Hot Takes with Goodman and Haertl

On Thursday’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy recap Game 1 of the NBA Finals and how the Knicks were able to mount a comeback to beat San Antonio. How did Victor Wembanyama look in his Finals debut and how does he compare to Nikola Jokic? If the Spurs had Jokic, would they have won last night? The Broncos have started OTAs – What are the biggest storylines and what should we be watching for? W...

On today’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy discuss Jared Bednar reportedly staying as Avs head coach for the 2026-27 season. General Manager Chris MacFarland has left for the Nashville Predators, where he will be the GM and President of Hockey Ops. Is this the right move to keep Bednar? How big of a loss is MacFarland? Plus, Broncos CB Pat Surtain II is getting a $5M raise this season on his b...

On today’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy discuss Russell Wilson declining the Jets offer to be their backup quarterback and taking a job at CBS Sports instead. Is Wilson retiring for good or will he pull a Philip Rivers and return at some point? Will he be a good TV analyst? Is Wilson a sure-fire Hall of Famer? Or a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer? Plus, a look at the two blockbuster tr...

Eric Goodman and Troy Renck begin the week by recapping the Spurs Game 7 win over the Thunder and look ahead to the NBA Finals matchup between San Antonio and New York. Are the Spurs beginning the start of a dynasty with all of their great, young players? Has the Victor Wembanyama era arrived in full-force? Is it better for the NBA if the next big star – Wemby – wins a championship or if a big mar...

On Friday’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy remember Claude Lemieux, who passed away yesterday at the age of 60. Does today’s NHL need more guys who played like Lemieux – an agitator with skill? Was he one of the all-time clutch hockey players? How does the hockey world view Lemieux and his career? The guys also examine the initial MLBPA collective bargaining proposals and break them down. Che...

On today’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy discuss the Broncos, Nuggets and Avalanche going 0-for-3 on titles this year. So now, which of the three teams has the best chance of winning a championship? What should the Avs do at head coach? Should they pursue former Vegas head coach, Bruce Cassidy? If neither the Nuggets or Avalanche win another title—with each having just one—which franchise wo...

On a Wednesday edition of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy react to the Colorado Avalanche getting swept out of the Western Conference Finals by the Vegas Golden Knights. How disappointing is this for the Avs, who were considered the best team in the NHL virtually all season? How did Vegas manage to keep the high-powered Avalanche in check? What happened to MacKinnon, Necas and Nelson? Where does this ser...

On Tuesday’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy dive into the Avs collapse in Game 3, in which they blew a 3-0 lead. Does this feel like the Broncos in the 1980s or the first couple years of the Peyton Manning era? Should the Avs make a change in goal and go with Mackenzie Blackwood? How much blame does Jared Bednar deserve? Do the Avs need to become more of a defensive hockey team instead of an...

On today’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy react to the Colorado Avalanche losing Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, 4-2. What’s the best word to describe last night’s game? How can the Avalanche clean up the mistakes? Will Cale Makar return for Game 2 and will Jared Bednar stick with Scott Wedgewood in goal? What is the concern level about the Avs losing the series? Plus, Garett Bolles...

On Wednesday’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy preview the Avalanche vs. Golden Knights series. What are the keys for each team? How much will the Cale Makar and Mark Stone injuries impact what happens? Vegas has been great on special teams – will this trend continue in the Western Conference Finals? Plus, is Vegas really as disliked in hockey circles as it seems? Who wins Game 1 tonight and w...

On today’s episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy start the pod by getting into Victor Wembanyama’s dominant Game 1 performance vs. OKC. How soon will it be before Wemby takes over the NBA? Are the Spurs and Thunder going to rule the NBA for years to come? Also, Brock Nelson & Val Nichushkin have been fairly quiet in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Are they capable of breaking out in the Wester...

On a Monday morning episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy preview the Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights series, which is set to begin Wednesday night. What is the latest with the injury updates on both sides? Are we overlooking Vegas and will this be a tougher series than most people think? John Tortorella has done well since taking over as Vegas head coach, so who will win the coaching ba...

On a Thursday morning episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy react to the Avs thrilling overtime victory in Game 5 to eliminate the Wild. The Avs trailed 3-0 in the first period and scored two goals in the final 3:33 to send the game to OT, where Brett Kulak scored the winner. The guys discuss the goaltender situation, as Blackwood started last night, but was lifted in favor of Wedgewood who finished...

