NHL Wraparound Podcast

In 2019, John Tortorella's Columbus Blue Jackets stunned the hockey world sweeping out the Presidents' Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round. Call it the Seven-year Itch because, after taking over the Golden Knights in late March, Torts troops have gone 19-4-1 finishing off the league-leading Colorado Avalanche Tuesday displaying a defensive clinic in putting the broom to the Avs...

A change in venue did not change the territorial dominance of the Carolina Hurricanes as they took a second straight overtime game from the Montreal Canadiens to take a 2-1 series lead in the East Final. Vic and Neil have the recap plus a look to the West Final where the Golden Knights will try to complete a stunning sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche whose star forward, Na...

There are few teams in the NHL that have a higher upside coming off the 2025-26 season than the Anaheim Ducks. After qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2018, the managed to take out the two-time Western Conference champion Oilers before gamely bowing out to Vegas in six. There's a youth, experience and cap space for Pat Verbeek to work with heading into the off-season. At the sam...

It all appeared to be falling into place for the Colorado Avalanche despite the 0-2 hole and having to dig out in Vegas. Cale Makar was back and, in a matter of 13:15, the Avs had a 3-0 lead. And just like that, it disappeared with their offensive superstar Nathan MacKinnon finishing the game on a gimpy leg after blocking a shot. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights appear more and more like the best in...

It took a bit more than 60 minutes but the Carolina Hurricanes remained on point throughout Game 2 with the Montreal Canadiens to even the Eastern Final at a game a piece. Vic and Neil share their thoughts and also preview the third game of the Western Final between Colorado and Vegas. The hosts discuss the biggest question that being the status of Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar while also addres...

NHL Wraparound launched its first guest episode on Jan. 30, 2024 with Wayne Gretzky joining Neil and Vic. Less than 2.5 years and multiple franchises later, the 100th episode of the flagship show goes right to the top again for an insightful discussion with the man serving the longest as head of any of the North American pro sports, commissioner Gary Bettman. The 35-minute interview hits on numero...

For 40 minutes, the Colorado Avalanche had the Vegas Golden Knights at arms length protecting a 1-0 lead. Then, in a span of 127 seconds midway through the third period, it disappeared and with it, the Presidents' Trophy winners now need to win at least twice in Sin City in order to gain the Final. Vic and Neil talk it through and also look ahead to the East where favorite Carolina will try to avo...

So much for that 16-0 talk for the Carolina Hurricanes. As opposed to taking advantage of a Canadiens team that has endured consecutive seven-game series, it was the Habs with more jump as the 'Canes struggled to find their legs until it was too late in the opener of the Eastern Conference Final. Vic and Neil break it down and also look ahead to the Game 2 in the West where the Colorado Avalanche...

The opening game of the Western Conference Final had an immediate twist as Avs star defenseman Cale Makar was ruled out and the Golden Knights took advantage. Vic and Neil break it down and look ahead to Game 1 of the Eastern Final as the Carolina Hurricanes (remember them?) finally get back in action against the battle-hardened Montreal Canadiens. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith:...

They acquired Quinn Hughes and they proceeded to topple the team they replaced in Minnesota for their first playoff series win in eleven years. However, in the end, the Wild were too beat up in key areas against Colorado to advance beyond the second round. Still, the Minnesota Wild remain one of the more formidable teams in the NHL. As one of the older teams in the circuit, the Wild sit right in t...

Outplayed or not, the Montreal Canadiens took the last seat at the Conference Finals table with an overtime win in Buffalo and keeping the dream alive for the first Canadian team to win a Stanley Cup in 33 years. Neil and Vic once again welcome in TSN Analyst Craig Button to go over that seventh game and and look ahead to both the Canadiens-Hurricanes series as well as the Western Final pitting Co...

The 2025-26 season represented one where the Philadelphia Flyers took a clear step forward, A combination of experience, youth, some stability in goal and a hot streak towards the end of the regular season to make a surprising return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, stunning the cross-state rival Penguins before bowing out to Carolina. As the preparation for 2026-27 begins, the new challenge is to con...

