get into the hockey industry (33:00).

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On Episode 22 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome musician and former TSN contributor Lester McLean. Lester writes the theme song for the PuckPedia Hockey Show so we wanted to start the episode talking about his inspiration behind the theme you hear each episode (2:30).

Then we get into Lester’s background, talking about how he grew up such a fan of the game of hockey but also had interest in the musical side of things (5:00). Then he talks about his lucky break meeting James Duthie from TSN and beginning to write music for some of the hockey work James did, and how his songs became viral on the TSN airwaves (7:30).

Then we dive into Breaking Down Barriers, a show about positive social change and impact around sports, specifically hockey and the involvement Lester had on that show (11:30).

Then we get into Lester’s hockey fandom, where he grew up as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan before switching fandoms later in life to the Montreal Canadiens (17:30). We talk about some of their superstar players: Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, and Nick Suzuki, as well as their defense core and some of their goaltending issues this season. They’re currently in a playoff spot and would play the Detroit Red Wings in the first round if the season ended today (21:30).

We touch on the Maple Leafs a little bit as well and how Auston Matthews and William Nylander’s seasons have gone so far (26:00). Then we wrap up the episode with Lester’s Stanley Cup picks and any advice he has for aspiring musicians who want to get in the hockey space (30:00). 

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On Episode 21 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome founder of The Pro Hockey Group and recurring guest Jason Bukala.

We wanted to bring Bukes on to preview the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota, the annual best-on-best hockey tournament featuring the best under-20 hockey players in the world (2:30). Jason’s scouting reports are on PuckPedia’s website if you want to read up on some of the players in this tournament (4:30).

We start by previewing Team Canada, who are the odds-on favorites to win the tournament this year (6:30). Gavin McKenna and Michael Misa are the elite forwards up front, with Zayne Parekh and Keaton Verhoeff on the back end, and Carter George in net (14:00).

Then we preview Team USA, the two-time defending World Juniors champions (19:00). Some of USA’s top players like Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard, and Zeev Buium have aged out, but they still have some high-end talent. James Hagens is the best player up front for the Americans, alongside Teddy Stiga who scored the Golden Goal for USA last year, and Ryker Lee who had a viral goal in the NCAA this season. Lane Huston’s brother Cole will be one of the top defensemen for the USA this tournament (25:00).

Then we quickly talk about Sweden and some of their star power including: Ivar Stenberg, Anton Frondell, and Victor Eklund (31:00). We also touch on Finland, who sometimes is able to challenge the big 3 countries (33:30). Then we wrap up the episode talking about the players to watch out for this tournament (36:00). 

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For Episode 6 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 massive trades in the NHL. Quinn Hughes was traded on Friday to the Minnesota Wild from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 1st Round Pick (4:45). This trade sent shockwaves around the NHL.

Keith & Hart break it down from a salary cap perspective, what this means for a potential Quinn Hughes extension in Minnesota, and what is next for Vancouver as they navigate a rebuild or retool (9:00). They also discuss the article written on ESPN from Greg Wyshynski and Rachel Kryshak and just how close the New Jersey Devils were to getting the 3rd Hughes brother to New Jersey (12:00).

Then they also discuss the big goaltending trade that also broke on Friday, as Tristan Jarry was traded to the Edmonton Oilers from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 2nd Round Pick (19:00). It was a money-in, money-out deal due to Edmonton’s salary cap situation.

It was a nice piece of business by Kyle Dubas, who placed Jarry on waivers 11 months ago where teams could have had him for free. He now gets 2 expiring contracts and a 2nd round pick to add to his war chest of assets (22:00). Edmonton is hopeful Jarry is the missing piece to their Stanley Cup contention window.

They dive into the roster freeze quickly and wrap-up the episode with a user question regarding how the salary cap accrual process works (25:30).

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On Episode 20 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome the host of the NHL on ESPN and Sportscenter Arda Öcal.

We start off talking about his childhood and how his father raised him to grow up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, living close by to the old Maple Leaf Gardens (3:30). Then we started talking about how he wanted to get into broadcasting, and he idolized Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean growing up (4:45).

Then he took a normal day job for a few years while doing the broadcasting gigs on the side, until he eventually went all-in with Rogers TV where he was able to get his hands on a bunch of different areas of broadcasting (5:30). We talk about how Arda got his first big break in the industry by stepping outside of hockey and trying his hand on a few different sports, including combat sports (11:00).