On a Wednesday morning episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy preview Avs vs. Wild Game 5 tonight at Ball Arena. Can the Avs only beat themselves in this series? The guys emphasize that the Wild will be in the penalty box plenty tonight and the Avs power play will have to step up. Martin Nečas was excellent in Game 4, can he continue to play at this level the rest of the playoffs? Some quick thoughts...

On a Tuesday morning episode of Hot Takes, Eric and Troy get into the big news of the Broncos opening up the 2026 season against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. It is not known yet whether the game will be in Denver or Kansas City. How much of a break is this for the Broncos? Would you rather see the Broncos play with or without Mahomes? The Avalanche have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead o...

On Monday’s episode of Hot Takes with Eric Goodman & Troy Renck, the guys begin the pod by assessing the Avs Game 3 loss to the Wild on Saturday night. How did Minnesota deliver the Avs their first loss of the playoffs? Did Bednar pull Wedgewood too early and who will start between the pipes tonight in Game 4? Some thoughts on Broncos rookie minicamp. What will Jonah Coleman’s role be and will he...

On Friday’s episode of Hot Takes with Troy Renck & Bruce Haertl, the Avs are anxiously awaiting to get back on the ice for Game 3, which is set for tomorrow night. What do the Avs need to keep doing as they head on the road? Is the time off a good thing or bad thing for the team? The Nuggets are holding an end-of-season press conference today. If you could ask Josh Kroenke a couple questions, what...

Troy Renck and Bruce Haertl are back for another episode of Hot Takes. It appears David Adelman will be back as Nuggets head coach next season. The guys give their thoughts on bringing Adelman back for the 2026-27 season and what needs to change. What to expect from the Nuggets press conference that will take place tomorrow? Can the Nuggets win an NBA championship with Adelman at the helm? The Avs...

Troy Renck and Bruce Haertl dive into the Colorado Avalanche taking a 2-0 series lead over the Minnesota Wild with a 5-2 victory last night in Game 2. Nathan MacKinnon led the charge for the Avs with another three-point night. Scott Wedgewood had a nice bounce back game between the pipes and the Avalanche also scored two goals on the power play. Are the Wild the best team the Avs will face the res...

Troy Renck and Bruce Haertl are in for Hot Takes. Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild Game 2 is set for tonight at Ball Arena. Will we see a similar style hockey game, high-flying with lots of goals? Or will the teams adjust and put more of an emphasis on defense? Who starts in goal for the Wild? What are some of the things you want to see from the Avs in Game 2? Plus, Christian Braun tabbed him...

Troy Renck and Bruce Haertl are in for Hot Takes on Monday morning. The Avalanche took Game 1 from the Wild, 9-6 in a 15-goal thriller. Troy and Bruce react to the crazy game, which played out very differently from any game in the series vs. the Kings. Did the Avs find their offense or was it just bad defense from Minnesota? Do we expect to see a goalie benched in Game 2 and who do you think it’ll...

Bruce Haertl is filling in for Troy Renck. Eric and Bruce dive into the Nuggets Game 6 loss to the Timberwolves and assess the disappointing series for Denver. How did they come up short against a depleted T-Wolves team? What changes need to be made to this roster? Is David Adelman the right head coach for this team? Plus, the Wild defeated the Stars in Game 6 last night, so it will be Avs vs. Wil...

Game 6 between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves is tonight in Minneapolis. Troy is heading out to the Twin Cities for the game. What needs to happen in order for the Nuggets to win tonight? Which team has more pressure on them to win: Denver or Minnesota? It has been reported that Peyton Watson has a list of potential suitors this summer. Will the Nuggets be able to keep him this offs...

The Nuggets are now favored to win Game 6 over the Timberwolves and to win the series. Is this surprising - considering the injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo? Can the Nuggets bench play as well on the road as they did at home in Game 5? Plus, Bo Nix underwent a second procedure on his right ankle and likely won't be ready for OTA's. How much of a concern is this follow-up surgery? I...

The Nuggets kept their season alive with a 125-113 win over the Timberwolves in Game 5. Nikola Jokic was back to his usual dominant self and Denver got big contributions from Spencer Jones and Cam Johnson. Can Denver still win the series in 7 games? Will the Nuggets bench continue to play well the rest of the series? How much worse are the Timberwolves without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo?...