The DFO Rundown

Latest Episodes:

Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau joins the show & we preview the Pacific Division Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

Today on The DFO Rundown, Frank and Jason wrapped up their season preview podcasts with a look at the Pacific Division. They were joined by Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau to kick things off.

With Huberdeau, they talked about his summer, his first few months in Calgary, and what his mindset is ahead of the 2022-23 NHL campaign. The Flames are a team with Stanley Cup aspirations and Huberdeau will be leaned on as one of their key players.

Outside of that, they also talked about a pair of young players in Matt Barzal and Jason Robertson that each got new contracts in the last week. Did either get overpaid? The guys debated it.

They also then dug into the rest of the Pacific Division. Frank has a spicy take about who he thinks will win the division this season while Gregor thinks that three teams could hit the 100-point mark. There’s no bigger question mark than the Vegas Golden Knights as well, they talked about what needs to happen for things to go right in Vegas this season.

They wrapped it up by bringing in Tyler Yaremchuk for a new edition of Buy or Sell delivered by DoorDash and a look at the bottom of the division.

5:10 - Flames preview

8:35 - Matt Barzal’s new contract

12:25 - Robertson and the Stars agree

16:04 - Huberdeau joins the show

29:18 - More Flames talk

39:10 - Oilers preview

46:10 - LA Kings Preview

52:25 - Vegas Preview

1:07:10 - Canucks Preview

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Rod Brind'Amour joins the show as we preview the Metro Division Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

We are just under a week away from real, regular-season NHL hockey! With the season just around the corner, Frank and Jason continued their season previews today by taking a deep look at the Metro. They started things off by welcoming in Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour. Rod talked about the busy summer the team's front office had and how he feels about the new mix of guys they added over the last few months. His mentality is simple: Stanley Cup or bust and he explained why the group they have is good enough to go all the way. We also talked to him about his gym routine and he told us about the absolutely stacked youth team that he coaches.

After the chat with Rod, the guys got into every other team in the division. Last year there was a 16-point gap between fourth and fifth in the division but there's no denying that things will be tighter this season. Could a team that missed the post season last year squeak in this time around? Frank and Jason gave their takes on that and more in our full Metropolitan Division preview. Of course, Tyler Yaremchuk also popped in for a new edition of 'Fill in the Blank' delivered by DoorDash.

3:50 - The latest on Hockey Canada

11:31 - Rod Brind'Amour joins the show

31:50 - The Hurricanes

45:55 - The Rangers

49:15 - The Penguins

56:40 - The Capitals

1:06:30 - The Islanders

1:02:50 - The Devils

1:16:50 - The Flyers

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Red Wings Head Coach Derek Lalonde & an Atlantic Division Preview Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

Today on The DFO Rundown, Frank and Jason continued their division preview series by taking a look at the Atlantic Division. They started by digging into a pair of Canadian teams in Montreal and Ottawa who are both coming into this season looking to begin new eras. Will they both improve from last year? Frank and Jason discussed that. To preview the Detroit Red Wings, the guys were joined by the team's new Head Coach, Derek Lalonde. His journey to becoming an NHL bench boss has been remarkable and he shared some stories on the pod. He also talked about the mindset of the Red Wings as they look to push for a playoff spot after a busy summer.

After chatting with Lalonde, Frank and Jason debated which team in the Atlantic has the most upside this year when it comes to making a jump into the playoffs. They also dug into the four teams that made the playoffs in this division last season and talked about which one is most in danger of missing the postseason in 2022-23. Tyler Yaremchuk also had some over/under questions in a fresh edition of 'Buy or Sell' delivered by DoorDash.

3:05 - Montreal Canadiens

9:20 - Ottawa Senators

14:40 - Detroit Head Coach Derek Lalonde joins the show

41:58 - Red Wings or Sens?

44:38 - Buffalo Sabres

50:35 - Boston Bruins

56:50 - Tampa Bay Lightning

1:01:20 - Toronto Maple Leafs

1:09:30 - Florida Panthers

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Avs GM Chris MacFarland joins the show & we preview the Central Division Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

With just a few weeks to go until the regular season gets started, we began our yearly division preview series and it only made sense to start with the division that features the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. We did a deep dive on the Avs and were joined by their new General Manager Chris MacFarland. He talked about inking Nathan MacKinnon to a record-setting contract extension, his journey to becoming a GM, and how the rest of the Avs roster is looking after a short summer.

