There may not be much in the way of concretes for the 2020-21 NHL season yet, but Ryan and Rory can’t wait any longer to talk about which teams are truly in contention to be the league’s next champion. Any title discussion must take into account the fact that, as of this moment, it appears the traditional East-West conference format will give way to a four-division alignment based on regional groupings. With that in mind, which contenders now look as though they’ll have a tougher path...

With the initial flurry of off-season trades and signings in the books, Ryan and Rory sift through the new NHL landscape. It’s hard to argue any one team put itself in pole position to be the 2021 Cup favourite. Rory is unconvinced Calgary’s big splash in the goalie market will make a huge difference and it’s fair to wonder what the net gain is for Vegas when the team acquires Alex Pietrangelo but losses Nate Schmidt and alienates half its roster. Meanwhile, how much better can the Edmonton...

Roughly four months after it was originally slated to happen in Montreal, the 2020 NHL Draft is finally upon us. Ryan and Rory welcome prospect guru Sam Cosentino to comb over all the intrigue. While everyone expects the Rangers to select Alexis Lafreniere first, there are a number of wild-card prospects who could introduce a serious jolt of uncertainty into the proceedings. Also, with Ottawa holding both the third and fifth picks, what could the Sens — not to mention other clubs with...

Two months of bubble hockey left us with some unprecedented memories and one of the most deserving Cup champions we’ve seen in some time. Ryan and Rory unpack everything from Tampa’s six-game win over a decimated Dallas Stars crew, including why Rory believes the wrong guy skated off with the Conn Smythe Trophy. Now that they’ve gotten over the hump, can the Bolts do some salary-cap maneuvering and win more titles? And what’s next for a Dallas team that has some great young talent, but a lot...

The Tampa Bay Lightning are two wins from the Stanley Cup. Can they close the deal? Sportsnet’s Luke Fox — who picked the Stars to win the Cup 12 months ago — joins Ryan and Rory to break down what he’s seen in a series Tampa leads 2-1. The Stars desperately need to rediscover their stingy defensive ways and, on offence, if the big boys don’t find the net soon, it will be too late. Also, what a sight it was to see Steven Stamkos streaking down the wing and firing a shot past Anton...

All the isolation and ice packs have led to this: The Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars are about to meet in the Stanley Cup Final. Ryan and Rory have all the angles covered. Dallas has found a new gear thanks to the contributions of players from both ends of the age spectrum. While youngsters Denis Guraniov and Miro Heiskanen have proven their worth, vets like Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski have shown how much they still have to contribute. Can Dallas’s stingy defensive posture hold...

We’re now just weeks away from the start of an off-season that will be unlike any other. Ryan and Rory take a hard look at a number of players who could move for a variety of reasons. With all the uncertainty in Arizona, there’s a chance the Dessert Dogs could ignite a fire sale as part of ground-zero rebuild. Oliver Ekman-Larsson anyone? How about Darcy Kuemper? Speaking of goalies, will the Leafs move Frederik Andersen and what has to happen for the suddenly strained relationship...

All the hockey is happening in Edmonton now, with the Islanders and Lighting battle for Eastern supremacy, and Vegas and Dallas dueling in the West. Ryan and Rory hate themselves for picking against the Islanders, but it’s impossible not to feel like this could finally be Tampa’s year. Vegas, meanwhile, is back in the final four for the second time in its three-year history. Can the Golden Knights tamp down a suddenly surging Stars offence or will the Dallas top line keep it going...

Ryan and Rory are joined by Vancouver beat writer Iain MacIntyre to discuss how the Canucks evened their second-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights and examine everything the young club has shown this post-season. MacIntyre also peers into the future to try to figure out what it holds for key UFAs Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev and Tyler Toffoli. The off-season has already begun in Toronto, where GM Kyle Dubas opened up a world of tasty options by trading Kasperi Kapanen to the...

The Golden Knights are through to Round 2, which is good news for two guys who picked them to go to the Stanley Cup Final. Ryan and Rory examine what’s going right for Vegas and why the squad will be a tough out this summer. Also, on the heels of consecutive post-seasons in which Nazem Kadri took crippling suspensions while a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, what is the tenacious 29-year-old doing to walk the line and make himself such a valuable member of the Avs at the No. 2 centre...

The Rangers rebuild got a huge boost when the Blueshirts won the right to select Alexis Lafreniere first overall. Ryan and Rory discuss how that will impact an already-impressive core in The Big Apple. They also examine the future for three Canadian clubs — Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton — that were bounced in the qualifying round. Will Rory ever move off his “never trade Nylander” stance? Was this just one of those years for Winnipeg and can Edmonton ever expect to improve without a...

No 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifier has had more drama than the Flames-Jets series. Eric Francis joins Ryan and Rory to break down the first three tilts and look ahead to Game 4. While the top line has shown well, Francis believes the Flames’ best unit remains Mikael Backlund with Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane. As someone who’s been around Tkachuk since the start of his NHL career, what has Francis learned about one of hockey’s most pot-stirring figures? With the news that...

