Episode 75

full
Published on:

3rd Oct 2025

Episode 75 - 2025-26 Season Preview - A Clean Sheet with Jeff Marek

Ready for another round? The new season is at our doorstep and, with it, comes our season preview show with long-time Canadian commentator and host of The Sheet Podcast, Jeff Marek.

We'll be talking the new era of money as it pertains to player contacts and free agency, new faces behind the bench and who may be on the hot seat, plus players and teams to look out for as the Florida Panthers look to three-peat despite having to deal with some key injuries.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[02:15] - Show me the money! Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov got a visit from the Brinks truck with Connor McDavid's situation still looming. As big as these new contracts are getting, Jeff believes we've come to a point we need to get comfortable with that.

[06:44] - McDavid's potential term with Leon Draisaitl starting a new eight-year deal while RFA Evan Bouchard opted for half that length.

[13:49] - Not all of these contracts work out as well as the day they are signed. A discussion of which deals may wind up being albatrosses around a team's neck.

[21:46] - Amidst the big money, perhaps some bargains out there as well.

[29:30] - Nine new head coaches this season. Taking a look at who will make the biggest impact in his first season with their new team.

[35:50] - Coaches who might be looking over their shoulders should their teams have a slow start.

[40:08] - The panel weighs in with their breakout players

[46:09] - Power shifts. The teams which start to rise and those who might be in for a slip.

[51:05] - Teams which may sneak in if one of the regulars slip up.

[56:33] - The Florida Panthers are behind the eight ball from the start of the season in their quest to do something no team since the 1982 Islanders did, win three straight Stanley Cups.

[1:01:01] - Picks for the Final.

[1:06:18] - A personal note from Vic and Neil with a new season upon us.

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 #ShortShifts #NYCentric #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #JeffMarek #TheSheet #KirillKaprizov #MitchMarner #LeonDraisaitl #ConnorMcDavid #LukeHughes #LaneHutson #JackEichel #KyleConnor #KevinCheveldayoff #JeffJackson #EvanBouchard #StanBowman #NoahDobson #ElliotteFriedman #BobGainey #SergeSavard #GaryBettman #BrianBurke #NathanMacKinnon #JohnnyGaudreau #MorganRielly #NikolajEhlers #K'AndreMiller #VladislavGavrikov #JJPeterka #BillZito #SamBennett #BradMarchand #AaronEkblad #MatthewKnies #JohnTavares #BrockBoeser #MorganGeekie #TrentFrederic #BrockNelson #FrankNazar #LoganStankoven #MattCoronato #MasonMcTavish #WadeRedden #HartfordWolfpack #TheAHL #RyanSuter #ZachParise #KevinMagnuson #MikeyAnderson #IgorShesterkin #ChrisDrury #BrentBurns #CoreyPerry #JonathanToews #MikhailSergachev #BrettPesce #BradySkjei #RodBrind'Amour #SylvainLefebvre #TomDundon #JoelQuenneville #MikeSullivan #MarcoSturm #DanRuse #AdamFoote #GlenGulutzan #LaneLambert #JeffBlashill #RickTocchet #ChrisKreider #PatVerbeek #DuncanKeith #BrentSeabrook #PatrickKane #SteveYzerman #GregCronin #LindyRuff #KenHitchcock #JimMontgomery #RickBowness #PeterDeBoer #AndrewBrunette #JimHiller #KenHolland #AndreTourigny #QuinnHughes #EliasPettersson #Loogaroo #WyattJohnston #KirillMarchenko #OwenTippett #JurajSlafkovsky #LukasDostal #JohnGibson #AdamFantilli #DeanEvason #DonWaddell #LoganCooley #NickSuzuki #ColeCaufield #DustinWolf #JetGreaves #DaniilTarasov #ElvisMerzlikins #ClaytonKeller #DylanGuenther #SpencerKnight #SethJones #JeremySwayman #DavidPastrnak #CharlieMcAvoy #PavelZacha #BradyTkachuk #MatthewTkachuk #MacklinCelebrini #WillSmith #MarcoKasper #JakeSanderson #LinusUllmark #ThatcherDemko #MatsZuccarello #AleksanderBarkov #TomasNosek #SergeiBobrovsky #AntonLundell #SamReinhart #PaulMaurice #BillTorrey #RichTorrey #SamPollock #DenisPotvin #SteveShutt #ScottyBowman #MiroHeiskanen #JamieBenn #MikkoRantanen #JimNill ##RasmusAndersson #NazemKadri #WayneGretzky #PatrickHoffman

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for NHL Wraparound Podcast

About the Podcast

NHL Wraparound Podcast
Neil Smith & Vic Morren
Breadth and depth.
Contemporary and historical.
Straight-forward and experienced.
The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League.

Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past.

With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top.

Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you entertained and informed.


Bio’s
Neil S. Smith, highly regarded NHL executive, served as the President and General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers. During his eleven years with the team, they achieved significant success, including three division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies, one Eastern Conference Championship, and a historic Stanley Cup victory—the franchise’s first in 54 years.

Known for his expertise in professional sports franchise economics, Smith played a pivotal role in management decisions under four different Rangers owners.. His tenure saw iconic trades and acquisitions, including Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky, as well as successful drafts and free-agent signings.

Starting as a pro scout, Smith's career highlights include the impactful 1989 draft for the Detroit Red Wings and bold trades that shaped NHL history. He briefly served as GM for the New York Islanders in 2006, later working as a consultant for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

A Toronto native, Smith's hockey journey began in junior leagues before a distinguished college career at Western Michigan University. He has received numerous awards and distinctions, including induction into the University's Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Vic Morren: Born in New York City close to the Old Madison Square Garden, Vic Morren has had hockey in his blood his entire life as a fan, player and television production manager.

A graduate of William Paterson University, Morren skated for three seasons with the Pioneers hockey club and became the first statistical analyst to apply his craft to telecasts working New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils games from 1984-87. He co-authored two NHL-based statistics books within that span before moving to ESPN in 1987 and working the final season of the original deal the network had with the NHL.
After departing in 1990, Morren worked as a studio producer for SportsChannel America’s NHL coverage and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before returning to ESPN that fall where he worked all 12 seasons on the second ESPN/NHL deal and the first season of the most recent contract in 2021-22. Morren has also earned a Sports Emmy for his work on Sunday Night Football coverage in 2003.

His relationship with Neil Smith dates back 33 years through their mutual friendship with the late ESPN/ABC commentator John Saunders. Morren looks forward to NHL Wraparound and collaborating with Smith with the goal to provide an experience of contemporary viewpoints, historical spin and an overall enriching podcast experience.