Jason and Frank also gave their thoughts on every other team in the Central Division. There are two clear 'have-nots' with the Blackhawks and Coyotes both clearly planning to 'suck hard for Bedard' as Frank would say. There are some intriguing teams in the middle of this division though and perhaps no one has more on the line than the Winnipeg Jets, who had quite a bit of off-ice drama over the last few months. Fans of the Dallas Stars are also holding their breath as Jason Robertson still doesn't have a contract. Frank gave us the latest on that as well.

Tyler Yaremchuk also stopped by for a new edition of 'Fill in the Blank' delivered by DoorDash.

0:40 - How many teams get in?

1:35 - Arizona Coyotes

5:30 - Chicago Blackhawks

8:00 - Winnipeg Jets

12:40 - Chris MacFarland joins the show

44:20 - Are the Avs better?

50:10 - Minnesota Wild

43:15 - St. Louis Blues

59:05 - Dallas Stars

1:02:55 - Nashville Predators

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Injury news, early season trade talk, and the magic of Ovechkin Sep 23, 2022

Show notes

We are back with another Friday episode of The DFO Rundown as Jason and Frank broke down the biggest storylines from around the league as training camps open up. There has been some pretty significant injury news from a few different cities and that's where they started on the pod. The Flyers season is pretty much over before it started with the news that they could be without both Ryan Ellis and Sean Couturier this season. They also hit on the injury that Frank's battling as we head into the season. They also quickly hit on the latest surrounding Patrick Kane, who still isn't expected to be moved until later in the season. Jason had a brand new 'Would You Rather' question for Frank based on the aging cores of the Capitals and Penguins. Tyler Yaremchuk also returned to the show for a new edition of 'Buy or Sell' delivered by DoorDash, which featured some talk about Alex Ovechkin's goal total for the upcoming season. They also hit on the three defensemen who announced their retirement last week.

1:45 - Jake Muzzin, Ryan Ellis and Sean Couturier injuries

10:50 - Blackhawks trade targets

14:55 - Would you rather: Pens or Caps core for five seasons?

23:05 - Buy or Sell

32:10 - Alex Ovechkin o/u 44.5 goals

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Rick Bowness Joins The Rundown Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

Special Guest Rick Bowness joins Frank Seravalli and Jason Gregor on this episode of the DFO Rundown. As the new Head Coach of the Winnipeg Jets, Rick describes the organization's decision to remove Blake Wheeler as the team's captain for the upcoming season. He also talked about his decision to join the Jets following a four-year stint as Head Coach for the Dallas Stars and what factors resulted in him finalizing an agreement with the organization. Having shared the unique experiences of being a Player-Head coach, Rick describes the time he coached while serving a penalty during his time with the Sherbrooke Jets.

Before the interview with Bowness, Frank and Rick analyze the Evander Kane contract settlement and how it affects the salary cap for the Sharks. In the last segment following the discussion with Bowness, the Restricted Free Agent list is discussed, as many recognizable names are left unsigned leading into training camp. With training camp soon to begin, they give us their key storylines to watch in training camp and what internal positional battles could be in the spotlight.

Evander Kane contract settlement - 1:19

Rick Bowness joins the show - 6:19

Rick Bowness’s thoughts’ on Blake Wheeler - 7:56

The factors of joining the Winnipeg Jets: Rick Bowness - 17:26

The experiences of being a Player-Head Coach - 26:07

RFA Contract Talks - 33:42

Training Camp storylines to watch - 47:21

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MacKinnon's next contract, and Huberdeau vs. Gaudreau Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

Frank and Jason, join us again for another episode of the DFO Rundown! With the regular season right around the corner, Nathan Mackinnon contract extension talks are heating up. We break down the ideal term and salary for MacKinnon and the Avalanche organization.

From there, we asked the question "Huberdeau or Gaudreau" in our One or the Other segment. With both forwards transitioning to new teams following this past off-season, we questioned which elite player would you rather have over the next five seasons. Frank Seravalli previews his upcoming story for Daily Faceoff, which places NHL players in specific categories and, most notably, what players are defined as franchise players.

