Pucks with Haggs podcast host Joe Haggerty and NEHJ's Evan Marinovsky discuss Brad Marchand's comments to open the preseason and if they are linked to Jeremy Swayman's contract negotiations.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Pucks with Hags is brought to you by Price Picks and the Game Time app.
00:07Welcome to another edition of the Pucks with Hags podcast powered by Price Picks, the exclusive
00:11daily fantasy partner of the CLNS Media Network.
00:14I believe it's the 121st episode of the Pucks with Hags podcast.
00:19Welcome to the show.
00:20I am your host, Joe Hagerty.
00:21You can find my work at joehagerty.substack.com.
00:25Subscribe for a premium membership.
00:26Get all of my NHL and Bruins running scents straight directly to your inbox.
00:29You can also find my work at Boston Sports Journal.
00:32Go to bostonsportsjournal.com.
00:33I write columns there on the Bruins three times a week.
00:37And now that we're getting into the nitty-gritty of captain's practices and training camp,
00:41the stuff will be getting really interesting over there.
00:43So I do recommend that you check it out with me today.
00:46Friend and colleague Evan Maronofsky from the New England Hockey Journal.
00:49Also you may see his smiling face on Nessun on the New England Hockey Journal show as
00:54well.
00:55Evan, welcome to the show, my friend.
00:57Thank you for having me.
00:58When you said that you might see his smiling face as you're saying it, I was like, where
01:01would you see it?
01:02I was thinking like, what's he going to say?
01:05But yeah, so it's the start of the year, Hags, all hockey is starting.
01:10So it's just a lot of weekends spent in rinks.
01:14You know what that's like.
01:15And yes, captain's practice is beginning.
01:17It's nice.
01:18I like this time of year.
01:19It's fun.
01:20I'm going to a rink right after this recording with Finn.
01:22His first season practice this season with the Greater Boston Vipers.
01:27So that should be a good time.
01:28Oh, I was a Viper.
01:29I was a Viper back in the day.
01:30Were you really?
01:31I was a Viper.
01:32Is it still out of Revere?
01:33Yeah.
01:34Cronin, that's where we're going.
01:35Yes.
01:36Yes.
01:37Those are the days.
01:38Which like where we're going from Newton, it's like 25 minutes at rush hour.
01:43It's awesome.
01:44I don't know what kind of magic door I go through, what kind of portal I'm going through
01:49to get from Newton to Revere in 25 minutes at like five, 36 o'clock at night, but I will
01:55take it.
01:56It's fantastic.
01:57As you mentioned, we are on the precipice of rinks all the time.
02:01Hockey all the time.
02:02Like we're, we're right about to like on the surfboard, right about to go in and take on
02:06that wave.
02:07Like you could see it and you're like, am I going to do it again this year?
02:10And you're like, hell yeah.
02:11Hell yeah.
02:12I am that way.
02:13And that wave is going to last about six, seven months.
02:15So that way we're not falling.
02:17I don't think we're falling off that wave.
02:19Yeah.
02:20It, uh, that's this time of year.
02:21It all just kicks into gear.
02:23I like it.
02:24What are we?
02:25Four days into September now.
02:26So it's good.
02:27This is nice.
02:28As soon as you get, uh, past labor day, your whole like sort of a mindset, I think shifts
02:33and goes back to hockey, youth hockey, high school, like the midget, uh, they're doing
02:38the midget leagues, the high school kids, uh, college hockey's ramping up.
02:41The captain's practices are happening like everywhere.
02:45Everybody that plays hockey is now sort of getting into hockey mode, which is like, awesome.
02:49I love it.
02:50That and back to school.
02:51When you start feeling that in September, it's just like instinctual.
02:54You know what I mean?
02:55It's like, I still feel it and it's, I hate, I hate that feeling like the back to school
03:01feeling I never liked, but the hockey, like the back to hockey feeling I loved, I still
03:06love it.
03:07Um, it's, and I can imagine with kids, it's just, you know, Oh, we got to hit Walmart
03:11to get all the supplies or, Oh, we got to hit target to hit all the supplies.
03:15So, um, yeah, it's fun.
03:16It's a fun time of year.
03:17It's fun time.
03:18Yeah.
03:19Instead I get the, uh, dad, the new trigger, uh, pro nine is out.
03:22Can we go to the store and get that for like $250 and I'm like, no, we're not getting that
03:27sticks are insane now.
03:28It's trigger eight is on sale last year's model.
03:31So we're just going to get another trigger eight and I guarantee it's the same goddamn
03:35stick with the same shooting action and flex and everything else.
03:38So I believe it now.
03:39I didn't believe it when I was that age, when I wanted that stick, there's the difference.
03:43See what kids I'm like, I like it like Bauer the last two years has released older sticks.
03:50They did the Eastern synergy last year and I actually got one for men's league.
03:55It's yellow.
03:56It was, it's awesome.
03:57Yeah.
03:58And this year they re-released the Easton S 17, which was big in like 2009, 2010.
04:02And it was a good stick.
04:04I never, I don't think I ever had it, but they are releasing, it's like 200 bucks and
04:09that's a top of the line stick.
04:11But from 15 years ago, and I think there was like one or two kids in college who might
04:15have used the synergy last year.
04:17And I like, if I had a kid, I'd be like, you're using that stick.
04:20Like that's a high end stick.
04:22That's cool.
04:23It's a throwback kids.
04:24Your age don't get it, but you're going to use that stick because it's cheaper and it's
04:28cool.
04:29I think it's way cooler, but kids want to use the newest age.
04:32I'll want the stupid all white Proto custom stick.
04:36Like that's, that's all of them want that they wear the Proto hats.
04:40They want the Proto stick.
04:41Like they want that frigging all white stick out on the ice, which, Hey, I guess, I don't
04:46know.
04:47I don't get it.
04:48Yeah.
04:49I remember when I was like, I was a little older than Finn Easton Mako came out.
04:52I don't know if anybody remembers that, but it was this all white stick that Easton put
04:56out.
04:57And I remember watching the videos was the first real high end stick I wanted.
05:00Cause just getting to that age and in the video, they're like, you know, they say black
05:05tape hides the puck, but what if the goalie can't see the stick?
05:08And I remember thinking like, Holy shit, I am going to score 50 goals this year because
05:13I am going to break hockey because they're not, the goalies won't be able to see my stick.
05:18And the blade was destroyed after like two months.
05:22I don't think I scored any goals.
