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The definitive NHL podcast network with expert analysis and insider perspectives.
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There was no team with higher expectations entering 2025-26 than the Colorado Avalanche. However, by late May, no club had suffered greater disappointment. The Presidents' Trophy winners wired the field from the outset of the regular season but, after disposing the Kings and Wild in just nine games to start the playoffs, the Avalanche crashed in getting swept in the Western Final by the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite being the oldest team in the NHL, the Avs should remain formidable for the immediate future. However, with no picks until the fourth round of the Draft and other high picks having been dealt away to win now, Chris MacFarland has work different from any other GM to keep the team among the NHL's elite. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #ColoradoAvalanche #CarolinaHurricanes #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #VegasGoldenKnights ##QuebecNordiques #NewYorkIslanders #St.LouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #WashingtonCapitals #OttawaSenators #ChicagoBlackhawks #NewYorkRangers #PittsburghPenguins #Presidents'Trophy #JaredBednar #ChrisMacFarland #NathanMacKinnon #CaleMakar #ScottWedgewood #BrandonDuhaime #MackenzieBlackwood #MartinNecas #BrockNelson #MatsZuccarello #GabrielLandeskog #NazemKadri #DevonToews #PatrickRoy #MartinBrodeur #DarcyKuemper #AdinHill #BraydenSchenn #AlexandarGeorgiev #KevinMandolese #JackDrury #MikkoRantanen #TaylorHall #JoelKiviranta #BrentBurns #BrettKulak #JackAchan #NickBlankenberg #ZakarBardakov #HartTrophy #NorrisTrophy
With the Final between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights set to kick off Tuesday, who better to join Neil and Vic than a current NHL head coach who has seen both teams up close. Jim Montgomery, current coach with the St. Louis Blues, has gotten familiar with Vegas over the past two seasons in the Western Conference. Before that, he saw what the Hurricanes were about while leading Boston. We'll talk about the Final but also discuss the heaviness of what the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche are experiencing having himself fall short with his record-setting Bruins in 2022-23. The conversation wraps with what's ahead for his Blues heading into 2026-27 with a new GM and captain joining Monty on the leadership team. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:50] - Blues head coach Jim Montgomery is welcomed to the show and offers his take on the Bruce Cassidy situation, the latter still waiting to be freed up from his contract with Vegas. [03:43] - Montgomery weighs in on his thoughts about the 2026 playoffs. [05:33] - While Jim has seen changes in play trends during this year's playoffs, one trend staying intact is the struggle of Presidents' Trophy winners making the Final since 2013 - something Montgomery can relate to with Colorado Avalanche. [07:06] - Having seen both the Hurricanes and Golden Knights from behind the bench this season, Monty shares what characteristics these teams provide headaches for opposition head coaches. [09:20] - The goaltending in the Final. A veteran who has finally broken through after years of later-round struggles against a first-timer to the post-season. [11:15] - Carolina's line of Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall has emerged as the 'Canes top line of the post-season. [12:35] - Given the coaching skill on both sides, adjustments are always key when things go amiss. Montgomery sees neither Rod Brind'Amour or John Tortorella having any problem going with the flow. [13:33] - Some Blues talk with a new GM and a potential new captain for 2026-27. [15:15] - After so much prior success yet missing the playoffs in 2026, might the approach to training camp differ from years past? [17:05] - Some comments on two players - Colton Parayko and Alexandre Texier. One decided against a trade to a contender while the other couldn't cut it in St. Louis but has managed to do so in Montreal. [23:58] - World Championship update and great news for the Florida Panthers courtesy of Champion Team Finland. [25:27] - A champion was also crowned at the Memorial Cup where a legendary franchise authored an historic run. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #JimMontgomery #RodBrind'Amour #JohnTortorella #BruceCassidy #OskarSundqvist #AlexSteen #IvanBarbashev #JaredBednar #JohnStevens #CraigButton #TSN #FrederikAndersen #CarterHart #JacksonBlake #LoganStankoven #TaylorHall #SethJarvis #SebastianAho #AndreiSvechnikov #DougArmstrong #BraydenSchenn #ColtonParayko #AnexandreTexier #JakeDeBrusk #LouieDeBrusk #MarkMessier #WorldChampionships #KonstaHelenius #JustusAnnunen #AleksanderBarkov #BillZito #MemorialCup #KitchenerRangers #EverettSilvertips #CHL #OHL #WHL #SamO'Reilly #JussiAhokas #GuelphMadHatters #EugeneGeorge #JackPridham