He started at the Score doing MMA and WWE post-shows in Canada (14:00). Then in 2016 he landed an opportunity at MSG Networks hosting a post-post hockey show with Anson “Ace” Carter, while also subbing in on some Devils and Rangers broadcasts and the MSG 150 (16:30).

He also started doing part-time assignments with ESPN in everything except hockey, including esports and League of Legends, and MMA. That led to a full-time job with ESPN after 3 years of part-time work, and really ramped up once ESPN got the media rights to the NHL in 2020 (20:00).

He raised his hand and was given a role as one of the studio hosts, and he loves working with the crew. Mark Messier, PK Subban, Steve Levy, TJ Oshie, John Tortorella to name a few (22:00). He praises their work ethic and how dedicated they are to getting better. We also talk about the Pat McAfee effect at ESPN and how his path has inspired a new generation of fans and sports media (25:00).

Then we talk about the Quinn Hughes trade and how Arda was on the air when the trade broke, and he had to pivot to talk about it during the Blackhawks vs. Blues game with Emily Kaplan (32:00). Then we wrap up the episode with some career advice from Arda and how important it is to have mentors and champions in your corner (40:00).

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For Episode 11 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the blockbuster trade that happened yesterday. First they talk about the current roster freeze, and how certain teams might approach these rules to accrue cap space. Then they dive into the big Artemi Panarin trade. He was traded to the Los Angeles Kings from the New York Rangers in exchange for Liam Greentree and a conditional 2026 3rd round pick. Panarin then signed a 2-year, $22M ($11M AAV) contract extension with the Kings that kicks in starting next season. Panarin is over a point-per-game this season yet again. We discuss why the return on the trade may seem light and just how much leverage Panarin had over this entire situation. We look at the Kings salary cap picture to see what other moves they might end up making. Then we talk about the New Jersey Devils. Despite sinking in the standings they acquired Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional 4th round pick. Bjugstad is signed through next season at $1.75M AAV. Then they wrap up the show with user-submitted questions.

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On Episode 26 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on former Los Angeles Kings Assistant GM and current Sportsnet analyst Mike Futa.

We start off the episode talking about Mike’s background (3:00), starting by playing hockey and then working his way up through the OHL as an Assistant Coach then a General Manager, before transitioning to the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings.

He worked in the Kings front office for over a decade, with the team winning 2 Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He talks about the relationships along the way that helped navigate his path in hockey (13:00). Then we dive into his work with the Los Angeles Kings and how he and GM Dean Lombardi and the staff were able to build a sustainable Stanley Cup contender (23:00).

Futes tells a great story about how once it was determined the Lightning were going to draft Stamkos 1st overall in the 2008 NHL Draft (25:00), he called Stamkos to see who he would personally take 2nd.

Then we dive in on the process of drafting players, but once they’re drafted how important it is to develop these players (31:00). Mike goes on about how much Dean Lombardi invested in development for the Kings and how that played a key factor in their success. But also how many late-round picks the Kings hit on that ended up paying dividends for them.

Then we talk about what’s happening around the NHL right now (44:00). Barry Trotz stepped down as GM of the Nashville Predators, and Mike could tell the job was taking a toll on Barry when he saw him at the Hall of Fame in November. Then we talk about the awesome Stadium Series outdoor game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins.

We also touch on the Toronto Maple Leafs and what exactly has gone wrong in Mike’s opinion (49:00). Then we wrap up the episode talking about his favorite part being on the media side for Sportsnet. 

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For Episode 10 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the big trades and extensions that happened this week.

The New York Islanders made 2 deals, 1 with each of their tri-state rivals. First the Islanders traded their 2026 3rd round pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Carson Soucy (7:00). It’s only the 4th time these teams have executed a trade together in franchise history.

Then the Islanders traded Maxim Tsyplakov to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Ondrej Palat, a 2026 3rd round pick, and a 2027 6th round pick (2:00). This trade is viewed as a cap dump by the Devils which is why the draft picks were added to the package.

Then they dive into a couple of contract extensions that happened this week. Sam Malinski was extended by the Colorado Avalanche (10:00) to a 4-year, $19M contract ($4.75M AAV). The Detroit Red Wings extended Ben Chiarot (14:00) to a 3-year, $11.55M contract ($3.85M AAV).

Then we wrap up the episode going over the details of the Olympic Roster Freeze that will be in effect starting February 4, and a new feature on PuckPedia for the Trade Deadline (17:00).

