NHL Wraparound Podcast

While the Florida Panthers players continue to celebrate their second consecutive Stanley Cup, front offices around the NHL have to major events in the crosshairs starting with the Entry Draft on June 27-28 and the start of free agency on Tuesday, July 1. One of hockey's top columnists and insiders joins Neil and Vic as we welcome Pierre LeBrun from The Athletic and TSN. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:45] -...

As Brad Marchand skated with the Stanley Cup as a member of the Florida Panthers, a former player with some very similar characteristics to Marchand is in the role of trying to move the Anaheim Ducks from outsider to contender. Pat Verbeek enjoyed a 20-year playing career after being drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 1982. He's scored 500 goals, won a Stanley Cup and, as Neil points out, display...

Only three franchises in NHL history have earned the "dynasty" title with three straight Stanley Cups titles. Next season, the Florida Panthers will have the opportunity to join the Maple Leafs, Canadiens and Islanders in that elite group after a near-perfect 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6. Vic and Neil give their soup-to-nuts breakdown and opinion then look forward to what comes next...

The eye of the hockey world remain on the Panthers and Oilers as the Stanley Cup Final winds down. However, for 30 other clubs, the preparation for the 2025-26 season is well under way. One of those teams appearing to be on the rise is the Anaheim Ducks. General manager Pat Verbeek with join Neil and Vic to talk about a team with an intriguing mix of youth and veteran leadership and a new voice be...

In 2024, the Panthers led the Stanley Cup Final 3-games-to-2 with pressure headed back to Edmonton against an Oiler team bent on continuing an historic comeback. This time around, they head home with a chance to repeat after a commanding 5-2 win at Rogers Place led by a 37-year-old unrestricted free agent whose value is actually increasing. Vic and Neil hit the key points, including the Oilers dec...

Once a winner is determined Saturday, the Florida Panthers will be within a win of a repeat or the Edmonton Oilers will move to within a victory of being the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup in 32 years. Vic and Neil cover all of the angles from goaltending to special teams as many of the points made in the Final Preview are playing our through the first four games of this series. The Ma...

For the third time in four games, high drama captures the Stanley Cup Final. For the second time, it's Leon Draisaitl delivering in OT for the Oilers as the series becomes a best-of-three on a night where the Panthers appeared primed to go up 3-1. Vic and Neil break it down as the teams head back to Edmonton with the burning question of who starts in the Oilers net? In league news, the final three...

Known more as a long-time analyst for the Vancouver Canucks, John Garrett's career as a professional goaltender was a modest one played out over 12 seasons, 6 teams and two leagues. As often happens, however, hockey has an odd way of connecting individuals. One previously existed between "Cheech," as Garrett is known and Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, going back to their days in the World Hockey Associa...

Not only was Game 3 a rout, but it was also a classic of example of the Florida Panthers being to exercise their style of play in a way which trapped the Edmonton Oilers into a space they didn't want to be in. With Game 4 on tap Thursday, it's no secret the Panthers will want a repeat and won't be changing a thing while the Oilers look for the heavy pushback with both poise and discipline. News it...

Game 3 started ugly and it only got worse for the Edmonton Oilers as the Florida Panthers had their way in moving to within two wins of consecutive Stanley Cups. Oilers/Sportsnet's play-by-play voice Jack Michael's visit with Neil and Vic to look at where it went wrong and what McDavid and Co. need to do to get the series back on the rails. Afterwards, we touch on a notable retirement and The Huma...

The Final heads from western Canada to the east coast of Florida with an extra day off before the series resumes Monday. Vic and Neil examine what the shift in venue may (or may not) mean with the Panthers grabbing home ice advantage with a double OT win Friday. We'll also dig a bit deeper into the lone head coaching opening in the NHL and where GM Jim Nill might look next to lead his Stars. This...

After a late overtime goal decided the Stanley Cup Final opener, the Oilers and Panthers figured they'd go one period better in Game 2. After one of the "Sandpaper Seniors" forced extra time for the Oilers, his Panthers counterpart upstaged him to even the series. Vic and Neil break it down before moving on to "This Day in Stanley Cup History" which has some clinchers and overtime heroics baked in...

