The PuckPedia Hockey Show

For Episode 14 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They talk about James Hagens new ATO with the Boston Bruins organization (4:00). Keith had Hagens’ agent on The PuckPedia Hockey Show on Wednesday to get all the juicy details. This move gives the team and the player flexibility and the ability to continue playing hockey for their AHL team in Providence while they assess the possibility of signing his ELC.

Then they get into the Toronto Maple Leafs complicated situation with their draft pi...

Episode 33 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, NHLPA-certified agent John Kofi Osei-Tutu from the OT Sports Group.

John represents newly signed top prospect James Hagens, so we discuss how that negotiation went down (14:30). We talk about John’s background and how he got into hockey (2:30). Growing up on Long Island, John always knew he wanted to be involved in the game.

After getting his law degree he knew immediately starting his first real job that he wanted to open up a hockey agency. We talk about his partnership with Bobby Ga...

Episode 32 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, co-host of Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show Matt Marchese.

Matty tells us how he got into his role at Sportsnet (2:30), starting first as a producer on a few shows including Hockey Central and The Jeff Marek Show. Then he tells us how when Marek left he personally recommended Marchese to get the co-host role alongside former Los Angeles Kings executive Mike Futa (4:30).

We talk about the instant chemistry between Marchese and Futa (8:00), their relationship going back 10+ years, and how they have built up...

For Episode 13 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh recap the NHL Trade Deadline.

They talk about some of the big moves like Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche and John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks. They also get into some under the radar moves like Conor Garland to Columbus and Bobby McMann to Seattle.

Then they talk about Nick Schmaltz new 8-year, $64M contract extension with the Utah Mammoth. Schmaltz is having a career year and locked down long-term security in Utah.

Then they dive into the No Trade Clauses...

Episode 31 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, producer of Spittin’ Chiclets Mike Grinnell. Grinnelli gives us a rundown of his early career, when he realized he wasn’t going pro in hockey and how he got his start in sports media (2:30).

His confidence allowed him to get a really good opportunity to do a national show with ESPN New Hampshire. Then as the station was getting acquired and his job was up in the air, he just heard the first episode of Spittin’ Chiclets. So he sent Rear Admiral (RA) an email and th...

Episode 30 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show is an NHL Trade Deadline Special. Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine welcome on ESPN’s Emily Kaplan to break down the ins and outs of the Trade Deadline.

Emily will be on TSN and ESPN Friday for Trade Deadline coverage. We asked her what Friday will look like for her and how chaotic her life will be leading up to the deadline (3:00). Then they set up a draft game where they go through 6 categories and give insight on the Deadline.

The categories are: Most Likely Big Name to Move, St...

For Episode 12 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh quickly recap the Olympic hockey tournament where USA captured the gold medal over Canada (1:00).

They dive into the trade that happened the other day where the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Brett Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Sam Girard and a 2nd round draft pick (5:00). Pittsburgh now owns 16 draft picks in the first 3 rounds of the next 3 drafts. Colorado on the other hand now has over $10M in projected cap space before the Trade Deadline.

Then they talk about the Oilers cap situation...

On Episode 29 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome recurring guest, founder of the Will Sports Group, NHLPA certified agent Ian Pulver.

We begin the episode recapping the Olympics (2:30), where the United States won the Gold Medal in a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Canada thanks to the game-winning goal from Jack Hughes and stellar play from Connor Hellebuyck.

Ian lends some great perspective on the condensed schedule given the Olympic break and how that might affect the teams and players as they enter the stretch run towards the playoffs (6:30).

Then we talk...

On Episode 28 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Hart and Norris Trophy Award winner, six-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup Champion and Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger.

We start off the episode talking about Chris’s background (2:30) and how he didn’t go the conventional path, playing high school for a couple of years, and planning to go the NCAA route before going to the OHL with Peterborough.

Then he was drafted 2nd overall in the NHL to the Hartford Whalers (7:00). He played a couple seasons there before being traded for...

On Episode 27 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on former Edmonton Oilers beat writer for The Athletic Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

We start off the episode talking about Daniel’s background (2:30) and how he got his start covering sports. He spent time covering the OHL and the Saskatoon Blades. He was there for the 2013 Memorial Cup that featured Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones, and Jonathan Drouin to name a few (5:00).

He also covered the 2014 World Juniors that had Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, which worked well to his Oilers coverage in the future. He started at The At...