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For Episode 13 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh recap the NHL Trade Deadline.

They talk about some of the big moves like Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche and John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks. They also get into some under the radar moves like Conor Garland to Columbus and Bobby McMann to Seattle.

Then they talk about Nick Schmaltz new 8-year, $64M contract extension with the Utah Mammoth. Schmaltz is having a career year and locked down long-term security in Utah.

Then they dive into the No Trade Clauses, how many players have them, and which teams have the most. They are a driving force into why there was less action at the Trade Deadline this year with a decent amount of trades blocked according to insiders.

Then they talk about the Ottawa Senators, who originally forfeited their first round pick in this year’s NHL Draft due to not disclosing a trade clause in Evgenii Dadonov’s contract. The League ruled today that the Senators will get their pick back, but it will be the last pick of the first round, they cannot move that pick, and they will pay a fine of $1 Million.

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Episode 31 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, producer of Spittin’ Chiclets Mike Grinnell. Grinnelli gives us a rundown of his early career, when he realized he wasn’t going pro in hockey and how he got his start in sports media (2:30).

His confidence allowed him to get a really good opportunity to do a national show with ESPN New Hampshire. Then as the station was getting acquired and his job was up in the air, he just heard the first episode of Spittin’ Chiclets. So he sent Rear Admiral (RA) an email and the rest was history (9:00).

We talk about the evolution of Spittin’ Chiclets, which initially started with Ryan Whitney and RA, and has since added Paul “Biz Nasty” Bissonnette and Keith “SONK” Yandle (12:00). He tells us how Dave Portnoy and Erika Nardini from Barstool Sports allowed these guys to try things and fail, which makes their success better by learning from their mistakes (15:00).

We dive deeper into the Pink Whitney brand and how that situation with New Amsterdam played out (18:15), to now turn into one of the top drinks in the US and Canada. Then we talk about what are some steps we can take to grow the game of hockey, including affordability and accessibility, as well as trades and blockbuster acquisitions that drive news cycles and entertainment value (22:00).

Then we get into the Trade Deadline and recap which teams won and lost (27:00). Teams like the Colorado Avalanche adding Nazem Kadri and the Anaheim Ducks adding John Carlson stood out as teams addressing needs to help with a playoff push.

But teams like the Carolina Hurricanes who had a lot of cap space and didn’t add anything stuck out as a little disappointing, given how weak the East is this year. Also the New York Rangers kept Vincent Trocheck when his trade value was likely at an all-time high (33:00).

We also touched on Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko not being traded from St. Louis, and the Foligno brothers joined forces in Minnesota.

Then we wrap up the episode talking about College Hockey and ChicletsU, and what exactly Mike thinks will help grow college hockey for the general hockey fanbase (40:00).

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Episode 30 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show is an NHL Trade Deadline Special. Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine welcome on ESPN’s Emily Kaplan to break down the ins and outs of the Trade Deadline.

Emily will be on TSN and ESPN Friday for Trade Deadline coverage. We asked her what Friday will look like for her and how chaotic her life will be leading up to the deadline (3:00). Then they set up a draft game where they go through 6 categories and give insight on the Deadline.

The categories are: Most Likely Big Name to Move, Stealth Impact Add, Team to Regret Doing Nothing, Arizona Coyotes Stingy Team Award, Most Creative Cap Gymnastics Move, and Team to Sell Most Players.

They snap it around all episode talking about the big names out there: Robert Thomas, Nazem Kadri, and Vincent Trocheck. They also get into some teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres who are primed to make big moves given their standing in the roster.

They also talk about teams who will be sellers like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, and Vancouver Canucks, and just how much they will sell. And maybe some surprise trades that always happen at the Deadline like Adam Fox or Jason Robertson.

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For Episode 12 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh quickly recap the Olympic hockey tournament where USA captured the gold medal over Canada (1:00).

They dive into the trade that happened the other day where the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Brett Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Sam Girard and a 2nd round draft pick (5:00). Pittsburgh now owns 16 draft picks in the first 3 rounds of the next 3 drafts. Colorado on the other hand now has over $10M in projected cap space before the Trade Deadline.

Then they talk about the Oilers cap situation, as Hart predicted just how it would play out (14:00). The Oilers sent Matthew Savoie to the minors, activated Adam Henrique from LTIR, then accrued just enough cap space to call Savoie back up to Edmonton without missing an NHL game. The Oilers now only have $10K in current cap space.

