Episode 608: Ducks Match & What's Next For Nuge?

Episode 608: Ducks Match & What's Next For Nuge?

Reid Wilkins steps into the captain's chair to team up with former NHL netminder Joaquin Gage. Before the fellas dive headfirst into the tactical whiteboard, they have some critical tournament business to attend to. The boys open the show by shaking off the grass stains and recapping all the chaos, elite shots, and legendary laughs that went down at yesterday's highly anticipated 3rd Annual EST Golf Classic. Once the bragging rights are officially settled, the focus shifts entirely to the ice as a fascinating new era begins in Oil Country. On Today's Show: The Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Crossroads: The biggest conversation in town centers around the longest-serving Oiler. With Stan Bowman installing Mike Babcock behind the bench, the guys debate what the tactical adjustment means for number 93. What should the realistic performance expectations be for Nuge under a notorious, black-and-white, hard-nosed coach like Babcock? Will the demanding system wear down the veteran, or will Babcock's strict emphasis on accountability and detail unlock an entirely new, elite layer of two-way play from the grizzled vet? Ducks Match Carlsson's Offer Sheet: 21-year-old Leo Carlsson is now the highest-paid player in the NHL after signing a five-year, $90M deal to stay in SoCal. How MASSIVE is that contract for young pros negotiating their next deal? Where does that leave the Ducks at cap-wise? A Storm Is Brewing: Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon decided to include his family on the Stanley Cup, which has become a lightning rod of controversy online. Not one, not two, but seven family members found themselves on Lord Stanley, after adding no actual piece to the team's Stanley Cup-winning puzzle... League-Wide NHL Rumour Mill: The offseason market is shifting gears, but front offices across North America are far from finished. Reid and Gager take a look at the rest of the National Hockey League landscape to break down the latest news, arbitration tracking, and remaining free-agent dominoes waiting to fall. 2 Guys & a Goalie is presented by GS Construction!

Episode 607: What's Next For The Oilers? | Best Russian Players Of All Time

Dustin Nielson and former NHL netminder Joaquin Gage finally reunite to share the microphones. It has been quite some time since these two anchors shared the airwaves, so the boys open up the program with a much-needed catch-up on life, summer schedules, and golf games before plunging headfirst into a volcanic week of hockey headlines. On Today's Show: Dusty & Gager Catch Up: Before tearing into the hockey whiteboard, the fellas trade some opening notes on where they've been, how they spent their recent time off, and why the studio chemistry hits completely differently when they're both locked into the microphones. Dissecting Stan Bowman's Massive Roster Overhaul: The boys spent a significant chunk of today's broadcast sorting through the volcanic ash of the recent open-market madness. From the historic decision to move Darnell Nurse's entire $9.25M contract to San Jose without retaining a single dollar, to the incoming depth signings, the landscape in Oil Country has fundamentally shifted. Gager and Dusty share their raw, unfiltered thoughts on the new structural look of this team. The Remaining Cap Room Crossroads: With the current depth chart taking shape, the Oilers still find themselves holding onto a healthy, unusual layer of cap flexibility. The boys debate the primary summer crossroads: Does Stan Bowman aggressively weaponize that remaining cash on the open market right now for a top-six forward, or do the Oilers play a tactical, highly patient waiting game until the trade deadline rolls around? The Leo Carlsson NHL Offer Sheet Bomb: The guys pull back the macro-lens to look at the massive roster anarchy that sent shockwaves through front offices on Friday afternoon. The Philadelphia Flyers completely shattered convention by dropping a historic five-year, $90 million offer sheet on Anaheim Ducks' 21-year-old star center Leo Carlsson. At an $18M average annual value, Dusty and Gager debate the immediate fallout: Will the Ducks blink and match the poison-pill contract? More importantly, is this ruthless tactic a definitive sign of things to come across the NHL as aggressive GMs start weaponizing offer sheets against rebuilding squads? Russian Bear Never Sleeps: Gager and Dusty take a different approach as they look at the greatest Russian NHLers of all time. Is Alex Ovechkin the obvious #1? Who comes in at #2? Do Nielson and Gager have different lists? Anybody on the rise? 2 Guys & a Goalie is presented by GS Construction!

Episode 606: Grading Stan Bowman's Free Agency!

