Episode 95 - Down the Stretch with Noodles - With TSN Analyst Jamie McLennan - Apr. 8, 2026
08/04/2026 | 1 h 10 min
The Ottawa Senators have emerged as one of the great surprises this season. After sputtering early, the team has managed to overcome injury and adversity to put themselves in control of their own destiny in the final week of the regular season. TSN Analyst Jamie McLennan joins Neil and Vic to discuss the Sens as well as a couple of other topics. In Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To, we have clinchers, a playoff matchup that is set and the peril of the three-point games for those trying to make up ground. There's also a new GM opening in New Jersey as well and some scrutiny around a penalty box attendant in Buffalo. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:42] - Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To [09:48] - Jamie McLennan joins the show with discussion of the Ottawa Senators and their battles through adversity and injury to own a wild card spot heading into the final week of the regular season. [14:52] - Further elaboration on the injuries the Sens have had to deal with on their backline and the job Travis Green has done to navigate the team through it. [19:18] - Neil brings back some historical data to underscore even legendary coaches often get overlooked for the jobs they have done. [22:16] - Despite the troubles in net this season, signs the playoffs may yield different story. [25:49] - Many Canadian teams have had a hard time in 2025-26. Neil gets Jamie's thoughts on Vancouver. [30:11] - Shifting to Toronto. Just Mitch Marner's departure or more to it? [33:33] - The question of whether Craig Berube's style was truly the right fit for the Maple Leafs. [36:21] - Thoughts on a firm being brought in to find the next head of hockey ops in Toronto. [42:20] - The former goaltender offers up why he believes save percentages around the NHL are at a 30-year low. [47:41] - Wrapping up the chat with Jamie McLennan. [49:30] - Standings Update. [52:50] - Tom Fitzgerald out as President/GM in New Jersey. [56:47] - Spring Cleaning: Florida Panthers. [1:01:22] - Personnel notes and an odd injury involving an penalty box door in Buffalo. 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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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 #JamieMcLennan #TSN #PatrickRoy #PeteDeBoer #TravisGreen #JonCooper #IlyaSorokin #Andrei Vasilevskiy #ThomasChabot #NickJensen #JakeSanderson #DennisGilbert #TylerKleven #CarterYakemchuk #JordanPence #CameronCrotty #BradyTkachuk #TimStutzle #DylanCozens #ShanePinto #DrakeBatherson #RidlyGreig #LinusUllmark #JamesReimer #LeeviMerilianen #DanMuse #RickTocchet #JaredBednar #Lindy Ruff #SteveStaois #RickBowness #AlArbour #ScottyBowman #JackAdamsAward #BryanTrottier #MikeBossy #DenisPotvin #BillySmith #BobNystrom #GerardGallant #BruceCassidy #JohnTortorella #JeremySwayman #ThatcherDemko #ArtursSilovs #QuinnHughes #JTMiller #EliasPettersson #BrockBoeser #ConorGarland #KevinLankinen #ZeevBuium #MitchMarner #AustonMatthews #CraigBerube #BradTreliving #JosephWoll #AnthonyStolarz #ChrisTanev #BrendanShanahan #KyleDubas #LouLamoriello #WilliamNylander #JohnTavares #DougArmstrong #KeithPelley #NeilGlasberg #PBISports #JeffJackson #HaroldBallard #TravisYost #SteveValiquette #GrantFuhr #MartinBrodeur #EdBelfour #DominikHasek #ArizonaCoyotes #TomFitzgerald #RayShero #TimoMeier #DougieHamilton #OndrejPalat #JackHughes #SheldonKeefe #JacobMarkstrom #JakeAllen #AlexsanderBarkov #SamReinhart #MatthewTkachuk #SamBennett #BradMarchand #AaronEkblad #TomasNosek #MackieSamoskevich #JustinSordif #SethJones #AJGreer #VinnieHonostroza #LukeKunin #NoahGregor #PaulMaurice #BillZito #SergeiBobrovsky #DaniilTarasov #NikitaKucherov #JakeGuentzel #KirbyDach #JustinFaulk #VladNamestnikov #NinoNiederreiter #ZachHyman #LeonDraisaitl #PontusHolmberg #PeytonKrebs #ZachBenson
