The JD Bunkis Podcast

JD Bunkis and Sam McKee react to the Maple Leafs narrow 5-4 loss to the Mammoth. The duo break down their biggest positives and negatives from the Maple Leafs west coast road trip, talk about the Leafs biggest room for improvement: their blue line, and lay out what they think about Kirill Marchenko's impact. They also discuss what they are seeing from the Leafs' special teams and what the options...

JD and Tyler Dunne, founder of Go Long , dive into how good the Buffalo Bills really are, what they are most concerned and satisfied about, how the Super Bowl-favourite Rams now have a losing record, and preview Thursday Night Football between the Seahawks and Broncos. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs' 6-3 victory over the Avalanche and the injury to Chris Tanev. JD is joined by Adam Ottavino, 15-year MLB pitcher and NBC analyst, to get into what MLB's 2026 postseason has taught us about modern pitching, the best starting pitchers not making it deep into ball games, what's going on with Shohei Ohtani, and the rise of Jose Ramirez. Later (42:00), JD discusses the lac...

Brady Quinn, NFL analyst on FOX, joins JD to recap Week 5 in the NFL, including the Seahawks’ tough divisional loss to the 49ers, San Francisco’s success to start the season, Jordan Love’s performance, where the Vikings stand, Jayden Daniels’ and the Commanders’ end-of-game blunder, the wild ending in London between the Eagles and Jaguars, and what Marvin Harrison Jr. brings to the Texans. The sho...

JD opens the show with his thoughts on the Maple Leafs’ 6-3 win over the Avalanche on Saturday. Shayna Goldman, NHL writer at The Athletic, joins (15:52) to discuss Kirill Marchenko’s impact since joining the Leafs, how encouraging Auston Matthews’ start to the season has been and Gavin McKenna’s quick adjustment to the league. They also touch on the possibility of Connor Hellebuyck going to New Y...

Scott Turner, long-time NFL offensive coordinator, joins JD Bunkis to analyze the Cowboys' lowly loss to the Buccaneers, Sean Payton getting back to offensive play-calling, how in-game play-calling has evolved, and other Week 5 headlines. The show ends with "What We Missed!" (38:21) The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect th...

JD and Sportsnet's Sam McKee get into the positives and negatives from the Maple Leafs' 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The duo try to make out how good the Leafs are going to be this season, if the Leafs' defense can become trustworthy this season, Auston Matthews' altered game style, their continued impressions of Kirill Marchenko, and the Mitch Marner closure.  The views and opinions...

JD and Jackie Redmond, from the NHL on TNT, get into the new era of the Maple Leafs and the balancing act between winning now, convincing Auston Matthews to stay in Toronto, and the domino effects of player empowerment, trade requests, and no-move clauses. Last, JD and Jackie talk about the evolution of sideline reporting. The show ends with "What We Missed!"  The views and opinions expressed...

JD and James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, the feelings this season playing against the Vegas Golden Knights and what's stood out most through four games of the Maple Leafs season. JD and James discuss the Leafs most important developments of the early season, their upcoming schedule, and what the biggest areas of improvement need to be. The hour ends with JD's thoughts on MLB's divisiona...

JD asks Jason Timpf, host of Hoops Tonight with Jason Timpf , about how the Raptors stack up in the new and deep Eastern Conference. JD and Jason discuss what Kawhi Leonard brings to the Raptors, make sense of Leonard's legacy, compare Leonard to Brandon Ingram, gauge how roster health could impact the Raptors' regular season, and debate who the Raptors third-most important variable is. JD and Jas...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs' exciting 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena. Two-time Stanley Cup champion, Kris Versteeg, and JD chat about Gavin McKenna's breakout game, Jim Hiller dropping McKenna to the third line and blending the lines in the third period, what's stuck out about Hiller's coaching, a vintage Auston Matthews game, and the nuances of defensive responsibil...

JD and Ben Nicholson-Smith, MLB insider and Sportsnet Jays reporter, talks about the Yankees ugly style of play, if Aaron Boone is suited to continue managing the Yankees, if the White Sox can continue winning with bullpen games, the Dodgers over and under-performing, the velocity era, if the challenge system has been positive for the MLB and other fun storylines. JD and Ben (34:00) then get into...

JD is joined by Jason Bukala, Sportsnet NHL analyst and founder of the Pro Hockey Group, to dive into Gavin McKenna's first week in the NHL. JD asks Jason what the Maple Leafs can do with their line combinations to support McKenna, why the Leafs second line with McKenna has been quiet, and why McKenna should be moved into the first powerplay unit. JD and Jason (29:00) then get into Easton Cowan's...