05:23I was a defenseman and yeah, but it still sits in my parents' garage.
05:28And every time I go past it, I get a little chuckle out of it.
05:31So that's like, that is actually usually the fate of Finn sticks after five or six months,
05:37the blade is frigging all chipped up and like peeling away and just dead.
05:42Like it's gross.
05:43He's like an absolute savage in there, like digging out pucks and like slamming people
05:47and you know, digging and puck stick, puck battles with the sticks and stuff.
05:52He did, he carves those sticks up like no time at all.
05:55They're just like, absolutely.
05:57You can't even use them.
05:58Like there's the, the chip, the ends of the blade are all like hanging off and falling
06:02off.
06:03Oh yeah.
06:04Or you run your hand along it when you're taking the tape off and you get like fiberglass
06:06in your finger.
06:07The thing, here's the thing, I will say Bauer sticks for me, historically never had those
06:13problems or at least not to the level that like other sticks did.
06:16Like I still have my Bauer stick that I have as a backup from like high school.
06:20And I use that for an entire season of high school hockey as a defenseman.
06:23So a lot of stick battles and things like that, the blade is fine.
06:27Whereas like my, the Easton Synergy, which Bauer re-released, but still it's an Easton
06:32stick.
06:33And I love Easton.
06:34They don't really do hockey anymore.
06:35That, that's even just from men's league is all chipped and the blade is like kind of
06:41messed up and it's like, you know, how does that happen?
06:44So I don't know, but I know everyone loves warrior now, but Bauer, their sticks always
06:49were fine with me.
06:50Okay.
06:51Well, that's good.
06:52I'm going to keep that one in the memory bank.
06:53I like that.
06:54Yeah.
06:55Hopefully they'll like that advertisement for Bauer right there, Evan.
06:57Please sponsor us.
06:58Please.
06:59Yes.
07:00We're saying nice things about you Bauer.
07:01Return the love.
07:02All right.
07:04All right.
07:05Brad Marsh and Evan talked the other day.
07:08Let's start with that.
07:09The captain after captain's practice on Tuesday, you were there.
07:12I was there.
07:13I talked for 20 minutes.
07:16Very enlightening stuff.
07:17Very interesting.
07:19Couple different things.
07:20The first was like, obviously the injury stuff when he, as soon as he, he said, yeah, I had
07:24three surgeries this summer.
07:26Everybody's like record scratch, like we're like, what?
07:30He had a torn ligament in his left elbow.
07:34He had groin and sports hernia surgeries.
07:37So he basically said he didn't work out all summer.
07:40His whole summer usual workout routine was paused, shelved, stopped.
07:45He just started working out a couple of weeks ago.
07:47It sounded like he hadn't been on the ice too many times before Tuesday.
07:52And he's basically said he's going to take the entire, you know, preseason training camp
07:56to sort of treat it like the summertime and ramp himself up conditioning wise and get
08:00ready for the season.
08:01He did not guarantee that he's going to be full go at the start of training camp.
08:05And why should he be?
08:06At 36 years old, there's no reason for him to be like busting it on the first day of
08:10training camp.
08:11Let him like ramp up and get ready for like a couple of preseason games at the end of
08:15preseason and be ready for the regular season.
08:19But I mean, it also sort of, it's a reminder that he's 36 and that, you know, he's going
08:26to get banged up more.
08:27He plays a very physical style.
08:29There's no holds barred when he's out there.
08:32And as he gets older, he's probably going to get dinged up a little bit more.
08:34But to his credit, he played all 82 games last year.
08:36I think he played through that bum ligament in his elbow all season long or close to it.
08:41He said he played through that and he got the sports hernia and the groin stuff towards
08:45the end of the year.
08:46So he's playing with that too, but that was towards the end.
08:49But I think as you get older, wear and tear, especially if you throw yourself into the
08:54frenzy, you're going to get banged up and you're going to have injuries.
08:57And I think this is just kind of a reality check that, you know, this is him going forward.
09:02There's going to be, you know, stuff that bangs him up and, you know, maybe surgeries
09:06that he's going to have to do just because his body is aging and he's had a lot of miles
09:09on those tires.
09:11That's the biggest thing.
09:12And I think, you know, on one side of that, you have the reality, as you said, of him
09:16being 36.
09:17He had the three surgeries this summer.
09:19He had the double hip surgery two years ago and, you know, his style of play does not
09:25lend itself to longevity in any sport, someone who plays like that.
09:30And it doesn't, you know, he is undersized.
09:32So you have that all kind of, you have to take into consideration.
09:36So you do have to expect that.
09:38I don't think his production is going to be, you know, going forward what it was two, three
09:42years ago.
09:43Like, I think you have to kind of be okay with that.
09:44And I think where his, you know, standing in the lineup is, and you asked this next
09:48to coil, I don't think you they're necessarily expecting him to put up 80 points.
09:52I don't think he's going to do that for you.
09:54The other side of it though, like what he did last year, 29 goals, 70 points, somewhere
09:59in there, like 20, mid 20 goals, 60, 70 points.
10:02I think that's reasonable.
10:03You take that from him.
10:05Yes, I agree.
10:07And so this is the other thing, but there's the other side of it where I don't know if
10:10it was right before he mentioned this or after.
10:12I don't know if it was you or someone asked about sort of, you know, how do you, you know,
10:20do you, do you view training camp differently as an older player?
10:23And he mentioned, you know, having to still make the team and young guys want to take
10:26his spot.
10:27Yeah.
10:28And he mentioned an interesting point.
10:29Yeah.
10:30And he mentioned a very interesting point about why some guys sort of tail off in, in
10:35sort of the last couple of years, the careers it's because they have kids and they get involved
10:40with their kids and, and going to their stuff and, you know, and that's totally noble by
10:44the way.
10:45Like I, you know, that's a, that's part of life.
10:48Whereas he kind of said, no, look, I really am focused on this.
10:50This is what I want.
10:51You know, and I, he still has things he wants to do.
10:53Obviously the Olympics is one of those things, Stanley cups, all that stuff.
10:59And so to me, I mean, you know, I don't think you're going to see that drop off.
11:03I also don't think you're going to see him retire at 39.
11:06Like he seems to me going off of those comments and comments he's made before, it seems like
11:11someone who's going to play, you know, as long as he possibly can.
11:14Yeah.
11:15And you know, I don't know what he's going to look like at 40.
11:18I believe the phrase he's used is they're going to have to tear the shirt, tear the
11:21jersey off my back for me to retire.
