NHL Wraparound Podcast

The envy of the NHL for the first half of last decade, the Chicago Blackhawks have come upon difficult times since winning their last Stanley Cup in 2015. The road back to respectability has been slow and frustrating for fans in the Windy City. While a bit more patience may be in order, there's reason for optimism as Jeff Blashill begins a new era behind the Blackhawks bench bringing with him a re...

Following the passing of Hall-of-Fame goaltender Bernie Parent, hosts Neil Smith and Vic Morren re-release the podcast which first aired in May 2024 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Flyers’ first Stanley Cup victory in 1974. This unforgettable conversation featured Parent, cornerstone of the Cup-winning team, and Jay Snider, son of Flyers’ f...

As training camps get underway, news around the NHL is beginning to pick up. Vic and Neil go over several areas of interest including the McDavid/Kaprizov drama, a new captain in the Big Apple and several other player news. Also, some familiar names will be behind the bench for the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy in February. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://t...

One of only 48 men to have reached the 500-goal mark in NHL history. The second installment of the "NHL Wraparound Hall of Fame Edition" welcomes 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Pierre Turgeon. In this discussion, Neil and Vic hit on numerous topics from Turgeon's junior hockey days in Granby to his Little League World Series appearance in 1982 to the Dale Hunter hit 11 years later to being the last Mo...

Some significant league news heading into the weekend so a good time dust off Short Shifts. Vic and Neil will talk about the five World Junior players from team Canada in 2018 that were acquitted on sexual misconduct charges in July and will now have the opportunity to resume their NHL careers. The contract saga of Minnesota star Kirill Kaprizov will be discussed along with some goaltending news a...

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren turn their sights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a franchise with sky-high expectations and one of the longest championship droughts in professional sports. Despite finishing first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points, the Leafs fell in seven games to Florida—with especially disappointing efforts in Games 5 and 7. And thi...

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren head to the nation's capital to break down the Washington Capitals, a team coming off a quietly dominant 2024–25 regular season... and a playoff run that ended just as quietly. Washington finished with 111 points, 1st in the Metro, and 2nd overall in the NHL—yet fizzled in the second round against Carolina after dispatchin...

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren dissect the Winnipeg Jets, who entered 2025 as the surprise Presidents’ Trophy winners—only to fall in the second round of the playoffs. After a miraculous comeback in Game 7 vs. St. Louis, the Jets were grounded by the Dallas Stars—and the split personality home/road record (6–1 at home, 0–6 on the road) told the story. N...

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren head to the desert to break down the Vegas Golden Knights, a team still in win-now mode—and not afraid to prove it Coming off a 110-point season and a second-round loss to Edmonton, Vegas pulled off the biggest move of the offseason, acquiring Mitch Marner from Toronto and signing him to an 8-year, $12M AAV deal. The messa...

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren spotlight one of the most resilient turnarounds of the 2024–25 season: the St. Louis Blues. After a rough start under Drew Bannister, the Blues handed the reins to Jim Montgomery—and never looked back. A remarkable 35-18-7 run followed, including a 12-game winning streak that pushed them into the playoffs. Though their sea...

In this episode of NHL Wraparound's Summer Coolers, Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team loaded with offensive firepower—but still struggling to get out of the first round of the playoffs. Despite finishing second in the Atlantic and ranking #1 in league scoring, the Lightning were eliminated in the first round by the Panthers for the third consecutive season. With...

In this Summer Coolers episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren dissect the rollercoaster that is the Vancouver Canucks. Coming off a season filled with locker room drama, failed expectations, and big-name regression, the Canucks hit reset under first-year head coach Adam Foote. After missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, Vancouver aims to rediscover the promise shown...

In this edition of NHL Wraparound's Summer Coolers, Neil Smith and Vic Morren dive into one of the NHL's most iconic yet most uncertain franchises: the Pittsburgh Penguins. For the fourth straight season, the Penguins look like they'll miss the playoffs—despite having Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson still on the roster. With rookie head coach Dan Muse taking the reins...

