Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour on trade deadline & more

Hurricanes embark on a back-to-back tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

So I'm promising you will be more difficult than you think. The Anaheim Ducks are tomorrow night. And as I look at this and we bring in the head coach, Rod Brind'Amour, here's what I see. Since Thanksgiving, the Hurricanes are 28-4 and 4, which is just a staggeringly good record in basically three months.

Just about three months. So, as we bring in the head coach, how do you explain that level of consistency? Well, it's a testament really to the players and how they prepare every day.

That's really it. You can't have that kind of record without being just fouled in every night. You're going to get some things going on your way. That's where your losses are going to come in and everything. But I think just in general, we've been pretty good every game and give yourself a chance to win.

And that's just a testament to the guys and how they've prepared and come do their job. There haven't been a lot of instances where your team has lost, but it seems like every time that happens, it's all about what this team isn't. And I keep looking at the record going, why are we complaining?

Why are people complaining? The expectations have just risen so high now that it's great. We expect to win every night. It's what we don't. It feels like what just happened, but it's a tough league.

I agree with you in your opening question. We've done a great job to this point. And you've got to keep going to the finish here, but it's really just about the players. Obviously, we have talented players, but they're guys that work hard.

And that's the reason that we're in the position we're in. Let me ask you about Ottawa real quick. It's a team that gave you guys a little bit of trouble a year ago, and they're not out of this playoff race at all. They have a ways to go, and there's a bunch of teams between them and a wildcard spot. But they've got some talented players who can score, and they've created some cap room to make a deal at the deadline.

What scares you about the Senators? Well, listen, I think they're 7-2-1 or something in the last 10, and they're loaded up front. They're a really talented team, and young and fast, and they've got really dynamic players. And I think what's happened here lately for them is they've kind of figured out. Their skilled guys have come to what I just said, the secret that we're having is they're putting in the work now.

So they were kind of a little bit inconsistent with that, I think, at times. And now they've decided, hey, wait a minute, this works. We have all this talent, but when we put a little work behind it on a consistent basis, then you get results.

So here you go. Now they're figuring it out, and like you said, when you get that as a team, that kind of, hey, we're in the fight here, it's a lot easier to do that. And so now, like you said, they've got a chance, and so they're dangerous, and they're going to have to be ready every night. I mean, there's so many of those teams in the Eastern Conference, from Ottawa to Buffalo to Detroit, all the teams that people have been walking all over over the last several years. These teams are all right in it. I actually think Detroit is in excellent shape for a playoff run. We're not playing Detroit, so let's not talk about that. Let me ask you about Andrei Svechnikov, who had gone 19 games without a goal, although playing well finally gets two in the first eight minutes. I thought he was as good as I've seen him in all three zones of the ice on Tuesday night. What is a goal, what is just getting those two do for him?

I don't know. I don't know if it does anything, to be honest, but I think it certainly will relieve a little bit of pressure that he puts on himself. He was dominant in that game, you said, early especially, and really he was, I thought, the whole game, but he puts a lot of stress on himself, even though he might downplay it, because he wants to score, not just every game. He wants to score every shift that he's out there, so I think hopefully that just lets him relax a little on that front, but I know he'll continue to try to score, and obviously we need him to do that, no question about it. I'm not sure that the better play wasn't the centering play that he made. I thought Jesper Fost deflected the puck, too, but I guess not. I could see Sebastian waiting on the back door for a puck to get through, but that had to be good. They scored together. A five-on-five shift, Aho and Svechnikov together. We had talked about last year that that group was dangerous, but they just didn't score. I mean, listen, if we're putting them together, it's the score, and that's kind of the reason why they've been separated, because they hadn't had a lot of success together. It does make you a little more dynamic if you can spread them out, that's for sure, as a team, but if we can get these guys scoring and Natus and Karivainen, if they can connect, like they did in a couple games, and then now all of a sudden we do have a little dynamic thing going.

That's the whole key, is not to be just a one-trick pony, because that's a little easier to defend at times, so hopefully that's something that we can continue. Is this a tough time of the year? As a player, you've been on teams where we get to the trade deadline, and maybe a guy like Jordan Stahl needs to be aware that there are some players that maybe are not worried about being traded, but worried about where their spot is in the lineup, if there is a trade made. Is it just more difficult this time of the year?

It can be, for sure. I think we're in a little different situation. Listen, we know we're not trading the way those guys you just mentioned, so I think it's sometimes different than where you are as a team. If we're in one of those teams that is out of it, it sometimes can be tough, because you know there's a good chance you're moving. I don't think we have a lot of worry about that with our guys, that they're going to be at a different spot. Business is business, you don't know what's going to happen, but we think we're pretty confident with the group we have, and that these guys will still be here no matter what may or may not happen. I'm fairly certain that there's going to be no movement off the roster, but let's just say a guy like Seth Jarvis, he's a young kid, he's never really had to deal with something like this before. Are there any worries that he's going to be a little distracted by things that are going on that he has no control over?

Yeah, I don't think so. I don't even think he breaks a sweat over this time of year. I think he's so dialed in on himself and trying to make sure he plays well. We've done a pretty good job. I think this group does a good job of worrying about what they've got to worry about and not stuff that they can't control.

So these are all things that are out of your control, and 99% of the things that people talk about and say aren't happening aren't happening anyway. We'll just take it a day at a time like we always do. If something happens at trade deadline day, then it's going to make us better in the long run. Final thing about this, the Bruins made a deal, the Rangers made a deal about a week ago.