11:25So I, but I do think that, you know, this season I don't think fans should be alarmed.
11:31As you said, 60 points, like, I don't think people should be alarmed at that.
11:35I think that's sort of what you have to expect and it's on other guys going forward to pick
11:41up a lot of that slack or not slack, but you know, some of that offense that he's produced
11:47in years past.
11:48So, you know, I don't think he's going to be, he's not going to stink like nothing.
11:53Like I don't think you're gonna see like some crazy drop off, but I do think that Pete fans
11:57should understand that he's getting older now and, and that's sort of the reality of
12:02it.
12:03Hasn't lost a step with the, with the, the comments hasn't lost a step with the leadership
12:07or anything like that.
12:09But I do think, you know, it's, he's getting older.
12:11That's five big, pretty big surgeries in three years.
12:14So I think it's something to obviously, you know, monitor and watch.
12:18Yeah.
12:19A hundred percent.
12:20And the thing is though, that like, we don't need the Brad, the Brad Marsh and think pieces
12:25like what is wrong with Brad Marsh and he's not on the case for 40 goals and 85 points.
12:30It's like, no crap.
12:31He's 36.
12:32Like he's, he's, he's in a different stage of his career now.
12:37And I think the expectations have to be considered there as to what he, they're not the perfection
12:43line anymore.
12:44I mean, you have Bergeron and Marcian and Pasternak running around and having these
12:47massive offensive seasons where they're all like ganging up on all these other teams and
12:51piling up the points.
12:52Like, it's just not the role that he's in anymore, but he's still a dynamic offensive
12:57player.
12:58He's one of those guys that, you know, for a wing has the puck on a stick a lot.
13:02And you know, Patrick Kane style, like he's a guy that drives a line from the wing position
13:08on the line that he's on.
13:09And he's able to do that even now.
13:12Even if the numbers aren't as huge as they are, he's still a big driver when he's on
13:16the ice and he's doing his thing.
13:18And that's when you can tell how effective he is, is the offensive chances he's generating
13:22for himself, the time that he has the puck on his stick, all of that stuff.
13:27But it is interesting though, that like the sort of decrease in production that we're
13:31talking about, the realistic decrease in production and the age and the surgeries and all this
13:37other stuff, it lends itself into what he also talked about, which was his contract.
13:42And he's entering the last year of an eight year deal where he's getting paid $6.125 million,
13:48which is an absolute steal for Brad Marshand and was a great team friendly contract when
13:53he signed it.
13:55And you know, we kind of pestered him a little bit on the contract and it was interesting
13:58what he said.
13:59I'll read it here.
14:00He goes, I'll say this now and kind of leave it at that.
14:03I won't ever talk about contract stuff in the media.
14:07Whatever happens, we'll stay internal between Sweeney's and our group.
14:09I'll leave it at that.
14:10There's enough respect between the two sides to just deal with it.
14:14And we're going to get to that specific comment and that like paragraph in a little bit, because
14:19I have some thoughts on that.
14:21But he went on to say, I don't feel like that because I'm going to a contract year.
14:25I just feel like you need every year to look to not get comfortable.
14:29And this is kind of what you were talking about, Evan.
14:31It's very easy, especially as you get older, when you've been around a long time and you've
14:34accomplished a lot of things you want to accomplish and you feel comfortable in your
14:37financial situation to want to be around the house more with the kids, to be involved with
14:41their sports and activities and not be at the rink or gym as often.
14:45And that's where guys slip.
14:46The biggest factor is understanding that every year guys are coming in and gunning for jobs.
14:51It doesn't matter who you are.
14:52They're just as happy to take my spot as anyone else's.
14:56And I think that's great, his insight there, because that's the truth.
15:00That is exactly what players think.
15:02That's exactly what's on their mind.
15:03He is giving you not the apple pie, gee willikers, I'm glad to be in an NHL camp, like fighting
15:08for my spot.
15:10He's giving you the actual like what a veteran player is thinking in his head and what his
15:15real observation is of what he sees as sort of that circle of life in the NHL of veterans
15:21eventually sort of losing that fire and getting pushed out by hungry rookies that don't have
15:26families, don't have kids and don't have a lot of responsibilities.
15:29And it's just hockey, hockey, hockey all the time.
15:32And, you know, they're more skilled than they've ever been.
15:34And they're coming in trying to take jobs and sign big contracts and be on the cover
15:39of V.A. Sports and all that other stuff.
15:42But you know, and it goes in line with what he was talking about last year during the
15:45playoffs when he was mentioning, like, you're out there trying to hurt guys.
15:48I was going to say, you know, he's got that great veteran presence and he doesn't have
15:52any problem articulating it.
15:54Well, he tells you the truth, like he tells you what they're actually thinking.
15:59More than almost anybody else in the NHL, Brad Martian will tell you exactly what all
16:03of those guys are thinking, and he's not afraid to do it.
16:06And I think it speaks to his just his courageousness, like he just doesn't care.
16:10He's going to tell it like it is.
16:11But I think it also speaks to like he is.
16:14You can tell he was a massive hockey fan when he was a kid.
16:17And then he got to look behind the curtain with the Wizard of Oz and he's like seen it
16:21all now.
16:22And he like loves to sort of talk to his man.
16:25Yeah, and let everybody else know, like what's actually going on there and and provide that
16:29insight because he knows there are other people, other kids out there just like he was that
16:33are dying to have this information and want to know and want to know what it's really
16:36like. So all that stuff is just always gold from him.
16:40Like he's he's one of the few guys in the NHL that will sit there and hold court for
16:4320 minutes. And it's super interesting.
16:45Almost everything he says.
16:46And he really gives you truth as opposed to like just like, you know, verbal diarrhea
16:52or get pucks deep, get pucks to the net.
16:54Yeah, he's not like all that stuff.
16:56And even like yesterday, you know, I mean, it's again, it's day one of its captain's
17:00practice, not even really official.
17:02And he stood there, you know, I left his scrum for a bit to, you know, see what McAvoy was
17:07saying. But he stood there, as you said, for 20 minutes.
17:10Yeah, they don't he like again, it's not a lot to ask, but him standing there and
17:15answering every question and giving, you know, long, good answers and insightful
17:20answers that he actually had to think about.
17:22Like, I think that's a good that's a really good thing.
17:25You want that. And when you see younger guys, you know, dip from their stall the minute
17:30they can after five minutes of questions, it's like, come on.