Breaking news opens the show with a change behind the bench in Dallas. Game two of the Final is on tap for Friday evening with the Oilers having taken the opener in overtime. Vic and Neil preview the the matchup and lay out the objectives of both clubs as the Panthers look to even the series before heading home to Sunrise for Games 3 and 4. Also, with AI becoming more prevalent each day, we saw ex...

Any questions to how evenly matched the Panthers and Oilers were heading into their Stanley Cup Final rematch was quickly answered as the teams battled for almost 80 minutes before Leon Draisaitl's power play goal decided matters. Vic and Neil break it all down and also update on plenty of league news, which includes the filling of the last two head coaching vacancies. This Day in Stanley Cup Hist...

The Human Side of the Story focuses on the life of a GM as a conference final runner-up. You're close, but not quite there. The hosts discuss the situations moving forward for the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes. While the objectives to take that next step are the same, the paths they'll need to take are very different. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCN...

After almost 14 hundred regular season and playoff games and 14 playoff series, we're in familiar territory as the Florida Panthers will be defending against the same Edmonton Oilers team that took them to seven games last spring. As he done throughout the post-season, TSN's Craig Button joins Vic and Neil to do a comprehensive breakdown of the finalists. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:39] - The Things You...

Let's say we go for another round. The Edmonton Oilers have been waiting for this moment since June 24 of last year when they fell just short Game 7 of the Final in Florida. A stunning first eight minutes spelled doom for the Dallas Stars and gives Connor McDavid a second chance to add the one piece of hardware missing from his trophy room. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://...

A second period blitz coupled with some late game heroics and, just like that, the Florida Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Final. Vic and Neil break down the how it came together for the Cats and came apart for the 'Canes. The Panthers opponent could be determined Thursday evening. If that happens, it will be just the fifth rematch of a Final in consecutive years since expansion. However, the...

A day or so after the Rangers seventh game triumph over the Devils in their epic 1994 Eastern Conference Final, Vic made a quick stopover in New Jersey prior to working the Stanley Cup championship series. In a dimly lit restaurant, he and his folks encountered a hall-of-fame defenseman who created a lasting memory. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic M...

The Edmonton Oilers are a win away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final but the win was costly as one of their most effective players will be lost for the remainder of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes look to stave off elimination for the second time as they host the Florida Panthers in Game of the East Final. In NHL news, the Bruins appear to have narrowed in on their finalists...

Ken Holland helped build the Edmonton Oilers into a Stanley Cup Finalist. Now he's tasked with leading the L.A. Kings quest in trying to figure out how to take them down next season. The new Kings VP/GM joins Neil and Vic to discuss that plus the conference finals. "Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To" looks at both the Panthers-Hurricanes and Stars-Oilers series while The Human Side of the...

Playing in front of a home crowd for the first time in 13 days, the Edmonton Oilers reminded their fans that they are serious in returning to the Final in routing the Dallas starts en route to a 2-1 West Final lead. For the Carolina Hurricanes, once chance remains to save their season, lest be the victims of a fourth consecutive conference final sweep. Elsewhere, the United States wins the IIHF Wo...

The sand in the hourglass is quickly running out for the Carolina Hurricanes. After playing straight up for 40 minutes in the third game of the East Final, the 'Canes imploded in Florida and face the steepest of hills to climb. In the West Final, the Dallas Stars visit Edmonton attempting to regain home ice advantage with the temperature beginning to rise in that series. This Day in Stanley Cup Hi...

After letting Game 1 get away, the Edmonton Oilers made certain not to have an encore performance with a buttoned up shutout to even the West Final in Dallas. On the East side, Carolina begins the daunting task of trying to get back into their series with a win in Florida. Once again, a serving of managerial news and Today in Stanley Cup History has several items, highlighted by the 45th anniversa...

Their earliest years were, frankly, like those of many expansion teams. A team comprised of marginal talent as part of the 1972 Expansion Draft and the first-year record certainly reflected that. While the second season saw only slight improvement in the standings, it was the promise of a first overall pick who went on to win the Calder Trophy that laid the foundation of what was ahead. The third...