Pre-season playoff predictions are in discussion on the DFO Rundown as Jason Gregor states why the Vancouver Canucks will clinch their spot in the playoffs for the upcoming season and which player will be the focal point in helping them reach their first playoff appearance since 2020. Is Ryan O’Reilly going to be able to cash in for this upcoming free agency? At 31 years old, Frank and Jason explain why age might not be a factor once his contract expires following a seven-year deal signed back in 2016-17.

Nathan MacKinnon Contract Talk - 00:00:39
One or the Other: Huberdeau / Gaudreau 00:15:03
Franchise Players - Frank Seravalli’s Preview 00:20:03
Ilya Sorokin and other elite young Goalies - 00:26:13
Vancouver Canucks (Gregor’s Playoff Prediction) - 00:31:26
Ryan O’Reilly Upcoming UFA Contract Talks - 00:38:01

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Oilers AGM Bill Scott gives us a salary cap 101 lesson Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

We are back to two episodes a week on The DFO Rundown! Frank and Jason are gearing up for the start of the NHL season and there was plenty to get to today on the show. To start things off, they talked about a few teams around the league that are in some interesting situations when it comes to the salary cap. With a lot of teams preparing to use LTIR to start the season, there are some moves that still could be made. From there, they talked about Nick Suzuki being named the youngest Captain in Canadiens history, players around the league that are being signed to PTO's, and what could be next for PK Subban as he sits unsigned with training camps just around the corner. Tyler Yaremchuk also stopped by for an awards-themed edition of 'Buy or Sell'.

Today's guest was Edmonton Oilers Assistant GM Bill Scott. He's the team's salary cap expert and joined the show to give us a bit of insight into how teams strategize with the salary cap, how LTIR works, and he also gave us one idea for how he'd change the salary cap system.

1:40 - Teams in cap trouble

5:30 - Nick Suzuki is the Canadien's Captain

9:25 - PTO season

15:30 - PK Subban

19:45 - Looking at the four major awards

39:27 - Oilers AGM Bill Scott

44:40 - How his career got started

49:30 - The challenges of LTIR

59:47 - A look at arbitration

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Nick Bonino on his career, being traded, and his two Stanley Cup rings Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

The summer interview series wrapped up on today's episode as the guys sat down with San Jose Sharks forward, and two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Nick Bonino. He talked about being a veteran on a team that's heading into a season that most view as a transition year. He also talked about his career, which has featured many ups and downs. He was traded before ever playing an NHL game and by the time he had played 300 NHL games he had already been traded a total of three times. He talked about life on the move and whether or not it gets easier to stomach being traded. He also touched on his two Stanley Cup runs with the Penguins and his favourite memories from those.

Before getting to the Bonino interview, Frank and Jason talked about JT Miller's surprising extension with the Vancouver Canucks. What allowed these two sides to find common ground? Frank shone some light onto that. Jason also shared why he thinks the Canucks will take a step forward this season. They also hit on Kirby Dach's new deal before getting to a new edition of 'Fill in the Blank' with Tyler Yaremchuk.

0:55 - JT Miller's new deal

5:55 - Why the Canucks will bounce back

8:55 - Kirby Dach's new deal

11:30 - Will Slafkovsky or Wright play in the NHL next season?

17:20 - Fill in the Blank

23:30 - Nick Bonino joins the show

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Shawn Thornton on going from a steel factory, to the NHL, to the Panthers Chief Revenue Officer Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

Today on The DFO Rundown, Jason and Frank were joined by former NHL tough guy Shawn Thornton. On the ice, he was known for dropping the mitts but in his post-career life, he’s actually turned to the business side of the sport as he’s now the Chief Revenue Officer of the Florida Panthers. He spoke about that role, some of his more memorable moments on the ice during his career, and also the book he wrote about his life. His path from being a steel worker to a two-time Stanley Cup Champion is quite remarkable.

Before the interview with Thornton, the duo broke down some of the recent news that we’ve gotten from the last seven days around the NHL. From the Golden Knights adding Phil The Thrill and shoring up their goaltending to the big extension that the Buffalo Sabres gave to Tage Thompson, there was plenty to get to on the pod. Tyler Yaremchuk also popped in with a new edition on Buy or Sell.

5:00 - Vegas adds Kessell and Hill

8:34 - The Rangers & their mindset

11:40 - Tage Thompson’s new deal

16:45 - Norris, Thomas, or Thompson question

17:25 - Buy or Sell delivered by Door Dash!

24:50 - Shawn Thornton joins the show

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