They also talked about the unfortunate Kevin Fiala injury, who is out for the season after getting injured for Switzerland in the Olympics (20:45). The Kings could place Fiala on LTIR, but they would have no cap advantage to doing that as they have $13M in current salary cap space. Hart discusses what moves LA could make to optimize their salary cap and potentially weaponize their cap space.

They wrap up the show talking about how they envision the Trade Deadline playing out over the next week or so, and if we will see some big names like Robert Thomas, Nazem Kadri, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Patrik Laine on the move (27:00).

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On Episode 29 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome recurring guest, founder of the Will Sports Group, NHLPA certified agent Ian Pulver.

We begin the episode recapping the Olympics (2:30), where the United States won the Gold Medal in a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Canada thanks to the game-winning goal from Jack Hughes and stellar play from Connor Hellebuyck.

Ian lends some great perspective on the condensed schedule given the Olympic break and how that might affect the teams and players as they enter the stretch run towards the playoffs (6:30).

Then we talk about the NHL Trade Deadline coming up on March 6th, and how he generally approaches this time of year as an agent (9:00), and how he communicates everything with his clients. Given the new media world we live in, we discuss how he handles when the top NHL insiders break news, sometimes before that information gets to the players.

With his prior work as an NHLPA counsel, we also discuss the current situation in the MLB as a potential lockout looms given no salary cap is in place (17:00). Ian provided great insight into why he believes the salary cap won’t provide the MLB the parity they think it will.

We wrap up the episode talking about a couple of Ian’s clients. Tyler Seguin was having a strong year for the Dallas Stars before he got a torn ACL that potentially ended his season (22:00). We talk about how he handles the low moments like these for his clients. Then we discuss an exciting rookie he represents, Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks (26:00). We touch on his breakout year and how the right environment has enabled him to succeed this season.

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On Episode 28 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Hart and Norris Trophy Award winner, six-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup Champion and Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger.

We start off the episode talking about Chris’s background (2:30) and how he didn’t go the conventional path, playing high school for a couple of years, and planning to go the NCAA route before going to the OHL with Peterborough.

Then he was drafted 2nd overall in the NHL to the Hartford Whalers (7:00). He played a couple seasons there before being traded for Brendan Shanahan to the St. Louis Blues. His first couple of years were a struggle, but Wayne Gretzky was able to take the heat off Chris. He was named captain in his third season.

He talks about a serious situation where he suffered a cardiac arrest during the 1998 playoffs when he took a slapshot to the chest (12:00), but somehow returned to play 48 hours later. Then we dive into his 1999-00 season when he won both the Hart and the Norris trophies. He was the first defenseman to win the Hart Trophy since Bobby Orr in 1971-72.

Then we talk about his first crack at the Stanley Cup in 2006 with the Edmonton Oilers (18:30), losing in 7 games to the Carolina Hurricanes, and how heartbreaking that was. Then Chris finally breaks through in 2007 winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks (20:00). We talk about that team and how they were able to accomplish this feat.

Then we get into the end of his career, and how the NHL looked into his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009 for salary cap circumvention (22:30). He signed a 7-year deal that would have taken him to age 42.

Then we talk about this year’s Olympic team and how Team Canada looks through the group stage as they prepare for the medal round (27:30). Chris loves the “checking line” of Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone. We also talk about how Jon Cooper is able to load up the top line of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mark Stone.

He goes through his experiences in his four Olympic experiences and how Canada will need to prepare to win Gold. We also talk about Team USA (37:00), what they have done so far and how the fight the Tkachuk brothers bring can lead this team to Gold.

We wrap up the episode talking about Chris’s book EARNED (40:00), which comes out on April 14, and how if you pre-order it now you receive a lot of bonus features such as a podcast interview with Chris, Jon Hamm, and Joe Buck.

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On Episode 27 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on former Edmonton Oilers beat writer for The Athletic Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

We start off the episode talking about Daniel’s background (2:30) and how he got his start covering sports. He spent time covering the OHL and the Saskatoon Blades. He was there for the 2013 Memorial Cup that featured Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones, and Jonathan Drouin to name a few (5:00).

He also covered the 2014 World Juniors that had Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, which worked well to his Oilers coverage in the future. He started at The Athletic in 2018 and covered the Oilers through January of this year.

