The PuckPedia Hockey Show Episode 49: Inside the Mitch Marner and Bowen Byram Deals ft. Agent Darren Ferris

The PuckPedia Hockey Show Episode 49: Inside the Mitch Marner and Bowen Byram Deals ft. Agent Darren Ferris

Episode 49 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Darren Ferris, Managing Director of Quartexx Management and NHLPA certified agent with over thirty years in the business. We start by getting into Darren's background: how he got his start coaching junior hockey, was encouraged to pivot to agenting, walked away from early partnerships because he wasn't comfortable with how the business was being done, spent eighteen years helping build the hockey practice at what is now Quartexx alongside Bobby Orr, and ultimately merged his own practice into Quartexx in 2019 (1:00). His first NHL draft client was Bates Battaglia, and today his client list includes Mitch Marner, Bowen Byram, Sam Bennett, and Taylor Hall. We then dive into the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade to Vegas and the untold story of how the relationship between Mitch and the Leafs was strained going all the way back to his entry-level contract (5:00). Darren explains why he advised against signing without performance bonuses, and how Mitch went on to record 80 points in 81 games in his first season with the Golden Knights before a deep playoff run that ended in the Stanley Cup Final against Carolina. We talk about the Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway offer sheets out of St. Louis, how Doug Armstrong approached Darren about both players from the same organization, and the strategic timing around the arbitration and buyout windows that made it all work (15:00). Then we get into the Bowen Byram deal: the bridge deal strategy that set him up for a long-term payday, why Buffalo's GM change with Jarmo Kekalainen ultimately led to the trade to Chicago, and how Darren negotiated a six-year $12.5M AAV deal that also factored in the significant tax benefit of playing in Illinois (20:00). We get into quick-fire client updates including Taylor Hall's Stanley Cup win with Carolina alongside Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven, and Evan Rodriguez's trade from Florida to New Jersey in the Jacob Markstrom deal (30:00). We wrap up with the Coolbet question of the week: do players have more leverage in today's NHL, and how does Darren advise clients on short-term versus long-term deals in a rapidly rising cap environment (34:30)? Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia  Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The PuckPedia Hockey Show Episode 48: YZER-GONE! A Wild NHL Offseason ft. Dimitri Filipovic

Episode 48 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Dimitri Filipovic, host of The Hockey PDOcast and contributor at Sportsnet. Dimitri has been one of the most influential voices in hockey analytics for over a decade, and Keith has been a longtime listener of The Hockey PDOcast. We start by getting into Dimitri's background: how he got his start writing for Canucks Army at the Nation Network around 2010-2011, inspired by the Vancouver Canucks' cutting-edge approach under Mike Gillis and Lawrence Gilman, who were using sleep doctors, biometric data, and zone start manipulation before any of it was mainstream (2:00). He talks about launching The Hockey PDOcast in 2015, grinding through the early years when almost nobody was listening, and how the show has evolved from pure analytics into a place that incorporates players, agents, coaches, and GMs while staying true to its data roots. We then get into Dimitri's analytics process and how he builds holistic analysis by combining PuckPedia for contract data, Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stats from Jack Fraser, Corey Schneider's tracking data, and tape (7:00). Then we dive into the NHL offseason. First up is Steve Yzerman being fired as president and GM of the Detroit Red Wings (20:30). Dimitri breaks down what went wrong despite good drafting in Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Simon Edvinsson, why Mo Seider was a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate this year, and what the future looks like for a rebuild that has stalled. We then get into the Anthony Mantha, Cole Perfetti, and Trevor Zegras extensions (25:00). We discuss why Nikolai Ehlers' departure to Carolina hurt Perfetti's production and how Viggo Björck, drafted 8th overall, could be the piece that unlocks him. Then we break down the Trevor Zegras extension with the Flyers, why the $9.125M AAV is reasonable as a percentage of the rising cap, and how his 67-point season and analytics profile made the deal make sense for Philadelphia. We wrap up with the Coolbet question of the week: which team will shock the league with a surprise move before the season starts (35:00)? Dimitri points to the Carolina Hurricanes, who have been suspiciously quiet as the reigning Stanley Cup champions, and explains why he expects them to come flying in out of left field before the season begins. Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia  Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

PuckPedia Cap Central 7/9: DUCKS MATCH THE CARLSSON OFFER SHEET!