17:35Like and we've had this conversation before.
17:38And I just I think how Marcian handles media and I think and I can't speak to this
17:42because I was not around for it, but you can like Marcian does come from that time when
17:46you could just walk up to a guy in the locker room a little more easily and just say, hey,
17:49do you have a couple of minutes?
17:51Yeah. And it was just better that way.
17:53Now it's things have gotten muddied and there's different factors.
17:56We're not going to get in all that.
17:57But I think that, you know, he is a good example of that and just being open.
18:02And he's to me like I, you know, I don't know the rest of the NHL.
18:06I don't know, you know, the ins and outs of every guy in the NHL in terms of the
18:09interviewing. But to me, he's the most interesting guy in the NHL.
18:12I don't think there's any question about that.
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19:25No, I think he is.
19:26I think he's he's got the most personality and he's definitely the most quotable.
19:31And you see it like with the TNT guys, right?
19:33They always want to have him on mic'd up before the games and have him on the ice
19:37where, you know, business like chit chatting with them and stuff because he's got the
19:40most personality. He's the funniest.
19:41He's the most interesting. Like he's actually the one that I think is most likely to
19:45be a TV guy and probably like get scooped up by TNT like as soon as his career is
19:51over. Yeah, I never thought of that in that sense.
19:53But that's a good point.
19:54You know, I think he's he's the kind of guy that TV people will be all over him and
19:58they'll throw all kinds of money at him to want him to do stuff with them.
20:02And, you know, maybe Nesson finds a way to get him on there instead and keep him
20:07around selfishly for like the Bruins instead.
20:10But like he could be a national media star like if he wanted to be.
20:14And he could be one of these guys.
20:15I would wonder if he would go more towards sort of his brand like hunting and things
20:20like that. I wonder if he'd do that.
20:22But I like I would love to see him on TNT.
20:24I always said about Bruce Cassidy that if he ever got let go by the Bruins, he would
20:28be the perfect person for a panel like for TNT.
20:31He would make the most sense for it.
20:33And I still think if things go south in Vegas and he, you know, kind of wants to chill
20:37for a year or two or whatever, I think that like, you know, the broadcast booth or that
20:42TNT panel makes the absolute most sense.
20:44So, yeah. But you're right.
20:46March and would be that's a good one.
20:48We're already planning his retirement.
20:50See, he's done. He's he's he's toast.
20:52All right. We're setting up his his post.
20:54Yeah. Sometimes you don't know that.
20:56I mean, you're right to like think about the hunting and the March Milko and all the
21:00other stuff. And, you know, maybe it's that he's made enough money where he's just
21:03going to like disappear somewhere.
21:06Like you used to say, he's going to go to a hut and Bora Bora somewhere and you're
21:08never going to see him again.
21:11You know, maybe maybe he ends up going and doing that because he's got the money to
21:15do it. And he just doesn't have anything to do with it.
21:18We used to say the same thing about Sean Thornton, though, that he was going to do TV
21:21and all that stuff when he retired.
21:22And he ended up going to work for the Panthers instead.
21:25So, you know, sometimes sometimes you don't know.
21:28Well, I guarantee you this.
21:29I don't know who's going to do it.
21:31It won't be me. But someone will write a really good book on the life of
21:35Brad Marsh. And I don't know who it's going to be.
21:37I don't know when it's going to be.
21:39But to me, that seems like an obvious contender for a book.
21:42Yes. And I hope he reaches out to me to write it when he's ready, because that
21:45would I don't want to like say that.
21:47But yeah, you're a lot of thought of it would that would tell us.
21:51Yes. Yes. And we would have a lot of fun going over old stories in order to write
21:55it. So put that in your memory bank.
21:57If you're listening to this podcast, Brad Marsh, and I will write your book someday
22:01and I will let you take all the profits if you want.
22:03I will just write. You got to negotiate that.
22:05You got to take like 20 percent or whatever.
22:07You got to take a little bit.
22:09But all I ask is that like I get a free copy.
22:11That's all I want. There you go.
22:13You will. No questions asked.
22:15All right. Let's go back to that first quote that I talked about.
22:18I'll say this now and kind of leave it at that talking about his contract.
22:21I won't ever talk about contract stuff in the stuff in the media.
22:24Whatever happens will stay internal between Sweeney's and our group.
22:28I'll leave it at that.
22:29There's enough respect between the two sides to just deal with it.
22:34He's talking about something.
22:36Do you have any thought whatsoever?
22:40Any inclination after hearing that, after seeing that, after seeing the message
22:44that's being sent out there, if Brad Marsh and is sending some kind of message
22:48out there to a certain player that has not come to an agreement with the Bruins
22:53on a contract and has been kind of vocal about, you know, things going back to
22:57arbitration last year and the contract this year.
23:01Do you feel like maybe this is leadership?
23:03This is some leadership coming from him, like, hey, like, let's that's not how we
23:07do it with the Bruins. Let's not, you know, air our dirty laundry contract wise.
23:11Let's keep it behind closed doors and let them deal with it kind of thing.
23:15Do you get that sense that there was any kind of subtext or message in what
23:19Marcian said about his contract?
23:21Yeah, I mean, I have no inside information on this or anything like that on this.
23:26It comes at an interesting time.
23:28I mean, it comes right after Swayman made those comments on that podcast.
23:32It comes after, you know, the last year of him being open about talking about it.
23:36And that's his decision to do that.
23:38And I guess to add a little context, context, he was saying this after I think
23:45it was Ken Campbell in the hockey news had written something about Marcian and
23:51his contract. And maybe I didn't even read the piece, so I don't know.
23:55But it seemed to me the way Marcian was talking about, like Campbell had either
23:59thrown out like details or numbers, contract numbers or something that he thought
24:04he might know about negotiations between the Bruins and Brad Marcian.
24:07And Brad's like, that didn't come from us.
24:10He doesn't know what he's talking about, like whatever.
24:13So I'm sure some of that what he was saying there was about that and addressing
24:17that. Yes, it feels to me like there was also like this is how things should be
24:23approached. You know, this is 36 year old Brad Marcian, the team captain, sort of
24:28like setting the tone for everybody else.
24:30I it's an interesting theory.
24:32And it was something that came to my mind of like, huh, this comes at an interesting
24:36time. I mean, he's obviously asked about his own contract, but it comes after the
24:40Swayman stuff comes in the middle of the Swayman stuff.
