Not all elite talent is found at the top of the board. In fact, the reigning Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe winners — Nikita Kucherov and Ryan O’Reilly — were both selected outside the first round of the NHL Draft. With that in mind, Ryan and Rory go round by round — two through seven — to identify who the biggest steals from each have been since 2005. You might assume a perpetually competitive team like the Boston Bruins has been unearthing gems throughout the draft, but that hasn’t...

Nobody played a full 82 this year, but that didn’t stop the writers and broadcasters at Sportsnet from casting awards ballots. Ryan and Rory offer up their personal picks and debate some of the closest races. Nathan MacKinnon over Leon Draisaitl for MVP? John Carlson or Roman Josi for the Norris? And who deserves more credit for Edmonton’s success, coach Dave Tippett or GM Ken Holland? Then, Eric Engels joins the show for a big-picture look at the Montreal Canadiens. He has conducted...

Listen to Sports On Pause at https://sprtsnt.ca/3e7nTAZ or search and subscribe in your podcatcher. COVID-19 is impacting the world unlike anything we’ve seen in 100 years, and sports has not escaped its effects. The newest podcast from Sportsnet features hosts Richard Deitsch and Donnovan Bennett in conversation with athletes and executives, health professionals and journalists discussing how individuals and the industry are dealing with the pandemic.

When the NHL off-season officially begins, bank on there being the usual player-movement drama. Ryan and Rory speculate about which top-level players could be on the trade market. Would Calgary pull the trigger on Johnny Gaudreau? Could Evgeni Malkin — no, really this time! — get a new address? Also, Jacob Markstrom, Braden Holtby and Robin Lehner headline a very intriguing UFA class of goalies. Then, actor and author Terry Ryan joins the boys to talk about how he’s keeping busy —...

Ryan and Rory let their imaginations run wild for a game of “What If?” Fourteen years ago, the plight of two franchises were dramatically changed when the Ottawa Senators inked Wade Redden over Zdeno Chara: What if the Sens hitched their wagon to Chara instead? And remember the 2015 NHL Draft, when a Greater Toronto Area phenom named Connor McDavid was available at the top of the board? What if the Toronto Maple Leafs had won the right to select him from their own backyard? Then Gare...

There’s no shortage of intriguing prospects across the seven Canadian NHL clubs, so Ryan and Rory touch on every squad to highlight some names, complete with a few deep cuts. Will Josh Norris emerge as the steal of the Erik Karlsson trade for Ottawa? Does Alexander Romanov have a spot waiting for him in Montreal? And what can Canucks fans expect from Vasili Podkolzin, whenever he lands in Vancouver? Luke Fox joins the show to highlight who is rising in the Toronto Maple Leafs system...

Holding microphones in their respective homes, Ryan and Rory wade through our new hockey reality. The NHL would love to award a Stanley Cup this year and the boys take their best stab at formats the league could go with if a traditional, four-round tournament isn’t possible. With the entire hockey world on hold, Todd Hlushko joins the show to explain how the German League reacted to COVID-19. Typically, Hlushko spends all kinds of time on the road in his role as director of North...

The Tampa Bay Lightning are, once again, a top Cup contender as the playoffs draw near. Can this beefier version of the Bolts finally get over the hump or are they doomed to experience more heartbreak? With less than a month to go in the season, it’s time to start handicapping some hardware races. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl seemed to cement his MVP case with strong play in the absence of Connor McDavid, but the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Artemi Panarin — hey, maybe even McDavid — could...

The big news coming out of the GM Meetings is that the salary cap will be on the rise, possibly by a significant amount. Ryan and Rory discuss why that’s fantastic news, not only for teams that are up against it, but anyone who wants to more dough tossed at free agents or teams taking big trade swings in the summer. Also, Montreal GM Marc Bergevin has frustrated some Habs fans by not laying out what they consider a clear path forward. Should Bergevin’s time be up or do...

With the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline in the books, Ryan and Rory look around the league at the big winners and a couple losers. They are joined by Luke Fox, who re-lives the Maple Leafs’ crazy past few days and has a take on where GM Kyle Dubas’s head is at; Dan Murphy, who believes the Canucks have what it takes to keep their heads above water despite losing Jacob Markstrom; and Mark Spector, who discusses the Oilers’ depth additions and how everyone is excited about burner Andreas Athanasiou...

Ryan and Rory offer their takes on the trades through Thursday, explain what the market is for defencemen and discuss which teams could be absolute wild cards before Monday’s 3:00 PM deadline. After that, Justin Bourne makes the 50-foot walk from the Hockey Central studio for a big talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs and why the Florida Panthers could be the team to really watch leading up to the deadline. This episode is produced and sound designed by Amil Delic, edited by Michael...

Jim Rutherford is doing his thing, trading for Jason Zucker in the hopes he can squeeze another championship out of this Pittsburgh Penguins club. How will that move affect the winger market and could Zucker’s old team in Minnesota still turn into a big-time seller? Edmonton is a club many thought had interest in some supplementary scoring — especially with Connor McDavid on the shelf — but is the emergence of Kailer Yamamoto could be tempering that need? To close out, Sportsnet’s Iain...