For Episode 26 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world. They kick things off with offer sheets, diving deep into the Leo Carlsson situation: the Philadelphia Flyers submitted an offer sheet for the Anaheim Ducks center, and Anaheim made the decision to match today, keeping Carlsson in Anaheim Orange. Then they get into the broader free agency fallout and break down the biggest moves from July 1st and what they mean around the league from a cap standpoint. Then they dig into the Dallas Stars cap situation and how the team is navigating a tricky offseason with limited space to work with. They wrap up talking about arbitration: who is headed to a hearing, what the cases look like, and how teams are managing those situations heading into the deadline. Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia  Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The PuckPedia Hockey Show Episode 47: Offer Sheets Are Back & the NHL Offseason Is Chaos ft. Jeff Marek

Episode 47 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special recurring guest, Jeff Marek, one of hockey's most respected voices, joining just about a week into the NHL free agency period with the NHL Draft now behind us. We lead off with the biggest story of the offseason: the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to Leo Carlsson at $18M AAV, which would make him the highest paid player in the NHL (1:00). Jeff breaks down why this wasn't just a shot at Ducks GM Pat Verbeek, but a direct challenge to Ducks Owner Henry Samueli, drawing comparisons to the 2019 Sebastian Aho offer sheet and what it means when an offer sheet hits the Owner's suite rather than just the General Manager's office. We discuss how the rising salary cap and a weak free agent class have created the perfect conditions for offer sheets to finally be used aggressively, and whether we're seeing the end of the old boys club that kept GMs from using every tool available to them under the CBA (3:30). We talk about the Pavel Mintyukov signing and how the fear of offer sheets drove up his number, what it means for teams like Philadelphia even if Anaheim matches, and whether Porter Martone could be the next target. Then we get into the Dylan Larkin trade request and the complicated history he has with the Detroit Red Wings and the state of Michigan, including the untold story of Connor McDavid trying to recruit him in the OHL (14:00). We discuss Adam Fantilli and the Columbus Blue Jackets situation, and whether Seattle should be making a move and why Sabres GM Jason Botterill is the right person to be aggressive (17:30). We get into the Quinn Hughes trade situation; Jeff's belief is that it gets done with Minnesota (21:00). We then discuss the Washington Capitals' offseason moves and whether their power play can evolve with new pieces under Spencer Carbery (23:00). We wrap up with the Coolbet question of the week: Jeff predicts Zach Werenski still gets traded for Thomas Harley (34:00). Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia  Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

PuckPedia Cap Central 7/2: NHL Free Agency Frenzy Recap

For Episode 25 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the craziness of yesterday’s free agency frenzy. They go over the biggest moves that happened yesterday and the most active teams. The San Jose Sharks added a lot of money to their books with the signings of Jacob Trouba and Mason Marchment, and the trade for Darnell Nurse. The Edmonton Oilers totally revamped their goaltending position, trading for Devon Levi and then signing Freddy Andersen. The New York Rangers were also very active yesterday. Following their acquisition of Pavel Dorofeyev, they followed up with signing Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno, then trading Vincent Trocheck for Sean Durzi, a prospect, and a pick, and Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver for a 1st round pick, then trading Will Borgen to Boston. The Toronto Maple Leafs made a lot of moves too, signing Sergei Bobrovsky, Colton Sissons, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, Troy Stetcher, and Zack MacEwen, and acquiring Nick Paul via trade. There were also some big extensions that were signed that kick in the following season. Bowan Byram signed a massive deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, the New Jersey Devils extended their captain Nico Hischier for 5 more seasons, and young phenom Ivan Demidov signed an 8-year extension with the Montreal Canadiens. Some defensemen also got big deals like John Carlson in Tampa and Rasmus Andersson in Vegas. We also got an offer sheet as Sunny Mehta and the Devils extended an offer sheet to Barrett Hayton. Utah Mammoth have 7 days to match. We wrap up with some questions Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media! X: @PuckPedia  IG: @PuckPedia  Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet Responsibly Theme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.