24:43Yeah. I wonder, though, like if that would be, you know, keeping to his word of stuff
24:49like that being internal, would something that is also internal be him going to
24:54Swayman on his own and saying, hey, could you stop talking about this stuff?
24:59I'm not saying he has not.
25:00I don't know that he's done this.
25:01I'm just saying, like, what I think his leadership style and you might be able to
25:05speak on this better than I have because you've covered him for a lot longer.
25:08Yeah, I would think his leadership style would be a little bit more like talking to
25:13that guy on his own in the room, not so much veiled shots in the media.
25:19But I mean, again, like you can read the tea leaves.
25:24So that's the other end of it, where it's like I get why someone would come to that
25:27conclusion. But I also wonder if that would be his leadership style.
25:31Yeah. I mean, certainly I don't think he's somebody that's afraid to address things
25:36with his teammates if he feels like it needs to be addressed.
25:39But I would say there's also like kind of a weird sort of thing about when it comes
25:43to contract stuff about players talking about other players and their contract dealings
25:48and like, you know, that there is kind of like unwritten rules about like sort of
25:52staying out of that. And that might prohibit like that kind of a conversation from
25:57happening is like, that's certain things you will talk about with your teammates and
26:01there's certain other things you're like, respect their like sort of privacy of not
26:06talking about it and not really addressing it or not dwelling on it.
26:09And, you know, that might be one of those ones where it's kind of a gray area.
26:13Like, is that something that, you know, somebody's individual contract situation, am
26:19I going to go and tell them this is what you should be doing?
26:22Like, am I going to say that to somebody else when it's business like that one?
26:27Like he might have. And, you know, who knows?
26:29This is all theoretical. This is all stuff we're kicking around.
26:32But I think the way what he said, I think, is an effective way to sort of lead by
26:39example of saying, like, this is how we do it.
26:42This is how I do it. This is how it should be done.
26:45Instead of preaching to somebody like, hey, you shouldn't be doing it that way.
26:48That's not the right way to do it.
26:50You know, this is a different way to lead without like getting in somebody's face and
26:54really like making it uncomfortable or crossing a line that maybe you shouldn't as
27:00far as like, you know, fellow players and getting involved in their business and stuff
27:04like that. So it's it's kind of a murky area and it's a gray area for sure.
27:10But it's an interesting point that you bring up about that and whether like, you
27:14know, you would just address it head on.
27:16But I feel like at a certain point, I feel like all any players that or any captain,
27:24any leader in a pro sports dressing room, there's a limit to how much stuff you want
27:29about like contracts, about like me stuff, like about all that, you know, like it's
27:34a it's not a great road to go down when you continue to like talk about that stuff
27:38or harken back to it or dwell on it.
27:41And, you know, I like Sway a lot.
27:44I really do.
27:45But like he's shown in the last couple of years a little propensity to, you know,
27:50sort of dwell on the contract stuff and dwell on the feelings, the hard feelings it
27:54might have caused or, you know, the sort of like what he was feeling and how it made
27:59him feel like all that stuff.
28:01And like it's a good sign that he's moved sort of pivoted to like it's a business.
28:06This is all business stuff.
28:08Like there's not feelings and emotions here.
28:09It's more just like getting educated and it being a business.
28:12I think that's the right way to handle it.
28:14But I think at a certain point, too, like you almost see every Bruins player say the
28:19same thing.
28:20Like I'm letting my agent handle that.
28:22I'm letting the GM handle that.
28:23They'll let me know when a deal is done.
28:25And, you know, I'll I'll find out that stuff.
28:28And you almost see uniformly like Pasternak has definitely done that the last few
28:32times he's had a contract.
28:34And Marcian's always done that.
28:35And most of the players have done that.
28:37And it's kind of a learning experience.
28:39But maybe this is Brad Marcian's way of sort of like helping trying to nudge Swayman a
28:45little bit like, hey, let's let's let the agent and the GM do this stuff.
28:50And, you know, let's like just kind of give a vanilla answer and then not address it and
28:55move on and not create a bigger firestorm than it needs to be.
29:01Because I think if Swayman continues to talk about it, it's going to it's going to
29:04become a bigger thing.
29:06Like the more he talks.
29:07Yeah, I mean, him talking about it on that podcast, giving meaty answers gave us like
29:13a week's worth of podcasts.
29:14And so this is the thing, right?
29:15Like from a media perspective, I like that Swayman is open about this stuff.
29:19But of course, why would I not?
29:21Because it's it gives us, you know, something to talk about.
29:25It gives us insight into things.
29:26It's the absolute deadest of the dead season for hockey news, for Bruins news, for
29:31NHL news. Jeremy Swayman went on.
29:34Mark is cool. Mark Lewis is cool.
29:35Podcast, whatever the hell that is.
29:37And shut up, Mark.
29:38That's the shut up, Mark.
29:40Podcast. Whatever.
29:41Shut up, Mark. Mark Lewis is cool.
29:43I listen every day, Hags.
29:45All right. My favorite podcast.
29:47Well, I can't stop listening.
29:49Bottom line is Mark Lewis is cool.
29:51Shut up, Mark Lewis.
29:52Whatever. Mark Lewis.
29:53Mark Lewis can't lose whatever it's called.
29:56That was absolute, like, you know, logs on the fire at the deadest time of year for hockey
30:03news and for hockey, anything's pouring.
30:05It's like gasoline.
30:06Thank you, Jeremy Swayman, for giving us something to talk about the last two.
30:10No, I that's I appreciate that.
30:12So you have that end of it.
30:13Right.
30:13And like, that's why, like, I enjoy that he's open about that stuff.
30:16Yes.
30:17I also think the Martian Swayman juxtaposition is interesting because both come from a different
30:22generation of Bruins.
30:23You have Martian comes from this generation where, you know, guys signed team friendly
30:29deals.
30:29Every every deal was team friendly.
30:32Let's let's create cap space.
30:34This and that.
30:35Now you have this next gen where you had McAvoy's contract, which was not super team friendly.
30:41And, you know, you've got these other deals that are much bigger and much more than the
30:46past.
30:46It was closer to market value to this.
30:48Yes.
30:49Yeah, exactly.
30:50And so I think, you know, you have that shift in perception and neither is right or wrong,
30:54by the way, because, you know, you have the team friendly stuff.
30:57And the reality is they won that whole time, but they didn't win a cup after 2011.
31:02And I'm not I'm not trying to trash it.