After laying out their predictions for the West on the last episode, Ryan and Rory dive into the four Eastern Conference best-of-five preliminary round series. A healthy Pittsburgh Penguins squad figures to have its way with the Habs. The Carolina Hurricanes were a final-four team last year and emerged as huge winners at the 2020 trade deadline, but Rory is not convinced the Canes can handle a really fun New York Rangers. Four years ago, the Florida Panthers and New York...

In just over a week, post-season hockey will return to the NHL. That means it must be time for some bold predictions. Ryan and Rory dive into all four Western Conference preliminary round series and how they believe things will play out. It’s hard to imagine how the porous Chicago defence has any chance of stopping the dynamic one-two combo that is Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And while the Arizona Coyotes were having a disappointing season, how could two big X-factors...

With training camps underway, Ryan and Rory are joined by a pair of guests. Eric Engels on what he’s seen from Montreal so far. Has Jesperi Kotkaniemi found a new gear? And beyond Carey Price and Shea Weber, what will be the key factors for the Canadiens as they prepares for a best-of-five series with the Penguins? Then the boys pivot to Winnipeg with Ken Wiebe, who firmly believes the Jets — conference finalists just two years ago — have all the makings of a dark-horse contender...

As the NHL marches toward its return to play, Ryan and Rory welcome Mark Spector to the show. The veteran Edmonton-based reporter has covered a lot of work stoppages during his career, so he has a lot to say about the league and NHLPA walking hand-in-hand into a new era of unprecedented labour peace. He also explains what life is going to be like covering an NHL training camp next week and breaks down the biggest questions heading into the Oilers’ preliminary-round series versus the Chicago...

In their first chance to talk since the NHL Draft Lottery, Ryan and Rory sketch out the first few picks and speculate wildly about the most fun scenarios for where projected No. 1 Alexis Lafreniere could land. And with two selections in the top five, would the Ottawa Senators put the second of those picks in play if they could help the team right now? Also, with no July 1 UFA lunacy to cover, the boys look back at the more memorable singings of the salary-cap era. While there are...

For the first time in months, an actual NHL event is about to happen — the draft lottery. Prospect guru Sam Cosentino talks about how teams are compiling their lists with several key events wiped off the calendar. He also explains what changes could become entrenched in scouting protocol and, of course, has the latest on many of the players expected to be selected high. Then Zach Sullivan, a 25-year-old defenceman in England’s top hockey league, joins the pod. He is the first active...

As the NHL continues its creep back to game action, Ryan and Rory discuss the latest league developments and how high a priority having one Canadian hub city should be. Also, with NHL awards ballots being cast, Rory dives into a piece he’s writing in which he’ll select an MVP for all 31 teams. Then they dive into the seven Canadian clubs. Can the Oilers find an ideal fit for Connor McDavid’s wings? How entrenched is David Rittich in the Flames crease? And, if it comes down to it, who...

Ryan and Rory turn much of the airtime over to their Afro-Canadian producer, Michael Mayers. A solutions-based thinker, Michael offers his passionate, personal views on what can be done by every citizen of the world to help those who are constant victims of racial injustice. As part of the conversation, Ryan and Rory share their observations about NHL players taking a stand on social media and whether or not this signals a shift away from the “stay out of it” mentality we’ve witnessed...

Chris Johnston joins the show but, first, Ryan and Rory are all in on the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Six Canadian teams will (hopefully) participate in the “play-in” round and two of them — Winnipeg and Calgary — will (hopefully) face each other. Who has the advantage in that matchup and what are the other key series to (hopefully) watch? Also, what to make of the fact clubs like Pittsburgh, Toronto or — gasp — Edmonton could actually wind up with the first-overall pick? Then CJ...

If the NHL returns to action in the next couple months, there’s a strong chance Edmonton will be a hub city. Mark Spector joins Ryan and Rory to stump for his home, dive into some of the historical pieces he’s written focusing on the 1980s Oilers and a recent story about the under-23 Team North America that sent fans into a frenzy at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. With Sportsnet re-airing a bunch of games from that tournament, Rory took his best shot at what an under-23 team of...

Nobody knows when the NHL off-season will actually begin. What we can say for certain is, when it does, there will be no shortage of players on the move. Ryan and Rory identify some trade candidates for NHL teams. Josh Anderson? Olli Juolevi? Matt Murray or Tristan Jarry? They also explore a few alternate universes, including one where Wayne Gretzky finishes his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and some very good teams — including the Ray Bourque-era Boston Bruins and the French...

Luke Fox joins Ryan this week. Global pandemic or not, the Toronto Maple Leafs blue-line always has the potential to set tongues wagging. GM Kyle Dubas recently made another foray into the European market, inking Finn Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year contract. How does this change the complexion of Toronto’s ‘D’ and what does it mean to have another left-shooting blue-liner in the mix? Also, there’s a growing sense commissioner Gary Bettman would like the NHL to take advantage of the...