He talks about how he got into hockey, and how it was his favorite sport growing up right outside of Toronto (7:00).

Then we talk about the 2020 season and what it was like to cover hockey during the COVID bubble (9:00). Then we get into the Oilers Stanley Cup runs the last two seasons and what it was like to cover those seasons (13:00).

DNB had to be the first person to ask McDavid a question in the media scrum following their Game 7 loss in the first season. Then we take a deep dive into the current state of the Edmonton Oilers and what they’ll have to do to make a third straight Stanley Cup run (20:45).

We also look at the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics (26:00), and preview the top teams in the tournament (USA and Canada), but also some guys on the Oilers who were close to making their respective teams but did not (Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, and Mattias Ekholm).

Then we wrap up the episode talking about what’s next for DNB’s career and where he sees himself in the future (35:00).

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Episode 32 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, co-host of Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show Matt Marchese.

Matty tells us how he got into his role at Sportsnet (2:30), starting first as a producer on a few shows including Hockey Central and The Jeff Marek Show. Then he tells us how when Marek left he personally recommended Marchese to get the co-host role alongside former Los Angeles Kings executive Mike Futa (4:30).

We talk about the instant chemistry between Marchese and Futa (8:00), their relationship going back 10+ years, and how they have built up their show which is now in year 2. This year they also have super NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on their show 4 times per week and Matty tells us how great that has been for them and what it’s like working with him (12:15).

Then we talk about Auston Matthews’ recent injury, the lack of response by the players on the ice and the lack of suspension by the NHL Player Safety Department for Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks (16:30). We also talk about the disconnect between the players and the coaching staff/management, and what has to be done this off-season to regroup for next season.

Then Matty tells us about a surprise team this year, the Boston Bruins (22:00), and how the team has bought in to Marco Sturm and the new coaching staff. We also touch on the Buffalo Sabres and how electric it’s been lately and how the city will be rocking in April if they make the postseason this year.

Then we talk about the Carolina Hurricanes and how shocked we were that they were quiet at the Deadline when they had the assets to strengthen their group going into the playoffs (30:30). We wrap up the episode talking about the Western Conference and if the Colorado Avalanche are the team to beat, or if the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, or Vegas Golden Knights can overthrow them (36:00). 

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Episode 39 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Shane Malloy: the host of Hockey Prospect Radio, co-host of the Hockey Data Show on SiriusXM with Timo Seppa, and a contributor with the Pro Hockey Group.

We start by diving into Shane's background and how he got his start in hockey media completely by accident (1:00), writing for free on hockey websites in the early 2000s, cold-emailing NHL contacts using a media guide his Finnish neighbor gave him, and landing a job at Fox Sports, building out prospect coverage before anyone in mainstream media cared about it. We talk about how Shane and Russ Cohen launched Hockey Prospect Radio on XM Satellite Radio in 2005 after boldly cold-calling the program director, and how Shane learned to scout by spending two hundred games a year sitting in the corner of the rink with NHL scouts rather than in the press box with media.

Then we get into the evolution of scouting and what has changed over his two decades in the industry (10:00). Shane breaks down his scouting process and what separates his rankings from the consensus, emphasizing the importance of a player's game, including how they compete and impact the game when things aren't going their way.

We dive deep into Shane's draft rankings and the top prospects in the 2026 class (16:30), including Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. We discuss the danger zone of picks twenty-three to thirty-two, where historically only fifty percent of players go on to play two hundred or more NHL games.

Then we discuss the 2026 draft class (23:00), including Caleb Malhotra's rise in the rankings as a Jonathan Toews and Nico Hischier hybrid, and what his future looks like at the NHL level.

We wrap up with the Coolbet question of the week (38:00). Shane's sleeper pick outside the top fifteen who he believes could shoot up into the top ten of any future redraft: Swedish centerman Alexander Command. Shane compares him to Sebastian Aho, seeing him as the anchor between two talented wingers at the U20 level.

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For Episode 18 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They start the episode talking about the NHL Draft Lottery, where the Toronto Maple Leafs won the 1st overall pick, despite having the 4th best odds of 8.5% (3:00). The San Jose Sharks won the 2nd draft lottery and will be picking 2nd overall, despite only a 5% chance of winning that lottery. The Vancouver Canucks dropped from best odds to picking 3rd overall.