31:04And then you have the other end of it where, you know, you're getting the most money, but
31:07you are losing out on, you know, potentially some extra talent on the roster.
31:11So, like, you it's just I think it's also a shift in sort of how they view things contractually
31:17and that.
31:18Like, I just it's such a different generation of one generation wants, you know, less so
31:23they can win more.
31:24The other just wants the most amount of money or at least market value.
31:28So, you know, and I'm not saying one side doesn't want to win and one side doesn't want
31:31money.
31:32I'm just saying, like, that's how it's played out.
31:34So.
31:36Yes, I agree.
31:37And you're right.
31:38That is a very different way of thinking.
31:41And generally, generationally, they're different, right?
31:44Like Brad Marcian is 36.
31:46Jeremy Swayman's like 25.
31:48They're literally from kind of different generations.
31:50You know, they're.
31:51Yeah, their mindsets are very different.
31:54Just like how they grew up, what what the NHL was like when they grew up, sort of, you
31:58know, what they're in now, just the general way of thinking, I think, is very different.
32:04Didn't Marcian also mention on Tuesday his financial security?
32:08And there's someone, again, who's been on a relatively cheaper deal or at least less
32:12than what he would be valued at on the market, who I forget what quote it was, but mentioned
32:17his own financial security.
32:19And like, you also have to realize, like, you know, he and he understands that.
32:22And so I think I just yeah, I think it's sort of that veteran presence.
32:27And I just think that two different ways of thinking.
32:30I mean, he would never admit to like, oh, yeah, that was a shot at Sway.
32:34Yeah, of course.
32:35So, like, all we can do is sit here and think it's a shot.
32:38Like, I wouldn't say it's a shot.
32:39I would just say it's leadership.
32:41I would just say it's like, hey, I don't mean I don't mean like a shot.
32:44I mean, that's how we do things here.
32:46You know what I mean?
32:47It's more of like that, like being captain saying, hey, like, that's not kind of how
32:51it's been done here.
32:52And, you know, that's we should keep that stuff sort of like in house and not, you know,
32:58not not go public with a lot of that stuff.
33:00And sort of like, that's not how the business has been done here.
33:03That sort of thing.
33:04It's more of a leadership thing and kind of a veteran sort of advice thing, too, I think
33:09more than anything else, because I think a lot of these guys have seen that have been
33:13around for a while, have seen like different strategies or different ways to do it, not
33:19work or blow up in your face.
33:20And, you know, Brad Marcian's done plenty of stuff that's blown up in his face.
33:24So I think sometimes he's trying to, you know, help other players, younger players, avoid
33:29those traps and avoid some of that stuff when he says these things.
33:33So I think it's all interesting, but I don't I don't think he's taking shots necessarily.
33:37No, I don't take shots.
33:39That's a little negative, but I mean, more so along the lines of what you said, where
33:42it's, you know, that, hey, don't like don't do that.
33:46Yeah, like that's not typically how it's been done here.
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35:10All right.
35:11One other thing about Marshan that I just want to say quick before we move on.
35:15Like I also wonder, and I wrote this at one point, I can't remember one of the columns
35:19I wrote recently.
35:21I wondered if he's at 36 entering sort of that phase now as we approach his new contract,
35:30his final year of his contract.
35:31Is he entering that phase where he's going to start signing one-year deals with incentives
35:38like Crecce and Bergeron did towards the end of their careers?
35:41Is this not going to be a multi-year deal, like a three-year deal that he's going to
35:46sign with the Bruins, kind of like the one Stamco signed with Nashville.
35:50But is this instead going to be like one-year deals that are cap friendly, that are incentive
35:54laden, but don't necessarily always come out to be cap friendly.
35:57It's just, you're passing off the cap problems to the year afterwards.
36:02But like now that he's over 35, a lot of times when players hit that level, they start getting
36:07those one-year deals that are structured a little differently.
36:11And you wonder if that is also like something that might be happening here too.
36:16And that might be what ends up being his contract.
36:19And like, you know, he's the kind of guy I think that would accept that kind of a deal
36:24or accept that kind of thing rather than going for every last dollar.
36:28And I think that's sort of within the messaging of what he's saying here as well.
36:33He could.
36:34I could see it.
36:35It would fall in line with him and sort of his mindset and mentality on contracts.
36:41I do wonder though, you know, again, like we've said, you know, he wants to play forever.
36:46So, you know, does he not even want the option of retirement or something after one year?
36:51You know, like, does he just want to be stable for two or three year, you know,
36:55two or three year deal, set that and then do one year deals or figure out your career from there?
37:01So I don't know.
37:01I mean, I'm fascinated to see what route they take, what the money is,
37:06like what the number is on that, what would the incentives be?
37:10Because again, like, you know, the incentive end of it, you don't know
37:15if you're gonna get injured during a year, especially getting older.
37:17Like you have all those unknowns too.
37:19Um, so I would think like top of my mind was like a three year deal.
37:25Um, but again, one year deal.
37:27I could see, I could easily say.
37:30Yeah.
37:30I think it'd be either or, but I think that's going to be fascinating because a lot of players
37:34in Marcian situation, and maybe this is what Tampa wanted to do with Stamkos and why he said,
37:39adios, I'm out of here.
37:40I'm going to sign with Nashville is they want him to start doing the one year contract thing.
37:45Like Bergeron and other players have done and go year to year.
37:48While, you know, you're our guy, you, you, you're never going to play anywhere else,
37:51but like, this is what we're going to do moving forward.
37:54And he was like, screw you.
37:55I'm not doing that.
37:56I'm going to Nashville instead.
37:57Like, who knows if that's actually what happened, but maybe that is, you know, the, the backstory
38:02or that is what was going on.
38:03Who knows.
38:04Um, and maybe, you know, that approaching it that way could, you know, have the same
38:12kind of reaction here.
38:13I don't think so with Marcian.
38:14I think he'd be more open to it.
38:16And I think he'd understand having a scene that Bergie did that, that he wouldn't have
38:20a problem with it.
38:21Just understand that they're sort of in a different, you know, they have the security
38:24they have, they want to win.
38:26They're sort of in a different place than they might've been when they were, you know,
38:30going for the big money multi-year deals and he'd be okay with that.
38:33So it'll be interesting to see how that plays out.
38:35Um, let's, let's ask one more question here before we go.
38:38Hi, Joe.
38:39The question I had was there seems to be a lot of speculation about where Merkel of
38:43Lysel and now Tyler Johnson could fit on the roster.
