The JD Bunkis Podcast

Luke Fox, Sportsnet NHL writer, joins JD to chat about what the Leafs have left to figure out down the stretch of the season (4:00). JD and Luke get into the success of the Leafs' second line from their win over the Philadelphia Flyers, John Tavares' longevity and value, and Scott Laughton's fit in Toronto. JD then outlines a version of the Leafs lines that he'd like to see the team try (30:00). J...

JD discusses Scott Laughton before the Maple Leafs face-off against his former team (00:00). Blue Jays analyst, Joe Siddall, talks about if Alejandro Kirk will be able to handle a bigger offensive load, expectations for the Jays' lineup, where the Jays stand in among American East teams, and Bo Bichette being poised for a comeback season (8:00). JD then lays out the lost feeling(s) around this ver...

JD reacts to the action-packed weekend of sports, including Canada's men's soccer team victory over the Americans (00:00). JD then moves onto the Maple Leafs' lowly loss to the Nashville Predators (9:00) and brings on James Mirtle, senior NHL writer at The Athletic, to analyze Joseph Woll against Anthony Stolarz, why Craig Berube is demoting Scott Laughton, Morgan Reilly's free-market value, and M...

JD starts the show with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s most recent free agency comments (00:00), before Amazon Monday Night Hockey analyst Jody Shelley joins to discuss the Leafs' win over the Avalanche, confidence on the back-end, Auston Matthews return-to-form, and resistance to change the playoff format (08:15). Then, ESPN College Basketball analyst Jay Bilas highlights Cooper Flagg and other exciting...

Jackie Redmond from the NHL Network and NHL on TNT joins JD to get into the familiar feelings from the Maple Leafs season (5:00). The duo compare and contrast this season to the past seasons from the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner era. Later, JD and Jackie discuss the growth of pickleball and Alexander Ovechkin's chase for history. Craig Simpson, Sportsnet Leafs analyst, gets into the "win year"...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , debate José Berríos as the Opening Day starter for the Blue Jays and starter options with Max Scherzer's injury news, before getting into what they're looking forward to from key Jays this season (00:00). After the break, they place Toronto in the "hopeless city rankings" (43:55). Later, Leafs radio colour analyst Jim Ralph joins the show to chat...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs' worst stretch of the season. James Mirtle, senior NHL writer at The Athletic, analyzes what's gone wrong for the Leafs (9:00). JD and James get into the lack of goal scoring, Auston Matthews' down year, Craig Berube's impact or lack thereof it, the line configurations. Frank Crupi, otherwise known as Hockey Illuminati, joins JD to provide the Leafs' fan perspective (5...

JD reacts to the Toronto Maple Leafs failing to mount a third period comeback against the Florida Panthers last night. He's joined by NHL Network's Bill Lindsay to flush out the topic (11:00). They discuss the playoff intensity of the matchup, how the Panthers stay disciplined without losing the edge to their game, Seth Jones stepping up in the absence of Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Bennett's importance...

JD is joined by Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show (0:00) to discuss the latest reports from contract negotiations between pending free agent Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays. They debate the relative value of Vladdy compared to Juan Soto, how the optics around the team would improve with the slugger under contract ahead of Opening Day, whether to trust Guerrero Jr.'s durabi...

JD begins the show discussing reports on the gap in contract talks between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays. The conversation continues with Ben Nicholson-Smith (7:45) who provides insight on how deferrals have factored into the negotiation, the path towards a deal between the two parties, whether the optics are shifting back into Guerrero Jr.'s favour, and just how real is the hype...

JD reacts to the Toronto Maple Leafs blowing a 3-0 lead, but holding on for a shootout win against Utah HC last night. Then, the conversation shifts to the NFL with James Palmer, senior reporter for Underdog and insider at Bleacher Report (11:45). JD and James discuss the quarterback market, Sam Darnold's fit with the Seattle Seahawks, the Pittsburgh Steelers' and Mike Tomlin's pursuit of Aaron Ro...

JD reacts to reports of Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner being approached to waive his no-move clause during trade talks with the Carolina Hurricanes. The conversation continues with The Athletic's James Mirtle (10:45) as together, they dissect what Toronto being in on Mikko Rantanen tells us about contract negotiations with Mitch Marner, what factors into the discussion beyond money, and fir...

JD is joined by Sportsnet NHL Analyst Colby Armstrong to start the show on NHL trade deadline day. They discuss the Brock Nelson trade from the Islanders to the Avalanche, reports of Mikko Rantanen being moved to the Stars, how it all affects the Leafs, and where Brad Marchand could end up (00:00). JD dives deeper into the Leafs' inactivity in the trade market and how important it is for Toronto t...