For Episode 11 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the blockbuster trade that happened yesterday. First they talk about the current roster freeze, and how certain teams might approach these rules to accrue cap space. Then they dive into the big Artemi Panarin trade. He was traded to the Los Angeles Kings from the New York Rangers in exchange for Liam Greentree and a conditional 2026 3rd round pick. Panarin then signed a 2-year, $22M ($11M AAV) contract extension with the Kings that kicks in starting next season. Panarin is over a point-per-game this season yet...

On Episode 26 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on former Los Angeles Kings Assistant GM and current Sportsnet analyst Mike Futa.

We start off the episode talking about Mike’s background (3:00), starting by playing hockey and then working his way up through the OHL as an Assistant Coach then a General Manager, before transitioning to the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings.

He worked in the Kings front office for over a decade, with the team winning 2 Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He talks about the relationships along the way that helped navigate his path in...

For Episode 10 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the big trades and extensions that happened this week.

The New York Islanders made 2 deals, 1 with each of their tri-state rivals. First the Islanders traded their 2026 3rd round pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Carson Soucy (7:00). It’s only the 4th time these teams have executed a trade together in franchise history.

Then the Islanders traded Maxim Tsyplakov to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Ondrej Palat, a 2026 3rd round pick, and a 2027 6th round pick (2:00). This tr...

On Episode 25 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on multi-platform Montreal Canadiens reporter and NHL insider Eric Engels. We start off the episode talking about Eric’s background, how he had to work multiple freelance jobs for years before landing his full-time gig at Sportsnet (3:00).

Eric provides really good insight into how hard work and passion is only half the battle (9:00), and what else it takes to get to land a “dream job.”

Eric is on his 18th season covering the Canadiens so we take a look down memory lane at some of his favori...

For Episode 9 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Steve Werier and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the big trades and extensions that happened this week. The Calgary Flames traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Zach Whitecloud, a 1st round pick, a conditional 2nd round pick, and an unsigned prospect. Calgary retained 50% salary in that deal. The Vancouver Canucks traded Kiefer Sherwood for the San Jose Sharks in exchange for 2 2nd round picks and a prospect. The Buffalo Sabres extended Josh Doan to a 7-year, $48.65M contract ($6.95 AAV). Doan was an RFA at the end of the season...

On Episode 24 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on Director of Analytics & Insights for Sportlogiq Mike Kelly.

We start off the episode talking about Mike’s background (3:00), and how he started in more of a broadcasting role and path before shifting gears with tech company Sportlogiq. We talk about how Sportlogiq data is being presented on broadcasts, not just at the national level (TNT, Sportsnet, NHL Network) but also on regional broadcasts (MSG and FanDuel Sports Network).

We discuss how the data is just one piece of the larger pie that includes scouting, coaching, de...

For Episode 8 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the big signings that happened over the last week. First they talk about the Philip Broberg extension with the St. Louis Blues, he signed a 6-year, $48M contract ($8M AAV). Then they talk about the Alexandre Texier extension with the Montreal Canadiens, he signed a 2-year, $5M contract ($2.5M AAV). Then Hart goes on a rant about the Salary Cap Floor, and why he thinks deals like the Chicago Blackhawks acquiring Ryan Ellis and his $6.25M contract to get to the floor isn’t the most ef...

On Episode 23 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Tyler Madarasz from Sirius XM’s NHL Network Radio. Tyler gives us a brief dive into his background and how he got into this role and working in hockey (3:00). We talk about the progression he has made throughout his time there.

He tells us a great Wayne Gretzky story about how he had to give me a call to get him on their show, and how Wayne called back after the show thanking them for the time (8:00).

Then we dive into the Olympic rosters, and where we...

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On Episode 22 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome musician and former TSN contributor Lester McLean. Lester writes the theme song for the PuckPedia Hockey Show so we wanted to start the episode talking about his inspiration behind the theme you hear each episode (2:30).

Then we get into Lester’s background, talking about how he grew up such a fan of the game of hockey but also had interest in the musical side of things (5:00). Then he talks about his lucky break meeting James Duthie from TSN and beginning to write music for some of the hockey wo...

On Episode 21 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome founder of The Pro Hockey Group and recurring guest Jason Bukala.

We wanted to bring Bukes on to preview the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota, the annual best-on-best hockey tournament featuring the best under-20 hockey players in the world (2:30). Jason’s scouting reports are on PuckPedia’s website if you want to read up on some of the players in this tournament (4:30).

We start by previewing Team Canada, who are the odds-on favorites to win the tournament this year (6:30). Gavin McKenna and Michael Misa are the...