NHL Wraparound Smith's Pix - Apr. 8, 2026
08/04/2026 | 1 min
If you took Neil's advice Tuesday, you did real well as the record for the night was 9-0-2 with the only losses coming as a result of the Red Wings and Oilers failing to hold late leads and falling after regulation. A light night of only three games comprises Wednesday's schedule. The overall record stands at 544-303-117. 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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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
NHL Wraparound Smith's Pix - Apr. 7, 2026
07/04/2026 | 3 min
On the right side of the ledger on a quiet Monday which saw Neil go 2-1-1. Eleven games on the Tuesday schedule as the jockeying for spots and positions continues. The season record entering play is at 535-303-115. 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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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
NHL Wraparound Short Shifts - Dizzying Playoff Races and Roy Shown the Door - Apr. 6, 2026
06/04/2026 | 44 min
You'd think the longest playoff drought coming to an end would be the biggest news over the weekend? Nope. How 'bout the two-time defending champions being officially eliminated? Negative. Sunday, the N.Y. Islanders dismissed head coach Patrick Roy and replaced him with Peter DeBoer with the hopes of still securing a playoff berth in the East. Beyond that, Vic and Neil update all of the playoff races and also offer up Spring Cleanings for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks. 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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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 #PatrickRoy #MathieuDarche #PeterDeBoer #LindyRuff #ThomasVanek #SergeiBobrovsky #AleksanderBrakov #MatthewTkachuk #AaronEkblad #SethJones #PaulMaurice #BillZito #SidenyCrosby #SteveYzerman #RickTocchet #PorterMartone #JeremySwayman #AndreiVasilevskiy #JakeSanderson #TravisGreen #JordanStaal #JordanMartinook #PatrickKane #QuinnHughes #KirillKaprizov #AlexDebrincat #JonathanQuick #GabePerreault #WillCuylle #MikaZibanejad #JTMiller #JoelQuenneville #JackEichel #JohnTortorella #CarterHart #ClaytonKeller #AndreTourigny #ArizonaCoyotes #BillArmstrong #QuintonByfield #RobertThomas #DylanHolloway #JoelHofer #JordanBinnington #KyleConnor #ZachHyman #StuartSkinner #ArtursSilovs #VictorHedman #BrandonHagel #ScottSabourin #ValNichushkin #DamonSeverson #ZachBolduc #MichaelRasmussen #JustinFaulk #AliaksaiProtas #NicDowd #MorganBarron #RyanStrome #MitchMarner #MatthewKnies #MaxDomi #NicRobertson #BradTreliving #AustonMatthews #BobbyMcMann #AnthonyStolarz #WilliamNylander #CraigBerube #KeithPelley #BrendanShanahan #SheldonKeefe #ScottLaughton #NicholasRoy #NikitaGrebenkin #CalleJarnkrok #TroyStetcher #MatiasMaccelli #JeffBlashill #ConnorBedard #NickFoligno #JasonDickinson #ConnorMurphy #FrankNazar #TylerBertuzzi #RyanDonato #SethJones #IlyaMikheyev #SamLafferty #MattGrzelcyk #KevinKorchinski #TylerBetuzzi #RyanDonato #JamieMcLennan #TSN
NHL Wraparound Smith's Pix - Apr. 6, 2026
06/04/2026 | 1 min
Similar to Saturday, Easter Sunday started strong and fizzled late for Neil going 3-4-0. A tidy four-pack awaits on Monday with a 533-302-114 overall mark. 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 #NHLWraparound.com #ShortShifts #NYCentric #CelebritySeries #HallofFameEdition #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #Smith'sPix #NeilSmith #VicMorren #PatrickHoffman #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
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.
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