It started in early October and are now at the finish line where a new Stanley Cup champion will be crowned within the next two weeks. The Carolina Hurricanes have marched into the Final requiring just 13 games to earn their spot while the Vegas Golden Knights have gotten stronger each round to take their place. Neil and Vic are once again joined by TSN's Craig Button for analysis and predictions as both franchises seek their second Stanley Cups. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:07] - Craig Button joins the show and dives right into the Stanley Cup Final whether Vegas might be more battle tested given their path to the championship series. [06:37] - The prospect of Carolina still being able to execute the relentless style of play against a Vegas team fresh off smothering the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche. [10:19] - The areas that Craig and Neil see where both clubs could be exploited by the other. [14:52] - Intangibles. Something we might see by series end that isn't necessarily visible early on. [17:59] - The ongoing saga with the Golden Knights refusing to allow former head coach Bruce Cassidy to speak with other teams about a head coaching position while still under contract to the VGK for another season at 4.5 million. [23:28] - Updated standings and predictions among the three "experts" with some fun dropped in. [35:19] - The family of Claude Lemieux has announced that the former player's brain will be donated to the Boston University CTE Center for research. Lemieux died by suicide May 28, though the family has cautioned no conclusions should be drawn through their gesture. [37:18] - The passing of Dennis Hull May 30, brother of the "Golden Jet," Bobby Hull, his shot was perhaps the most feared of any player in the late '60's and early 70's. [38:42] - Stanley Cup Final schedule. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #CraigButton #TSN #ConnorMcDavid #TrippTracy #FrederikAndersen #CarterHart #DylanCoghlan #ScottWedgewood #CaleMakar #NathanMacKinnon #SamMalinski #BrettHowden #JakeEichel #MitchMarner #MarkStone #TaylorHall #JacksonBlake #LoganStankoven #SebastianAho #SethJarvis #AndreiSvechnikov #UsainBolt #PavelDorofeyev #BruceCassidy #KellyMcCrimmon #GeorgeMcPhee #GaryBettman #JohnTortorella #PeterPocklington #AlexanderOvechkin #JordanStaal #ConnSmytheTrophy #FrankPatrick #LesterPatrick #PrinceofWalesTrophy #HartTrophy #ClaudeLemieux #BostonUniversityCTECenter #JohnSaunders #DennisHull #BobbyHull #VicHadfield #SummitSeries1972 #JimMontgomery
We have a dance card! The 2026 Stanley Cup Final is set as the Carolina Hurricanes completed an historic run 12-1 run taking out the exhausted Montreal Canadiens and, in the process, earned a date with the Vegas Golden Knights for the right to play for the Cup. Vic and Neil have a breakdown that will sound quite similar with their own unique takes. We also take a moment to remember the late Claude Lemieux, who won the first of his four Stanley Cups 40 years ago and was also the agent for Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #ClaudeLemieux #FrederikAndersen #MartinSt.Louis #JoshAnderson #BrendanGallgher #JacksonBlake #TaylorHall #AlexTexier #LoganStankoven #JakubDobes #HenrikLundqvist #JordanStaal #JordanMartinook #WilliamCarrier #EricRobinson #SethJarvis #JakeEvans #NikolajEhlers #ShayneGostisbehere #ColeCaufield #RodBrind'Amour #CraigMacTavish #NickSuzuki #JurajSlafkovsky #BrianEnglblom #KentHughes #BillDaly #MarkMessier #BrendanLemieux #MikeLiut #UlfSamuelsson #ConnSmytheTrophy #KrisDraper #DarrenMcCarty #ChristopherLemieux #ConnSmytheTrophy #PhoenixCoyotes #StuGrimson #JackieRedmond #NHLonTNT #CraigButton #TSN #JimMontgomery #RickBowness
There were few feel-good stories in 2025-26 than the Buffalo Sabres. After 15 long years, the Sabres got themselves back into the post-season winning the Atlantic Division plus the opening round of the playoffs against Boston before falling in Game 7 overtime to Montreal. While it is easy to statistically equate as to why the team escaped the doldrums, the path of the past season was atypical. A slow start and the firing of the GM reversed itself in December with a torrid hot streak that raised the Sabres into the NHL elite. Plenty to build on for 2026-27. Along with that, expectations the franchise hasn't had in years. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #BuffaloSabres #UtahMammoth #DetroitRedWings #ColumbusBlueJackets #St.LouisBlues #OttawaSenators #NewYorkRangers #WinnipegJets #VegasGoldenKnights #LosAngelesKings #JarmoKekalainen #KevynAdams #LindyRuff #JoshDoan #MichaelKesselring #JJPeterka #Ukko-PekkaLuukkonen #AlexLyon #ColtenEllis #TageThompson #AlexTuch #RasmusDahlin #RyanMcLeod #JackQuinn #MastertonTrophy #NorrisTrophy #OwenPower #BowenByram #MattiasSamuelsson #ZachBenson #KonstaHelenius #NoahOstlund #ShaneDoan #ArizonaCoyotes #JoshNorris #SamCarrick #TannerPearson #BeckMalenstyn #JoshuaDunn #LukeSchenn #LoganStanley #PeytonKrebs #JackEichel
If there was any question of the Hurricanes superiority over a Canadiens team that won Game 1 and got Games 2 and 3 to overtime, those questions were answered in a dominant performance Wednesday. Three quick goals late in the first period put the 'Canes into cruise control and they never let up on a Habs team appearing more and more spent from the attrition of having to play 14 games in the first two rounds. Vic and Neil break it down as the Canadian (and Canadiens) Stanley Cup drought is on the verge of reaching 33 years. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #BZZR #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #JakubDobes #JacksonBlake #NikolajEhlers #NickSuzuki #SebastianAho #K'AndreMiller #JordanStaal #LoganStankoven #ShayneGostisbehere #AndreiSvechnikov #MikeMatheson #PhillipDanault #EricRobinson #FrederikAndersen #JoshAnderson #ColeCaufield #SethJarvis #WilliamCarrier #MitchMarner #GaryBettman #QuebecNordiques