For Episode 6 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 massive trades in the NHL. Quinn Hughes was traded on Friday to the Minnesota Wild from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 1st Round Pick (4:45). This trade sent shockwaves around the NHL.

Keith & Hart break it down from a salary cap perspective, what this means for a potential Quinn Hughes extension in Minnesota, and what is next for Vancouver as they navigate a rebuild or retool (9:00). They also discuss the article written on ESPN from...

On Episode 20 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome the host of the NHL on ESPN and Sportscenter Arda Öcal.

We start off talking about his childhood and how his father raised him to grow up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, living close by to the old Maple Leaf Gardens (3:30). Then we started talking about how he wanted to get into broadcasting, and he idolized Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean growing up (4:45).

Then he took a normal day job for a few years while doing the broadcasting gigs on the side, until he e...

On Episode 19 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome on hockey media legend Jeff Marek, currently of The Sheet at The Nation Network / Daily Faceoff, and The Hockey Lifers with Bruce Boudreau on Monumental Sports Network.

Jeff brings us in a ton of different directions, much like his career. We start the show talking about how violence in hockey might be making a comeback (4:45). Jeff brings us down memory lane on the origin of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick (8:00).

Then Jeff tells us about his background, how at the age of 8 he would go to...

For Episode 5 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 contract extensions just recently signed. Ryan McDonagh signed an extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning for 3-years x $4.1M AAV. Then the Montreal Canadiens announced a 5-year x $6M AAV extension with Mike Matheson.

Then they talk about the recent injury to Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin and do a deep dive on how Dallas can fully optimize their salary cap if they place him on Season Ending Long-Term Injured Reserve. They also talk about the Vancouver Canucks and some questions around the...

On Episode 18 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we are joined by Stefen Rosner, beat writer for the New York Islanders at NHL.com, The Hockey News, and Elmonters.

We start the episode talking about Stefen’s background (2:15), growing up an Islanders fan, and how he was able to navigate a career covering the team he’s rooted for his whole life. We talk about the shift in vibes around the team with the transition from Lou Lamoriello to Mathieu Darche as General Manager (5:00).

Then we talk about the Islanders start to the season, boasting a 13-10...

On Episode 17 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we are joined by Steve Werier, former Assistant General Manager of the Florida Panthers.

Steve tells us about how he got into hockey (2:00), growing up in Canada, going to law school, then working at a law firm where the partners ended up purchasing the Florida Panthers. Steve then took on a role in Hockey Operations doing a bunch of behind-the-scenes work in 2014 before being promoted to Assistant GM in 2016 (4:00).

Steve tells us a great story of how the Panthers were weighing an offer sheet for Nikita Kucherov before...

For Episode 4 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 contract extensions just recently signed. Adrian Kempe signed an extension with the Los Angeles Kings for 8-years x $10.625M AAV (5:00).

Then the Winnipeg Jets announced a 5-year x $5M AAV extension with Adam Lowry (10:25). Hart also breaks news that Victor Hedman has landed on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). He will be out a minimum of 10 games and 24 days.

Then they talk about trade protection in the NHL, and how almost two-thirds of the players in the league who are eligible for...

On Episode 16 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Steve Dangle, media personality and co-CEO of the Steve Dangle Podcast Network (SDPN).

Steve tells us about what it was like starting his YouTube channel in 2007 (2:15), making a video after every Toronto Maple Leafs game. He has only missed 7 or 8 games in the last 19 years. He talks about the grind of doing this for 6 years before people started to care (4:00).

He then tells us how that ended up landing his job at Sportsnet in 2013 (5:45), working there for about a decade. Then he goes into detail of...

For Episode 3 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the 2 contract extensions just recently signed. Shane Pinto signed an extension with the Ottawa Senators for 4-years x $7.5M AAV (3:00). This deal bought 2 UFA years and Pinto has a 10 team No Trade Clause in Years 3 and 4. The Colorado Avalanche also signed goaltender Scott Wedgewood to a 1-year x $2.5M AAV extension (7:30).  

Then they talk about the Edmonton Oilers cap situation with Zach Hyman about to be activated from LTIR. When Hyman is activated, the Oilers will need to clear $2.2M salary to be cap co...

We start the episode talking about the start of his hockey career (2:15), how a kid from Florida got into hockey. His parents had season tickets to the Florida Panthers and he went to his first game at 30 days old (5:30). Then started playing roller hockey and ice hockey at a young age, and left Florida to go to Connecticut to advance his career, then played in the BCHL before getting a scholarship and going to Quinnipiac.