JD reacts to a rough stretch for Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll, Matthew Knies' fight with Zach Whitecloud, and the mounting pressure on the Leafs at the deadline (00:00). Anthony Petrielli, host and writer at Maple Leafs Hot Stove, joins JD to get into the Leafs' needs, Simon Benoit, and how the Leafs lines are fitting together (14:00). Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman joins JD to brea...

JD starts with his thoughts on the Trent Frederic trade from the Bruins to the Oilers (00:00). Frank Seravalli, NHL Insider from Daily Faceoff, joins the show to break down the market around Brayden Schenn, Mikko Rantanen, and Yanni Gourde,  along with where the Leafs' deadline priorities are, interest in the Flyers' Scott Laughton and Rasmus Ristolainen, and Ryan O'Reilly's availability in Nashvi...

JD reacts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP-level season after his most recent 50-point game against the Rockets, before diving into the Maple Leafs ahead of Friday's trade deadline, following their shootout loss to the Sharks (00:00). Nick Kypreos, co-host of Real Kyper and Bourne , joins JD to continue the conversation with Auston Matthews' struggles, the team's targets on the back-end, Brendan S...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , sift through a philosophical trade deadline question about tortured franchises and their fans (00:00). JD and Ben also chop it up about LeBron James' critical comments and the Wayne Gretzky discourse (35:00). James Mirtle, senior NHL writer at The Athletic, projects what to expect from the NHL's trade deadline week, how the Maple Leafs' front off...

JD explains what he'd like to see from the Maple Leafs as the NHL's trade deadline week approaches. Brady Quinn, FOX NFL analyst, breaks down how the NFL Combine has evolved, the Wonderlic test, how the 2025 draft class looks, how teams are approaching the starting quarterback conversation, Shedeur Sanders stock, the podcast probes, plus the future of Aaron Rodgers' and Matthew Stafford's future (...

Blake Murphy, co-host of The Raptors Show , joins JD in-studio to get into how NBA coverage has evolved, the impact of nostalgia, and the possibility of Joel Embiid on the Toronto Raptors (00:00). Cam Janssen, former NHL'er and co-host of the Cam & Strick Podcast , chats about the pod's Brady Tkachuk clip that went viral, the Tkachuk brothers' media tour, Alex Ovechkin's chase, how Jordan Binningt...

JD reacts to the Leafs' 5-4 overtime comeback against the Boston Bruins last night. He share his takeaways including Nick Robertson's physical play, potential injuries to Chris Tanev and William Nylander, and Auston Matthews not looking like himself until late in the game. The conversation on Matthews continues with Mike Futa, co-host of The FAN Hockey Show (9:45). They theorize what's behind the...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , conduct a temperature check on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and discuss how the lack of a contract extension may permeate throughout the Blue Jays season (00:00). DJ Bean, co-host of the What Chaos! Show , checks-in from Boston to dive into the importance of the 4 Nations Face-Off in the United States, how hockey can capitalize, Auston Matthews' percept...

JD starts the week lingering, big-picture thoughts on the 4 Nations Face-Off; growing the game, Sidney Crosby, and Mitch Marner (00:00). Sportsnet Blue Jays reporter and co-host of At the Letters , Arden Zwelling, checks-in from Spring Training down in Dunedin, Florida (26:00). JD and Arden discuss if Orelvis Martinez can make an impact on the Jays Major League roster, the most compelling players...

JD reacts to Canada's victory over the United States to win the 4 Nations Face-Off (00:00). Two-time Stanley Cup winner Kris Versteeg joins the show to discuss the importance of the win for Canada as a nation, the mentality needed to play for your country, the stand-out play of Sam Bennett in the final, the evolution of the rivalry between Canada and the U.S., the significance of the contributions...

JD previews the 4 Nations Face-Off Final between Canada and the USA (00:00). Jackie Redmond from NHL on TNT and the NHL Network joins to discuss the stakes for both countries, if USA sacrificed too much in the round-robin, the potential lasting legacy of the tournament, the identity of the two rosters, adjustments to consider for Canada and the Maple Leafs angle in all of this (7:00). Dam Hamhuis,...

JD is joined by Justin Bourne, co-host of Real Kyper & Bourne , to preview the 4 Nations Face-Off. They debate whether Canada's roster still has the 'it' factor, what the tournament represents for the country, concerns in the crease, and if Mitch Marner performing in a big spot would change how he's perceived (7:30). Later, JD reacts to Shi Davidi's Sportsnet.ca article on contract negotiations be...