YouTube Trev is locking arms with former NHL netminder Joaquin Gage for a full hour of unadulterated, raw hockey talk to sift through the volcanic ash of yesterday's open market madness. On Today's Show: Canada Day Post-Mortem: Before the boys open up the hockey notebooks, they look back at a beautiful July 1st holiday. Trev and Gager recap how they spent their Canada Days around town, and swap a few quick stories from the backyard barbecues. The Stan Bowman Roster Overhaul: The Oilers didn't just participate in Free Agent Frenzy—they completely controlled the news cycle. The fellas dedicate a massive chunk of today's broadcast to analyzing an unbelievable string of transactions. We break down the historic departure of Darnell Nurse to San Jose, the blue line additions of Shakir Mukhamadullin, Zack Sharp, and Ryan Shea, and internal extensions for Kasperi Kapanen and Max Jones. The New Look Crease: As a former netminder, Gager gets right into the tape of Edmonton's brand-new goaltending structure. Stan Bowman executed a complete paradigm shift by trading for Devon Levi from Buffalo and signing freshly minted Stanley Cup champion Frederik Andersen to a one-year deal. The boys evaluate how this new look impacts the returning Tristan Jarry and what the vision is for the net going forward. Grading the Blueprint: It's report card time. Trev and Gager stack up all the additions, calculate the massive cap space saved by moving Nurse's contract without retaining a single dollar, and issue their definitive, official grades for Stan Bowman's first major free-agency floor plan. League-Wide Fallout: Once local business is settled, the guys pull out the macro-lens to trace the heavy cash spent across the rest of the league. From Toronto landing Sergei Bobrovsky to John Carlson heading to Tampa Bay and ex-Oilers like Stuart Skinner hitting the market! 2 Guys & a Goalie is presented by GS Construction!

Episode 605: The Nurse Log Jam & Free Agent Eve Blueprint

The dynamic, hard-hitting duo of Dustin Nielson and former NHL netminder Joaquin Gage are strapped into their seats to deliver the rawest hockey talk in the market. The draft is in the rearview mirror, which means general managers around the league are frantically counting their couch cushions before the open-market frenzy explodes tomorrow morning. On Today's Show: The Darnell Nurse Saga — Gager's Perspective: The trade talk surrounding #25 is dominating the airwaves, but pulling off a contract maneuver of this magnitude is a massive, complex puzzle. Dusty asks the million-dollar question, and Gager puts his player hat on to deliver the blunt reality. Is it realistically possible for Stan Bowman to find a trading partner for Nurse's contract? Will Nurse be forced to expand his reported list of destination teams, or are the Oilers simply better off standing pat and keeping the veteran blueliner on the roster? Free Agent Frenzy Eve Blueprint: The open market officially detonates tomorrow at 10:00 AM MT. The fellas open up the wallet and map out the ultimate Oilers game plan. With internal extensions on the horizon and an incredibly tight salary cap environment, do the Oilers have the currency to land an impactful piece? Dusty and Gager debate realistic targets and lay out expectations for tomorrow's initial wave of signatures. League-Wide Trade Fallout: The boys pull out the macro-lens to scan the rest of the National Hockey League. Roster construction didn't wait for July 1st—a boatload of pre-draft blockbusters completely reshaped the competitive landscape over the weekend. The guys evaluate the early winners and losers of the offseason trades and track the moving futures odds. 2 Guys & a Goalie is presented by GS Construction!

Episode 604: Babcock Dust Settles + Oilers All-Time Best Draft Picks!

YouTube Trev steps right up to the main desk to co-host alongside former NHL netminder Joaquin Gage! The boys have a jam-packed hockey notebook to sort through as the NHL offseason hits absolute maximum velocity. On Today's Show: The Babcock Dust Settles: It's been a chaotic couple of days in Oil Country since Mike Babcock was officially named the 19th head coach in franchise history. Trev and Gager give their latest takeaways on the fallout, how the media availability is aging, and what immediate roster or system tweaks the new bench boss will look to implement first. McDavid Shares His Thoughts: Captain Connor McDavid was interviewed by Sportsnet and TSN, having lots to say about Edmonton's new head coach... What does he see from the grizzled veteran bench boss? How did McDavid and the rest of the Oilers' leadership group determine that he was the best option for the team? With players having their say in Edmonton, does that change anything about the coach-hiring process around the league? The Darnell Nurse Trade Watch: The smoke is absolutely not clearing around the blue line. As Stan Bowman frantically searches for salary cap relief ahead of free agency, the guys dive deep into the million-dollar question: Will Darnell Nurse actually get traded? Gager looks at it from a player's perspective regarding no-movement clauses, while Trev breaks down what a realistic destination and return look like if a blockbuster deal goes down. The Greatest Oilers Draft Picks of All Time: With the 2026 NHL Entry Draft kicking off this weekend, we are looking back at franchise history. YouTube Trev has conducted an extensive, deep-dive project to rank the single greatest draft steals and selections the Oilers have ever made. Trev rolls out his definitive list, and Gager weighs in on who deserves the crown as the ultimate draft-day home run. 2 Guys & a Goalie is presented by GS Construction!