Brady Quinn, NFL analyst on FOX, talks about the Bryce Young stock he's buying, the beat down that should change the Jets' strategy, how legit the Raiders are, how much blame Jalen Hurts deserves for the Eagles' struggles, if the Rams aren't as elite as everyone thought, if Sean Payton could take back the offensive play calling duties, if Brock Purdy is entering a new class of quarterback, and how...

JD is joined by Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show , to debate if sports rivalries will ever be the same in professional sports. Later (29:00), JD and Ben then give the rational and irrational perspectives on Gavin McKenna's first week in the NHL. The duo then shift their focus to their interests in MLB's postseason.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the h...

Steven Ruiz, NFL writer with FOX Sports, joins JD to analyze the week 4 games that matter on the NFL schedule. JD and Steven the shockingly good Cleveland Browns, if the 49ers are a contendor, Drake Maye's short and long-term future, the Rams trying to right their ship, and what teams have the highest panic meter this week. The week ends with 'What We Missed!' (33:00) The views and opinions expres...

JD reacts to big nights from former Maple Leafs; Joseph Woll, Matthew Knies, and Nick Robertson. Marco D'Amico, co-host of The Starr and D'Amico show, joins JD (6:00) to talk about Montreal's interest in Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies, Gary Bettman's comments on no-trade clauses, how player empowerment has evolved in the NHL. Later (22:00), JD asks Marco about the Jets' strategy with Connor He...

JD is joined by Joseph Casciaro, Raptors reporter with theScore, at the start of the Raptors training camp to discuss Kawhi Leonard's drastic personality shift, if Brandon Ingram's partial Achilles tear impacted the trade agreement between the Raptors and Clippers, RJ Barrett's looming free agency, and the different ways the Raptors can figure out an extension or trade for him. JD and Joseph react...

JD and James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, discuss Easton Cowan's off-season, his mental make-up, and how Jim Hiller can find the youngster more ice-time. Then (17:00), JD and James dive deeper into the Maple Leafs lineup combinations, if they've seen enough to make changes, and how Gavin McKenna will be effected up or down the lineup. JD and James chat about Anthony Stolarz (26:00) and i...

Jason Demers, 13-year NHL veteran and NHL Network analyst, joins JD Bunkis to discuss if chemistry is overrated, how long it typically takes defensemen to gel, which defensive pairings he likes on the Maple Leafs, Morgan Rielly's fit, if he'd like to see Gavin McKenna on a line with Auston Matthews, and what this season could look like for Matthew Schaefer. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' (37...

JD and Sam McKee, Real Kyper and Bourne producer and host, get into their first Maple Leafs first impressions (a.k.a. overreactions). JD and Sam talk about Kirill Marchenko's instant impact, what spooked them most about Darren Raddysh's debut, their feelings seeing Morgan Rielly back in a Leafs sweater, Gavin McKenna's quiet debut, Nick Paul's play and the bottom six, Jack Roslovic's place on the...

Colby Armstrong, Sportsnet NHL analyst, joins JD in-studio to chop it up about what the Maple Leafs will miss about Matthew Knies and how good Kirill Marchenko can be in Toronto. The duo then discuss Gavin McKenna's demeanor, mentality and closest comparisons among current NHL forwards, before getting into the Leafs line combinations they'd like to see or think will be deployed. JD and Colby then...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs trading Matthew Knies for Kirill Marchenko. JD asks Aaron Portzline, senior writer for The Athletic covering the Blue Jackets, about what Marchenko is going to bring to Toronto, what obstacles Marchenko could face, and Marchenko's personality fit in Toronto. JD ends the hour discussing JJ McCarthy, the newest member of the New York Giants. The views and opinions expres...

JD is joined by Brady Quinn, NFL analyst on FOX and former NFL quarterback (0:00), to discuss the Chargers being winless through three games, level of concern with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, how legit are the Raiders, and the Commanders Week 3 upset over the Seahawks. Afterwards, JD reacts to Kawhi Leonard's remarks at Raptors media day during "What We Missed" (32:44). The views and opinions...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show (0:00), share their takeaways from the Toronto Blue Jays' season, the overall fan sentiment entering the offseason, and what lessons the front office can apply towards assembling the 2027 roster. Then, the guys discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s apology for recent comments, before wrapping with "Old News" (35:37). The views and opinions expressed in t...