Welcome in to the Toyota Lounge for the DNVR Avalanche podcast, powered by your front range Toyota dealerships.

We've got Giz and Rudo in studio and Eric Collinan with us.

We're going to be talking some of the best rookie seasons of the past decade.

But before we get into that, a little bit of the news of the day, ranging from, you know, the media tour to potential signings to everything else in

between. Obviously, the abs, Nathan McKinnon, unsurprisingly, the member of the abs going on

the media tour. Kind of is the MVP of the league right now, so.

Yeah, that's fun for them, too. I think they, I mean, is it fun for it? I don't know. I think

they get to hang out with all the guys a little bit, right? I mean, you're taking, you're doing stuff with all the other kind of stars from around the league and, you know, like, Macklin's hanging out with Crosby. I saw, you know, Nate and Austin Matthews kind of having some fun and just, you know, joshing around a little bit. So I don't know. I mean, do the guys enjoy it? I feel like, I feel like they might say that they don't just because it's the whole media thing and they don't necessarily like the attention. But at the end of the day, I don't think it's a terrible trip. Well, let's just say that they never asked me to do it that's for sure what that's not accurate

no shockingly um but here's what i'll say i think way i think wayne was the best at it i think

wayne understood the assignment uh when i say wayne is the one. I think he understood it and he understood because he got it from Gordy Howe back then. And, you know, I mean, and all this, Gordy Howe always took care of him, you know, as he was coming up. And I think Wayne was doing that. And I think it's important, of course, for Crosby and Mac and guys like that, it's kind of old news now.

But for a kid, like you just said it, Mac on Celebrini, that's his first time really, you know, rubbing elbows with those types of guys.

And I think it's important for those guys.

And I think it's important as a league to go there.

What I'll say is it's in Vegas, right? Yeah, it's in Vegas. Yeah, so, I mean, years ago, it used to be in New York City. And if you're from the west, you're like, are you kidding me? Like, you know what I mean? You got to fly all the way to the east and the time zones. And you're about to start training camp and everybody's

into their own regiment and everything so now it's opposite for the guys out west it's kind of easier

so it's really not that big for mac and those guys it's an easy flight and but for guys in the east

now they're like are you kidding me we got to go all the way west so i think it's a little fair i like

it that it's Vegas and for teams in the west. And well, on that, I think it's important. I think it's important for those guys to see and to get to know each other. And like I said, it's more exciting for the young guys than it is for the older guys, obviously, for all the reasons. I like it I think it's fun for them to interact. I think it's a little loose. They get to do some fun stuff. I mean, and listen, the NHL needs to, I've always said it. I think they need to continue to do a little bit more in terms of marketing it and the guys and the players and have a little bit more fun. So you can do that and you got to talk to guys into it, the guys have got to get out there and be a little bit more, more out front, even though I know they hate doing it. But there's some great personalities in the NHL. I mean, we're just watching that, that fun video of, you know, the one guy's kids, Copatar's kids interviewing him on the way to the game and just do fun stuff like that. I think that's cool. The NHL does do need to do more of that, but I have it on good authority that in previous years, McKinnon would rather not go to things like this. I would imagine, yes, yes. He prefers to be on the ice with Crosby and all his buddies working up to the season.

Right.

But you know what?

When you're one of the best players in the world, this is part of the deal. Part of the job. You got to do stuff like this. Part of the job. It is what it is. As far as other news, we talked about Max Patcheretti on our show the other day. It sounds like it's not necessarily official, but it does look like he's going to be signing with the Maple Leafs.

No. show the other day. It sounds like it's not necessarily official, but it does look like he's going to be

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