The best laid plans... The setting could not have set itself up better for the Montreal Canadiens. A 3-2 series lead, a raucous crowd awaiting them at the Bell Centre on a Saturday night and a 3-1 lead after just over ten minutes. And then it was gone. The Sabres storming back to score the last seven goals of the game to bring the series back to KeyBank Center for the deciding game Monday. Vic and...

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been synonymous with success for the past decade. However, since losing the Final in 2022 in their quest for a three-peat, the team has bowed out of the playoffs in the opening round in each of the past four springs. Though the team will, no doubt, remain competitive in 2026-27, it's also one of the older teams in the NHL so there's work ahead for GM Julien BriseBois t...

Just one seat remains at the Conference Finals table as the Vegas Golden Nights finished off the Anaheim Ducks to book a date with the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. In Buffalo, the Montreal Canadiens got off to a wobbly start but then kicked it into gear to take a 3-2 series lead back home with a chance to clinch Saturday night. Vic and Neil re-cap both games and also discuss the...

The elation of the Colorado Avalanche dramatic come-from-behind win to earn a spot in the Western Conference Final can likely be equalled by the sting felt by the Minnesota Wild in failing late in their quest to force a sixth game. Vic and Neil offer their take and how the injury bug truly had an impact. Also, news on the coaching front as, for the second consecutive day, a vacancy has been create...

In their second season in Salt Lake City, the Utah Mammoth managed to do something the franchise achieved only once since 2012: qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which they did as the Arizona Coyotes and that coming in the bubble of 2020. With a strong foundation and a team mixed with experience and youth, their strong showing in this year's opening round leaves plenty of reason to believe the...

In addition to a pair of thrillers Tuesday evening, plenty of news off the ice as well with Craig Berube being dismissed as the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Vic and Neil tackle the Sabres series tying win in Montreal, overtime drama in Vegas and front office news which includes not only the doings in Toronto but GM of the Year nominees as well. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil S...

One of the true feel-good stories in the 2025-26 regular season was the Boston Bruins. Much like the Penguins, the B's summer moves in 2025 did little to suggest a return to the playoffs was at hand. However, also much like the Penguins, the stars produced and others looked at more as middle-to-bottom six types up front delivered a season that enabled Boston to separate themselves from other bubbl...

One win remains for the Colorado Avalanche to join the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL's final four after defeating the Minnesota Wild in a hard fought fourth game in St. Paul. Vic and Neil break that down, preview the Tuesday games in Montreal and Vegas and also look at the good and the ugly of player interviews - both on display during the Avs win. The show concludes addressing news about a possi...

After making the last two Stanley Cup Finals, there could only be one expectation for the Edmonton Oilers in 2026-27. Unfortunately, there's that saying of "The best laid plans.." and for the Oilers, the entire season never appeared to get traction. They were exposed badly during the opening round of the playoffs by Anaheim and enter an off-season with a problem in goal, a severe lack of secondary...

Early goal given up? No problem for the Montreal Canadiens who simply brushed it off a rolled to move ahead in their Eastern Conference semi-final with the Buffalo Sabres. In the West, some lineup changes brought the desired results for the Anaheim Ducks in squaring their series with the Vegas Golden Knights. In Monday's lone game, the Minnesota Wild will look to build off Saturday's win which got...

For the first time since the NHL went to a best-of-seven first round in 1987, a team has opened the post-season with eight straight wins as the Carolina Hurricanes followed their sweep of Ottawa with one over a game Philadelphia Flyers teams. The 'Canes will get another long rest as they await the winner of the Sabres-Canadiens series for an East Final dance partner. Out west, the Minnesota Wild u...

Friday evening, the Montreal Canadiens took their third period momentum from Game 1 to even their Series with the Buffalo Sabres while in Anaheim, Vegas did likewise carried by a virtuoso performance from Mitch Marner. In Saturday action, the Carolina Hurricanes look to become just the fifth team in NHL history to open a post-season 8-0 as they look to finish off the Philadelphia Flyers. Over in t...

The Carolina Hurricanes continue to sail through the playoffs making it seven in a row in taking a 3-0 series lead lead over an injury-riddled Philadelphia Flyers team in the Eastern semis. In Friday's action, the Canadiens look to pull even in Game 2 in Buffalo while the Ducks and Golden Knights will break their 1-1 deadlock as that series shifts to Anaheim. Vic and Neil also weigh in on the Norr...