Then he got drafted as an overager during his college career to the NHL by the Washington Capitals (9:00). He talks about his...

For Episode 2 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the entry-level contract slides for some of the young players in the NHL (2:30). Matthew Schaefer, Ben Kindel, Sam Dickinson, and Zayne Parekh have already passed the 10-game threshold and will burn a year off their ELC this season (5:00).

Other players like Michael Misa, Berkly Catton, Harrison Brunicke, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are close to that threshold but still remain with their teams. We also talk about why those players can't be sent to the AHL and have to go back to their junior teams (10:00).

We start the episode talking about Aaron's journey in hockey, at the club level at DePaul during college, then with a bunch of different teams in the CHL and IHL, eventually overseas in the Czech Republic and Poland, before returning back to North America (2:15). He talked about how he self-represented himself and how he helped a bunch of other players, which helped him build relationships with NHL and AHL executives.

Then he talks about going the legal route and doing law school (8:30), getting an internship with the Washington Capitals and starting the day they won the Stanley...

For Episode 1 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh dive into the new contract extensions. Martin Necas re-upped with the Colorado Avalanche, as did Thomas Harley with the Dallas Stars, and Loogan Cooley with the Utah Mammoth.

They break down all 3 contracts and their structures, and why some opted for more signing bonus. They also talk about how last year’s talks with Mikko Rantanen might have impacted their urgency to get Necas locked up. This also tanks the upcoming UFA class for 2026, as now pretty much all of the big fish have extended with th...

On Episode 13 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Pete Blackburn, NHL media personality and host of What Chaos!

We start the episode talking about Pete’s journey in the sports media world at CBS Sports and Fox Sports before he landed doing what he loves, talking about hockey (2:00). Pete then goes into his lane in hockey media and how What Chaos! has carved their own niche, and how Pete’s Twitter presence complements his show (4:30).

Then Pete talks about working on the NHL Amazon series (7:15), and how impactful the Johnny Gaudreau episode in particular was...

On Episode 12 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Drew Shore, former NHL player turned NHL Agent with Wasserman, now on his own running his own agency and other entrepreneurial ventures.

We start the episode talking about how he got his start playing his hockey (2:00), and how his family with his brothers and parents helped him get started. Drew moved to Vancouver when he was 13 with a billet family because there was not much high-level hockey in Colorado where his family was located (4:15).

Then we talk about his junior career and be...

On Episode 11 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Chris Powers, one half of the Empty Netters podcast. We start the episode talking about how Chris and his brother Dan Powers started the Empty Netters, as they embark on season 4 (2:00).

They have a new venture with NCAA Hockey that will be starting this week so we touch on that and how they became UNH fans over Maine fans, even though they grew up in Maine (3:30). The NHL season is just underway so Chris gives his initial thoughts on the season. His Boston Bruins are off t...

On Episode 10 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Jonny Lazarus. We start the episode talking about Keith and Jonny's rivalry (1:15). Jonny does a quick thought on how the New York Rangers shape up hyping his new favorite player Noah Laba (2:45).

Then we get into our preview, starting with Jonny's favorite team, the New York Islanders (4:00). We talk about their new leadership group, starting with GM Mathieu Darche. First overall pick Matthew Schaefer will start the season on Long Island, Mat Barzal will look to bounce back this season starting the year at center (7:30). Then w...

On Episode 9 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome back founder of PuckPedia Hart Levine. We start the episode talking about the summer and how the month of August was relatively quiet on the NHL transactions front (2:30). 

We get into some of the recent signings (Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks and Anthony Stolarz - Toronto Maple Leafs), as well as the two unsigned RFA’s (Luke Hughes - New Jersey Devils and Luke Evangelista - Nashville Predators) (4:00). Then we talk about the site updates on PuckPedia that includes the new NHL Playoff Salary Cap (9:45) and how...

On Episode 8 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we welcome Jason Bukala, NHL Analyst on Sportsnet and NHL Network, and founder of The Pro Hockey Group. 

Bukes was boots on the ground at the NHL Rookie Games over the weekend. He kicks us off talking about the Montreal Canadiens, and particularly Ivan Demidov (3:00), who is the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy according to our friends at Coolbet. Jason also talks about some guys who could give Ivan Demidov a run for his money for the Calder (6:00), like Zeev Buium, Isaac Howard, Matthew Schaefer, and Michael Mi...