NHL Wraparound Podcast

While the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a two month physical battle of attrition, the mental component plays an equally significant role in determining the fate of clubs. Monday, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Anaheim all went down in very different ways and are going to be challenged to get themselves back in their respective series. Elsewhere, Dallas avoided a 2-0 hole against Minnesota and we look ahead, to...

Let the plots begin to unfold as the Stanley Cup Playoffs opened over the weekend with seven of the eight series beginning to tell their respective stories. Perhaps no tale was better than in Buffalo where, after a decade-an-a-half of waiting, fans in Western New York were treated to a stirring comeback at the hands of the rival Bruins. Elsewhere, some favorites held serve as expected while a coup...

The NHL Wraparound Spring Cleaning series continues on Quick Takes with the New York Islanders. Primed to make the playoffs in late March, the Isles collapsed and that cost head coach Patrick Roy his job. While some improvements were made in 2025-26, much lies ahead for Mathieu Darche in the off-season. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https:...

After over six months of play, the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived and, with that, Neil and Vic are pleased to welcome back TSN's Craig Button for another round of analysis of all eight opening round series. Lively discussion about the series, some GM news and a few other burning questions will get listeners primed for the most intense competition in sports. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:43] - Carol...

The final installment of Smith's Pix is here for the 2025-26 regular season. Only one game of significance on Wednesday as Neil correctly picked Vegas to clinch the Pacific, doing so with a win over Seattle. With three games in the Pacific Division deciding the final two opening round matchups, Neil puts a 573-317-124 record on the line. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twi...

With the regular season coming to close, Neil and Vic welcome Jeff Marek from the Sheet back to review predictions made back prior to the start of start of the 2026-campaign. Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To updates what's at stake on the final night of the season with a potential TV schedule for the first playoff week while the show wraps up with stat leaders and a couple of personnel no...

The sixteen playoff teams have been determined with only some final positioning and matchups left to be determined. Vic and Neil go bring the latest on how the final three berths were wrapped up on Monday and, in the process, sent five teams home for the summer, including the defending Presidents' Trophy winners and a team whose coaching was seething mad at his teams' season finale. We'll also bid...

Neil posted a 2-2-1 mark selecting only meaningful games on the schedule. With two days left in the regular season, his mark stands at 572-317-124. Only Seattle at Vegas has post-season significance on Wednesday. Check out who Neil picked. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagra...

Looking to finish strong, Neil checked in with a 5-1-1 mark in the meaningful games on the Monday schedule to bump his season record to 570-315-123. Although all sixteen spots in the post-season are now secure, five of the nine Tuesday games will have some impact on positioning so check them out. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.l...

Deux, deux, deux for Neil Sunday taking his mark for the season to 565-314-122. Only seven of the 10 games Monday have significance to the league standings so check them out. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWr...

Four more in, four more out and three spots remain up for grabs with eight teams vying for them. Vic and Neil have the latest on the races, including the astonishing collapses of Detroit and the N.Y. Islanders, and a special weekend for Alex Ovechkin as the Capitals have managed to stay alive heading into the final four days of the regular season. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: h...

Due in part to a couple of teams that surprised with the players that were being held out, Neil managed only a 6-6-2 mark in the fourteen games picked. Sunday's six-pack all has some meaning either through trying to gain a spot, improving playoff position or just trying to avoid elimination. The season mark stands at 563-312-120. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com...

Only a dark Friday could quiet Neil after posting an 10-3-1 Thursday. That's 22-3-3 over the last three game nights for an overall mark of 557-306-118. Saturday's slate has 15 games but Neil will select only 14 with the Florida-Toronto game having no standings impact. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-703...

The final weekend of the regular season has arrived. While Colorado clinched the Presidents' Trophy Thursday and Pittsburgh and Utah joined the playoff party, there are still tangled webs in several other races around the NHL. Vic and Neil will walk you through it. On the flip side, we'll have spring cleanings for two teams eliminated earlier this week: New Jersey and Calgary as well as some signi...

Neil took the show to the road Wednesday and Buffalo, Washington and Edmonton all deliver to move the overall to 547-303-117 (.626). 12-0-2 over the last two nights, let's see what how he'll do with a 14-game schedule Thursday. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://w...

The Ottawa Senators have emerged as one of the great surprises this season. After sputtering early, the team has managed to overcome injury and adversity to put themselves in control of their own destiny in the final week of the regular season. TSN Analyst Jamie McLennan joins Neil and Vic to discuss the Sens as well as a couple of other topics. In Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To, we hav...

If you took Neil's advice Tuesday, you did real well as the record for the night was 9-0-2 with the only losses coming as a result of the Red Wings and Oilers failing to hold late leads and falling after regulation. A light night of only three games comprises Wednesday's schedule. The overall record stands at 544-303-117. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil...

On the right side of the ledger on a quiet Monday which saw Neil go 2-1-1. Eleven games on the Tuesday schedule as the jockeying for spots and positions continues. The season record entering play is at 535-303-115. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram....

You'd think the longest playoff drought coming to an end would be the biggest news over the weekend? Nope. How 'bout the two-time defending champions being officially eliminated? Negative. Sunday, the N.Y. Islanders dismissed head coach Patrick Roy and replaced him with Peter DeBoer with the hopes of still securing a playoff berth in the East. Beyond that, Vic and Neil update all of the playoff ra...

Similar to Saturday, Easter Sunday started strong and fizzled late for Neil going 3-4-0. A tidy four-pack awaits on Monday with a 533-302-114 overall mark. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWraparound #NHLWraparound.com #Short...

For the second straight Sunday, a head coaching change in the NHL. Last week, John Tortorella took over for Bruce Cassidy in Vegas and now, with four games left in the regular season, Peter DeBoer has replaced Patrick Roy in an attempt to get the struggling Islanders into the post-season. Vic and Neil drill it down examining, among other things, if this change comes too late. X: https://twitter.co...

In the collective, the 9-6-0 Saturday was quite good, but the taste went a bit sour with four regulation losses in the late games. Still, Neil's overall bumps to 530-298-114 with an Easter slate of seven games. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...

Big night for the road teams as the Flyers and Blues won much-needed games at the N.Y. Islanders and Anaheim respectively. Neil takes a 521-292-114 record into a whopping 15-game Saturday. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/ NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/ #NHLWra...

Fourteen days left to the regular season and the chase for the Stanley Cup is down to 28 teams while two more teams can officially start pointing towards next season. Vic and Neil bring the latest in the playoff push which now sees three-way ties for the second Wild Card spots in both conferences. We'll also discuss the possible re-emergence of Macklin Celebrini for MVP and ponder whether teams we...

Finally, a good night on a heavy schedule with Neil posting a 9-5-0 mark Thursday to move to 520-291-114 on the year. Just a pair of games Friday, as the Flyers and Islanders are in survival mode while the Ducks look to hold first in the Pacific against the Blues. X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737...