The Maple Leafs finally found themselves a backup goalie, but will Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford be enough to solidify a playoff spot? Ryan and Rory discuss. If Toronto was the team most in need of a specific upgrade, the Arizona Coyotes might not be far behind. The Coyotes already made the blockbuster deal of the season, but where do they go from here as they flirt with the disaster of falling out of a playoff position? Finally, Ron MacLean joins to the show to discuss...

Zack Kassian is using his hands to score goals, fight Matthew Tkachuk and sign a new four-year contract. And don’t come at Rory with your overpay talk; he’s here to tell you why Kassian is worth $3.2 million annually to the Oilers. Once Rory and Ryan are done raving about the Battle of Alberta, Chris Johnston joins the show to dive deep on the upcoming trade deadline. With one month to go, what’s the temperature around the NHL and how does he see things playing out for the Canadian...

Playoff races are getting a lot more interesting thanks to a couple of high-event teams — the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks — and others that are suddenly major players for post-season berths. And with the All-Star Weekend on the horizon, Ryan and Rory weigh in on what they’ll be most interested to watch.  To finish up, Ryan sits down with Dan Near, the head of Adidas Hockey, to talk about sweater designs and how the company tailors marketing campaigns to the distinct...

Anyone else think the feud between Zack Kassian and Matthew Tkachuk is just getting started? Ryan and Rory discuss how these two re-ignited the Battle of Alberta and how delightful it is that Kassian will return from his suspension just in time to face the Flames. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to get by with a patchwork defence as Morgan Rielly joins Jake Muzzin on the shelf with a broken foot. Finally, Devils beat writer Abbey Mastracco joins the show to discuss a...

With half the season in the books, Ryan and Rory drop in on each Canadian contender to evaluate where they are and where they could be going. Are the Leafs finally who we expected them to be? Which of the four teams in the West can make the playoffs and should the Canadiens officially be selling pieces? After some MVP-at-the-half chatter, Adam Vingan of The Athletic joins the show to explain why Nashville made a coaching change, what’s been at the root of the Preds’ problems and...

From a Stanley Cup Final to a beer league final, Ryan and Rory say goodbye to the 2010s by counting down their 10 most memorable moments of the decade. This episode is produced and sound designed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Rory Boylen and Ryan Dixon. Tape to Tape is powered by the RAM 1500 Sport, built exclusively for Canadians. Sign up for the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool, presented by RAM, at Sportsnet.ca/RAM for your chance to win $1,000 weekly cash prizes and the...

Taylor Hall is on the move, but who else is out there and how do the seven Canadian teams factor into the market? Ryan and Rory discuss. Then Sportsnet’s prospect guru Sam Cosentino stops by. He talks about Canada’s chances at the World Junior Championship and highlights several draft-eligible guys to keep an eye on — like projected No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere — as well as players who’ve already been selected and figure to shine at the event. This episode is produced and sound...

Two teams viewed as Western Conference contenders before the season have dismissed their coach, though the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks took action for very different reasons. Will a new bench boss give the Sharks the jolt they need? As for the Stars, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic joins the show to offer his thoughts on Jim Montgomery’s shocking dismissal and what — if anything — will change under Rick Bowness. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets have been one of the league’s best teams...

As the New Jersey Devils continue to struggle, the idea that Taylor Hall could be moving out the door gains steam by the day. Ryan and Luke Fox discuss potential destinations for the 2018 NHL MVP. Luke also offers his take on the Maple Leafs under new coach Sheldon Keefe ahead of a big road swing through St. Louis and Western Canada. To close things out, Sean Shapiro joins the show to explain how the Dallas Stars went from looking dead in the water just three weeks into the season to...

Akim Aliu is best known for two things: accusing Bill Peters of using racial epithets and being at the centre of an OHL hazing controversy nearly 15 years ago. Ryan and Justin Bourne talk to Gare Joyce, who’s known Aliu since the latter was a teenager. He shares some pertinent details of Aliu’s life and offers his impressions of the man learned over the course of their years-long relationship. Read Gare’s Big Read from February on Aliu here. Ryan and Justin then discuss the...

Fewer than five years after he was hired to lead the grand Maple Leafs rebuild, Mike Babcock was replaced behind the bench with Sheldon Keefe. Luke Fox joins the show to give his take on Babs’ tenure and offer insight into how the Leafs will be a different team with GM Kyle Dubas’s handpicked man running the show. Tape to Tape is powered by the RAM 1500 Sport, built exclusively for Canadians. Make sure to sign up for the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool, presented by RAM,...

With 25 per-cent of the season in the books, Ryan and Rory debate the NHL’s MVP so far. Then they go team-by-Canadian-team to discuss their best players through six weeks of hockey. Sportlogiq’s Andrew Berkshire joins the show to take a hard-numbers look at a few topics, including the notion of the Maple Leafs trading William Nylander and whether the Jets should keep Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler apart. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted...

It’s time to talk about the New York Islanders, a team that has been completely transformed under coach Barry Trotz. Ryan and Rory also shine a light on some under-the-radar success stories, including the Arizona Coyotes and fast-rebounding Dallas Stars. After a round of tantalizing fake trades, Iain McIntyre joins the show to discuss the […]