u/bigollunch

Regarding Leo/offersheet: 

*laughs*

“We all got an idea when we saw that. It’s like well I’m happy for Leo and then at the same time it was a shocker. I commend beeker (Pat Verbeek) on handling a tough situation well… I’m glad we got the player, Leo is a special guy and I expect him to continue on to a great start to his career and build up what he’s done. I don’t want to put anymore ownership or pressure on him knowing he comes out as the highest paid guy... Don’t change yourself and how you approach the game. Take some pride in being rewarded but at the same time don’t change the way you are.” 

On asked if this young team reminds him of Chicago:

“It’s still very early. There’s lots of things that have to be proven. But the comparables are enjoyable to be apart of and you feel privileged…you know we still got to have a ‘this, this, and a that’, … but that’s part about the season growing and you get better over the course of the year and our motivation is to get off to a strong start and be a playoff team - knowing that’s what we play for".

On losing veteran D presence:

Mentions that Trouba had a good year. He thought Carlson was great for the team. (Mentions Gudas but nothing about his play lol).

“Gonna have a lot of young guys….the opportunity there is real…a lot of these kids played some games last year and we’re comfortable that they can help us and improve. They’re young, we’ve got size. We got some ability and agility and we’re going to have to, you know that team game or that consistency of a young defensemen knowing that there’s gonna be some warts(?) you’re going to have to live with. We all know and expect some things like that can happen but let’s make up with it with their will, competitiveness, with their skill”.

On Jackson Lacombe: 

“He’s tremendous with the puck, he’s got some deception to him, he’s got some patience with it. Defensively I think he improved. He’s so smooth. I think he improved a lot of ways this year. He grew. But he’s going to be the anchor back there, and when I say anchor I say that as a positive term. I find that you can play him in all-situation matchup minutes and I think that’s something he grew over the course of the season and had the experience with the match up in the playoffs against the best. He handled it very well. He’s a very quiet kid. Love the guy. He enjoys the game. He reminds me a little bit like Dunks (Duncan Keith) cause they both wear the number 2, they both don’t say a word, both extremely talented and gifted in how they skate, move…the same resume as dunks does at the end of it though. That’s the resume I’d like to see happen”. 

When asked about which player he’s excited to see grow this season:

“I don’t wanna say Beckett’s name because he already did something special. But I can see him being a monster… He’s got the wow-factor and the it-factor. He does so many different things you’re not used to seeing in the course of a game… Like how he picks up passes, and spins and comes out of tight areas. One foot, one angle, one hand. Biting off checks. He’s really loosey-lankey, kinda slippery body, very long in how he plays and how he exposes pucks outside his body, and inside his body and through people… gets his shot off some unpredictable ways. He’s fun to watch. I can go on- everyone’s got something I’m looking forward to seeing but at the same time his upside is very high and we like what we saw last year".

He also mentions some of his old junior habits they need to break in the next coming years. Didn’t go into detail about them though. Notes they like his consistency and how he liked playing with the big group instead of the rookie group “which I don’t blame him”.

The majority of his interview was talking about Q’s playing and coaching days and how different the game is compared to his early days of coaching etc.

I’m so down bad for ducks hockey to start that I watched all 49 glorious minutes of this. A few points that came to mind while watching:

1. Please for the love of god cutter sign soon

2. If we were to keep one of the vets on the chopping block (aka dump cap to fit cutter), it’s gotta be Killorn

3. Granlund is a fucking work horse and underrated. His shot is incredibly precise. I’m so happy we have him

4. Almost every time bucket scored he fell right after lol

5. 95% of these goals/plays are from the team we still have

6. I was so confused seeing other teams in this compilation until I realized it was our new ducks! With that being said, I hope Greer can bring the same energy this coming season

*Obligatory everyone go listen to the 32 Thoughts podcast with Elliot Friedman.*

I was listening to the podcast with Friedman and Leo’s agents Matt and Ryan Keator (father-son duo). They said Leo was speechless when the offersheet came in. They joked that people would sign this immediately on July 1st when it was sent. But in this instance they waited 2 days to sign. This particular part stuck out to me:

*Starts 28:30 in the podcast

Matt: This is kinda a life changing thing for the family. And I think his dad kinda told me he goes he took charge and this is something we have to do, you know?

Friedman: What’s his dad’s name?

Matt: Kenneth. Very smart businessman. I was talking to Kenneth this morning and he goes ‘yeah, I put my foot down’. He goes ‘this is too good an offer’, you know. And I think, there was pressure from them to say let’s do this let’s get this done because Leo was definitely feeling it and that why we did.

….I may be reading into this but it sounds like Leo was truly contemplating this OS and even having trouble with navigating it before they signed and ultimately it was his family who moved this along? Is it possible the Leo could have tabled this if his family didn’t step in? That’s a huge decision to make as a 21 year old.

for 18M we better get the works from him 😭 someone tell AJ or Jeff Malott to give him some tilt lessons (if Ross and Viel didn’t already give him some lol). Bros got some tough shoes to fill and I’m already reminiscing about big boy 1c getzy throwing the fists occasionally.

Also would love to see who gets their first fight out of the big three: Leo, cutter or bucket ?🤔