38:46And I haven't talked to you about Tyler Johnson.
38:47Um, Evan, let's assume that either Lysel or Johnson snagged the second right-wing position
38:53since Merkel has never played right wing.
38:55If, and this is a big if in my book and one I really don't see happening, but what if
38:58Merkel wins the third center job over Patra and Patra is sent to Providence?
39:03How do you see this shaking out long-term?
39:05That would leave Patra stuck in Providence for the foreseeable future with all the center
39:09positions locked up.
39:10Even if he plays his ass off, they won't have space for him as a center.
39:14And I'm afraid that would really hurt his development and confidence as he's proven
39:17he's an NHL player.
39:19Has he really proven he's an NHL player?
39:20He played like 30 something games, uh, and then got hurt and his production tailed off
39:26towards the end of the 30 something.
39:28Like, I think he's shown he can play in the league, but I wouldn't say he's proven he's
39:32an NHL player yet long-term yet that that would be my side, but let me finish.
39:37Okay, uh, would they trade him since I do think he's a valuable asset and has proven
39:43unlike my seller Merkel of at this point.
39:45So the Bruins would get something back in return.
39:47He's a popular player in Boston, so I'm not sure how well burying him in Providence or
39:50trading him would sit with the fans or players for that matter.
39:54Thanks, Joe.
39:54Love the podcast.
39:55And that's from Kim K on Facebook.
39:59And I think this is going pretty extreme far down like one road as to how it could go this
40:05year, um, that you would stick, uh, Matt Potter and Providence to start the year that
40:10he would be buried there all year that it would become pissed and want to be traded.
40:13And, you know, that would be hilarious.
40:15It's like, I'm out, I'm out.
40:17Goodbye.
40:17Send me anywhere else.
40:18I hate this place.
40:22I don't see, I still don't see him going to Providence as a permanent thing.
40:27If you go starts the year there, or like something that's going to be damaging or hurt his development.
40:32Like, I think if they put him down there, it's going to be because it's good for his
40:36development because you saw, he kind of hit a wall when he was in Boston with the NHL
40:40at a certain point where the production really slowed down, where he seemed to lose confidence
40:45offensively, where frankly, his skating is not as good as it needs to be for him to be
40:50consistently effective at the NHL level.
40:53Like, and then he got hurt too.
40:55Like, you know, the physicality at his age, uh, where he needs to get stronger, like became
41:00an issue as well, a hurdle he couldn't get over.
41:02So if he goes down to Providence, I think it's a positive thing.
41:05It's not a stagnant thing.
41:06Like it's not the, you know, Matt Patra has scored 30 goals and a hundred points at the
41:11NHL.
41:11He's got nothing left to prove in Providence.
41:13So putting them down there would be stagnating him and hurting him.
41:16Like, he's not that, that's not the situation we're looking at right now.
41:19Like he got some, he was really good at the start of the year.
41:23He had a good month, maybe two months, but that does not make him an established everyday
41:28NHL player to, in my mind yet, especially like an established everyday, like top nine
41:32center.
41:33No.
41:34And the thing is like, I think it's, I don't want to say likely, but there's a good chance
41:39that that exact thing happens.
41:41Murkuloff is the third line center and Patra's in Providence.
41:44And I agree with you.
41:44Like, you know, I'll pose this to the listeners.
41:47Would you rather Patra be the number one center in Providence play in every situation?
41:52Or would you rather him be up here as the third line center and playing in, you know,
41:58sparing situations.
41:59And you also have to consider the Georgie Murkuloff.
42:02He fits more of that description of what is there left to prove or do or develop in doing
42:09so in being down in Providence.
42:11Like that's the other end of it too.
42:13So Murkuloff, I think is three years older than Patra as well.
42:16So like, you know, he's played a lot more pro games over the last couple of years.
42:20So I, I'm not, I would not be surprised about that at all.
42:25I don't think Patra is going to be asking for a trade.
42:27If he is, things must have went horribly wrong.
42:31You must hate Providence if that's the case.
42:34The other part though, the first part, I want to mention another Marchand comment that I
42:39noticed yesterday.
42:41So someone asked him, I thought it was you, maybe because you were right in front of me.
42:45So I thought you were asking every question, but I don't think it was, I forget who asked
42:49it.
42:51Someone asked about, you know, the second line right wing spot.
42:54Yeah, I think that was Scott McLaughlin.
42:57I believe it was Scott.
42:58It was Scott.
42:58Yeah, it was Scott.
43:00And, and, and Marchand basically said, you know, we're looking for someone who's going
43:05to be responsible, not trying to do too much.
43:07We don't care if you can dangle through three people.
43:10Didn't sound like Fabian Lysel.
43:12Now, again, if Lysel comes in and has a kick-ass training camp, they're going to have no choice
43:16but to put Lysel on that right side.
43:18But I think, you know, one of these things, and like, I want to see Lysel on the second
43:22line.
43:22I want to see what Fabian Lysel can do.
43:24I think now is the time, but does Brad Marchand, 36-year-old captain, veteran, does he want
43:30to play on the second line with someone who's going to have those deficiencies?
43:35Does he want to play with someone in a contract year that plays like that?
43:38It didn't sound like it.
43:39So like, that's where I do wonder, you know, could he call his own shot where it's like,
43:45no, I'd rather someone like a Morgan Geeky, a Trent Frederick start in that spot rather
43:50than a rookie?
43:52Like, and again, that comes down to the coaches.
43:55But I, you know, like I've said all along, I think I want to see Lysel there, give him
44:00first dibs, whatever.
44:02But is Brad Marchand going to be on board with that?
44:04I think that's the other end of it.
44:06Yeah, I think that Brad Marchand is going to have a very vocal say in who's going to
44:13end up playing there.
44:14And I think Charlie Coyle will too, frankly.
44:16But I think that you see that that's kind of Jim Montgomery's MO, is to talk to his
44:23players and his veteran guys and get their feedback, especially the ones that have been
44:28around like as long as Marchand have, the future Hall of Fame type guys and, you know,
44:33the guys that you really respect and trust their opinion.
44:36And like, that used to happen.
44:37David Krejci used to like pick his line mates or have very strong feedback and strong say
44:42into who he was going to play with.
44:43And, you know, I think David Pasternak certainly has that kind of thing now with that
44:49understanding now with Jim Montgomery as well.
44:52And I think that just comes with them having been around for a long time and sort of like
44:57the respect factor that Montgomery has for those players.