If you believe in second chances, Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan has a story or two he could share. After being relieved of his duties in 2013 by general manager Jim Nill, it's that same GM who has brought back Gulutzan to complete some unfinished business in Dallas. Engaging and insightful, Gulutzan clearly has the vision and sees the end game for a Stars team which has found different way...

In this Summer Coolers episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down one of the league’s grittiest young clubs: the Ottawa Senators. After ending their playoff drought with a gutsy first-round battle against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Sens showed resilience—pushing the Leafs to six games after being down 3–0. But questions remain as they head into 2025–26, particularly around o...

In this Summer Coolers episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren dig into a franchise in transition: the Philadelphia Flyers. Rick Tocchet steps behind the bench, marking the team’s third coach in three seasons after Brad Shaw and John Tortorella. Meanwhile, Trevor Zegras arrives in a headline-making trade, bringing high-end skill and a much-needed spark to a Flyers team that’s been stu...

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren dive deep into the least inspiring of the 32 NHL teams heading into the 2025–26 season: the Seattle Kraken. After a quick taste of playoff success in their second year, the Kraken have slid into irrelevance—27th overall last season, a questionable coaching hire in Lane Lambert, and little improvement made during the offsea...

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down the newly renamed Utah Mammoth—formerly the Utah Hockey Club—who enter their first season with a permanent identity and rising expectations. Despite a rebrand and a new home in Salt Lake City, the pressure remains: make the playoffs for the first time in six years. With a talented forward group, fresh additions...

In this episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren turn their attention to the Montreal Canadiens — a team on the rise after breaking back into the playoffs for the first time since their 2021 Stanley Cup Final appearance. The hosts dig deep into Montreal’s pivotal offseason, highlighted by a massive trade for defenseman Noah Dobson and the big-ticket extension that followed — 8 years at...

In this edition of NHL Wraparound’s Summer Coolers, Neil Smith and Vic Morren dissect one of the most dramatic collapses in recent NHL memory: the New York Rangers. Just one year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy, the Rangers became only the fourth team in league history to miss the playoffs the following season. From special teams regression to star players disappearing and internal drama erup...

In this episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine one of the most baffling underperformers of the 2024–25 season: the Nashville Predators. Coming off a year that began with high expectations after blockbuster free-agent signings, the Preds collapsed to a 30–44–8 record and were never competitive. Now, as they enter 2025–26 with virtually the same roster, hosts Neil and Vic ask t...

In the final episode of NHL Wraparound’s Summer Coolers, Neil Smith and Vic Morren close out the series with the San Jose Sharks — a team that might just be entering its most hopeful rebuild phase in years. After finishing dead last in 2024–25 with only 52 points, the Sharks are beginning to turn the corner. They’ve added key veterans like Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg, and Dmitry Orlov, while ushe...

In this episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down the Minnesota Wild — a team that continues to underperform in the playoffs despite regular season success. With 97 points last season and yet another first-round exit, the Wild haven’t won a playoff series in a decade. So what’s next? Neil and Vic evaluate the off-season moves by GM Bill Guerin — including the retirement of Ma...

The New York Islanders enter the 2025–26 season with a new GM at the helm, Matthew Darche, replacing Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello. After finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference last season and missing the playoffs with a 500 record, the Islanders are retooling—and arguably rebuilding. Hosts Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down what Darche inherited, what he’s changed, and what it means for a fran...

This Summer Cooler features one of the most fascinating—and fragile—franchises in the NHL: the Edmonton Oilers. Despite being two-time defending Western Conference champions, the Oilers have no Cup to show for it, and now they face the biggest storyline in the NHL heading into 2025–26: 🔥 Connor McDavid enters the final year of his contract. With Leon Draisaitl locked in through 2033 at $14M per,...