Then they talk about the conditions on the Leafs 1st round picks the next two seasons, given this year’s pick is in the top 5 and is protected from their trade with the Bruins (8:30). PuckPedia is under the impression that if the Leafs are in the top 10 next season, they will have the choice to give the pick to either Boston or Philadelphia, with the other team getting the 2028 1st round pick.

Then they talk about the June 1st rule and which players will have their draft rights expire (15:45). Players can either become free agents or re-enter the NHL Draft based on certain criteria.

Then they talk about how the NHL has officially confirmed the Salary Cap for next season, which will have a ceiling of $104M (21:00).

Then they wrap up the episode talking about the Playoff Cap, and how Vegas is now the team closest to the ceiling, with Colorado right behind them (29:00). However, it will be nearly impossible for any team to go over the Salary Cap ceiling for this year’s playoffs.

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For Episode 14 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They talk about James Hagens new ATO with the Boston Bruins organization (4:00). Keith had Hagens’ agent on The PuckPedia Hockey Show on Wednesday to get all the juicy details. This move gives the team and the player flexibility and the ability to continue playing hockey for their AHL team in Providence while they assess the possibility of signing his ELC.

Then they get into the Toronto Maple Leafs complicated situation with their draft picks and trade protections on the 1st rounders they sent to the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers (13:00). Hart developed a flowchart on PuckPedia’s site breaking down all of the options based on where the Leafs fall in the NHL Draft Lottery.

Then they talk about a new rule that Elliotte Friedman is reporting where 19-year old 1st round picks will be allowed to play in the AHL, a rule that previously did not allow that (25:00).

Then they wrap up showing the PuckPedia PuckGM Draft Simulator and how it works (30:00).

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Episode 33 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, NHLPA-certified agent John Kofi Osei-Tutu from the OT Sports Group.

John represents newly signed top prospect James Hagens, so we discuss how that negotiation went down (14:30). We talk about John’s background and how he got into hockey (2:30). Growing up on Long Island, John always knew he wanted to be involved in the game.

After getting his law degree he knew immediately starting his first real job that he wanted to open up a hockey agency. We talk about his partnership with Bobby Gauthier and how they divide and conquer different responsibilities (9:00).

We touch on a couple of their other clients, such as Carolina Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi and Calgary Flames forward Matthew Coronato (18:00).

We wrap up the episode remembering the great Jay Grossman, former NHLPA agent who passed away from cancer a couple weeks ago at the young age of 60 (27:30). John tells us what Jay meant not just to him, but the entire hockey community and the lasting impact he will have on so many people.

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Episode 38 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features two very special guests: Guy and Jane Gaudreau, the parents of John and Matt Gaudreau, as well as their daughters Katie and Kristen.

We dive right into the Gaudreau family story with Guy, a Hall of Famer at Norwich University in both soccer and hockey, talking about introducing the boys to sports as young as 18-19 months old, and how John and Matt ultimately chose hockey over everything else (0:30). John even turned down a varsity soccer coach who promised him a Division 1 full ride because he was committed to hockey.

We then discuss the boys growing up as Flyers fans in South Jersey, just twenty minutes outside of Philadelphia, and playing on a AAA team called the Little Flyers. John always said he wanted to put on a Flyers jersey before his career ended no matter what. Guy and Jane were in attendance at the Flyers game on Saturday night as Philly closed out the Penguins series.

Then we dive into the boys' recruitment to Boston College, including how both John and Matt were originally committed to Northeastern before the coaching staff was let go, which led to their releases and ultimately their paths to BC (4:30). John won a national championship in his first year, earned the Hobey Baker Award, and shared the ice with Matt before heading to the NHL.

We then discuss the USA Hockey tribute to John and Matt and what that meant to the Gaudreau family (9:00). We then pivot to the Gaudreau Family Foundation and the upcoming 5K on May 16th, which people can participate in both in-person and virtually (15:30). The foundation's mission is to honor the memory of John and Matt while supporting causes close to the family's heart: grassroots hockey development, special needs hockey, sled hockey, blind hockey, animals, and building a playground for handicapped students at Archbishop Damiano School, a school deeply connected to the Gaudreau family.

We wrap up with details on how to get involved with the in-person and virtual 5K (19:30), which last year reached all fifty states and participants from multiple countries, with NHL players and their families joining in. Guy and Jane close by expressing their heartfelt gratitude to the entire hockey community for the love and support shown to their family.

Gaudreau Family 5K Website: https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Sewell/GaudreauFamily5K

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