45:00So I do think that will factor in.
45:04And I think that's a good thing.
45:05Like, I think that will put young players on notice that they have to play a certain
45:10way and to a certain level and have, you know, a certain standard that they have to
45:16play up to if they're going to play with those guys in a top six role.
45:18Because like he said, he mentioned, he's like, we're going to be playing against the other
45:22team's best lines.
45:23We have to play at both ends.
45:24Like, you're going to need somebody that pays attention to detail and like as a good two
45:28way player and plays hard at both ends and doesn't have a lot of weaknesses just by virtue
45:35of the guys they're playing against and has to sort of like be able to keep up with Coyle
45:40and Marchand offensively, you know, and what they're able to do and how they think the
45:43game and the experience level that they have.
45:46So like, I think you look at all that stuff and it's certainly part of it and it's going
45:52to have an impact on who ends up playing there long term.
45:54There's no doubt about it.
45:57But the, you know, Brad Marchand was also a guy that really loved the way Matt Potra
46:02played at the beginning of last year and wanted to play with him.
46:05And if he likes the young player and if he thinks the players got it, he'll request that
46:10the player be there and he'll want to get looks with that player and he'll want to like,
46:14you know, see what it looks like.
46:15So, and he'll encourage that.
46:17And I think he's always been like that.
46:18Like, I think those guys want, if there's a young player that's going to make Coyle
46:22and Brad Marchand better and more productive, they're going to want that guy playing with
46:26them, you know?
46:27Oh yeah.
46:28But I mean, if Lysel brings speed and skill and an offensive spark to that line, they
46:35would definitely want to play with him.
46:36Which I think he easily could do.
46:38He easily could do that.
46:39For sure.
46:41For sure.
46:42But I don't see though, I will getting back to the question.
46:47I don't see if Potra ends up in Providence, I don't see it being an issue.
46:52I don't see it being something where it's going to disenchant somebody to the point
46:55that they need to be traded or they want to be traded.
46:58I don't think any of that is going to happen.
46:59I think if he goes down there, he's probably going to go down there for a short, a relatively
47:04short period of time, build up his confidence, build up his game, develop things a little
47:09bit.
47:09Maybe some of the details will get developed that he didn't have a chance to because he
47:13jumped straight to the NHL last year.
47:16People forget, he really didn't have much AHL time last year.
47:20Like it's not something, you know, he probably could have benefited from that last year and
47:27he would benefit from it some this year, just like Mason Lowry benefited from being
47:31in the NHL a bit last year.
47:32All of those young players, I think benefit from that, especially if he goes down there
47:37and he plays top line minutes, he's playing in all situations, like he's in a much bigger
47:41role, that's going to help him as well at the NHL level when he goes back there.
47:46So like, I think it's a no lose situation.
47:50I think if he's good enough and he flashes in camp and he has a camp like last year and
47:54he ends up as your third line center to start the year, great, fantastic.
47:57I agree.
47:58You know, he jumped over those hurdles, he worked hard all summer, clearly, he came in
48:04on a mission, he won the job, like he's ready to go.
48:07And he's going to start really establishing himself as an NHL player.
48:11Like him going through a full season, putting up pretty good numbers, that's when you're
48:15an established NHL player.
48:16He's not all the way there yet.
48:18No.
48:18But even if he has to go down to Providence and sort of work on his craft and develop
48:22a little bit, that is perfectly fine too.
48:24Like, no issues there.
48:25I think that will be a development where he'll be up with the team within a month or two
48:30and, you know, we'll see him in the second half of the year come in there and be like
48:34a third line center and be a playmaker and be what we've seen, which is he's one of the
48:38better offensively skilled Bruins forwards that they have in the organization.
48:42I mean, last year, people forget, last year's training camp was such a special situation
48:47and that like, he could not go to Providence.
48:49It was either juniors or in the NHL.
48:52And they were desperate for a center at the beginning of the year.
48:55Yes.
48:55They were desperate for a center and everyone thought he was going back initially.
49:00And then he lit the world on fire in training camp and in preseason games.
49:05And he legitimately wouldn't allow them to send him back because he was so good.
49:10And as you said, they needed centers.
49:12So it was like, holy crap, Bergeron and Creechie leave.
49:15And this guy pops up out of the ground.
49:17So like that, you know, again, last year was a special situation.
49:20Now I think you can really develop him.
49:22You get your hands on him.
49:24You've got him in the AHL.
49:25If this is how it goes, if he lights the world on fire again in training camp,
49:29then you got to keep him here.
49:30Like, I don't think you don't stuff them in Providence just to do it.
49:35But again, if there are signs that, you know, because he had shoulder surgery.
49:39So if there are signs that he needs, you know, some seasoning down in Providence, that's fine.
49:44And I think it gives you a great opportunity to see what you have in Georgie Merculoff,
49:48who like, again, as I said earlier, has played, I think a combined like
49:52over a hundred games the last two years or well over a hundred games the last two years in the
49:57AHL. I think he has over a hundred points as well. So like, I just, to me, I think, you know,
50:04I don't think people should be alarmed if Lysel starts the year in Providence.
50:08It's not a bad thing.
50:09And if he stinks in preseason games, you can, you know, take away, take that away.
50:13But I don't think that's going to happen. And I still think he could be okay and still be
50:17down in Providence to start the year. Yeah. I don't think they should be,
50:20fans should be alarmed if Lysel, Patra and Merculoff all end up in Providence and Tyler
50:25Johnson ends up on the NHL team because I think he's a guy that like could help the Bruins.
50:30Frankly, I think he's a guy that still got something a little bit in the tank,
50:34right shot, versatile center, could play center or right wing. And that's the kind of guy,
50:38maybe you put them in and, you know, guys like Coyle and Marchand really like vibe well with him
50:44and like playing with him. And he's got tons of playoff experience, two times Stanley cup winner.
50:49Like, you know, he's not the guy that he wasn't when he was on the triplet line with Kucherov
50:53and Andre Pallott, obviously when he was with Tampa, but he's still a guy that I think could
50:58be a fairly effective player for them. So it's a really interesting dynamic to add to the mix of
51:05all those young players that are going to compete for that spot. But bottom line,
51:09I don't think it's a bad thing at all. If they all end up down in Providence,
51:12all the young guys to start the year. All right, Evan, thank you very much for joining us.
51:16Of course. Thanks for having me, Hags.
51:17You've got it, my friend. Thank you everybody else out there for listening. We'll see you at the ring.