There's more rumors out there. Is it hard to not pay attention to those things that are going on? You pay attention because that's our business. We've got to know what teams are doing.

But again, it always comes back to the fact that, listen, I know Tom and Don are scouring everything. If they think they can make something to make our team better, they're going to try. That's all you really have to know and appreciate that. If it doesn't happen, like we talked about at the start of this conversation, we're doing pretty good with the group we have. Sometimes making moves, they look good on paper, but they break up the chemistry.

So it's kind of what you're talking about too. We've got a pretty good group that believes in each other, and that's really the most important thing. All right, sir. I appreciate your time. We'll talk to you later.

Okay, buddy. Canes and the Ottawa Senators tonight. Canes and the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow. Remember last year, Ottawa gave Carolina a hard time. They played three times, then Canes went 0-2-1 against the Senators, if I'm not mistaken. I have to go look at it, but Carolina did not have it easy against Ottawa last year, and Ottawa wasn't nearly as good last year as they are this year. This is a team that can still make the playoffs.

I was looking at it. If you do it, rather than look at points or points percentage, because we have a pretty big disparity in games remaining right now. If you just went, how many points are you over NHL 500? I mean, Ottawa is at the bottom of the ladder right now, but they have enough games in hand where if they continue to play well, and they have won seven of their last ten, if they continue to play well, they're going to put themselves right in the mix. So they're not out of it yet. And they still have Claude Giroux, they have Alex DeBricotte, they have Tim Stutzler, Batherton, they've got one of the Kachucks, Brady Kachuck, right? They have the other Kachuck. So, it's a good team.

Fast. It'll be fun tonight. So, Dennis is responsible for the music today. Nice, chill vibe here. I appreciate this on a Friday.

Oh, you're welcome, sir. Alright, we have the fan poll coming up top of the hour. Also, minute takes aren't as many games, right? We're out of football. Oh, there's XFL. Oh, there's XFL, sir. Oh, I can't wait to break down the XFL.

Me too. Alright, so we have enough time to break down all of the matches of the XFL. We're not going to. Let's go in the mentions. Our mailbag segment. You're talking to me? Then who the hell else are you talking to? You talking to me?

Well, I'm the only one here. Alright, so yesterday on the program, we asked the question which is better in the mention segment. Your opportunity to fire questions at us.

At a gold fan for Dennis at the fan rookie. Poll question yesterday, which is better? Historically speaking, not today. Historically speaking, SEC football or ACC basketball. And I know the poll results were lopsided in favor of ACC basketball. As it should be.

Two to one. As it should be. And here's the thing. And I am as pro-ACC basketball as anybody.

I think the answer is ACC basketball. But it's by that much. It's still better. Doesn't matter.

Yes, right. Could be one point or a hundred. And maybe that's how people looked at it. Well, it's really, really close, but slight edge to the ACC. But it is basically two to one in favor of the Atlantic Coast Conference in men's basketball. As it should be.

So here's my my point. In the last 25 years, SEC football has been bonkers ahead of everybody else. Not every year, but for the most part, way ahead of everybody else.

And they're the first to tell you about it. ACC basketball is still the best league, even though it has been mediocre the last couple of years. It's still the best league. And they have what, nine titles in the last 25 years?

Duke and Carolina's got to be in Virginia, Maryland, right? But the it's not quite as dominant now, but it was the dominant league in the 50s. In the 60s. In the 70s. In the 80s. Maybe not in the 80s, but in the 90s.

Right? It was the dominant league. You could argue the 80s to an extent. I would say the Big East was probably the best league in the 80s. That's fair. ACC was probably second, but it has been the best basketball league.

Here's the thing. So many more teams playing and there are so many more variables to winning, including winning titles in basketball. The sport lends itself to more random. There's very little random in football.

Almost none. It's the one sport where the best team usually wins all the time. Usually. Or is competing for the title, yeah. Yeah, so that's why it's just harder to win. So historically speaking, I think the answer is ACC basketball, but I do think it's very close, especially when you consider recent results. Alright, to other things.

So, Cheap Dad. 15 titles in 25 years in a sport with 130 teams versus 9 titles in 25 years in a sport with 350 teams. That's just math, right? Yeah.

Seems to be, that's what we were getting at. Coleman, who then brought it to basketball in the ACC this year. If you ask a bracketologist, this year's ACC basketball is about as good as Ivy League football. I laughed. Not true, but I laughed because we like exaggeration to prove a point. And the ACC is not great in basketball this year. It's not tragically bad. It is at the bottom. And that is the biggest problem with ACC basketball is how bad it is at the bottom, not everything else. And then Javakev, because I've been harping on the net lately to explain quad one, says looking at net on a daily basis to prove it's flawed is the equivalent of checking your 401k balance daily.

I laughed at that too. That's good. But I'm using it as an example, not a daily example, I'm just using it as an example because as it's been pointed out, there's just not a lot of movement in the net. We haven't seen a lot of movement all year in the net.

The teams are basically in the exact same range they were at the beginning of December. Like nothing has changed. The die was already cast. All right.

I got one more thing. And this is this is not necessarily about, you know, you asking us a question. So the athletic director at Florida State is in front of the Board of Trustees. And apparently this is about Florida State like explaining to the Board of Trustees their financial situation. In other words, we can't continue to go 30 million dollars, not in the hole, but fall 30 million dollars behind our competitors, meaning Florida.

Every year, because the SEC is going to be paying out a lot more money to Florida than the ACC is to Florida State. And they're throwing out, well, we provide 15 percent of the exposure and the revenue for college football, and we're only getting 7 percent of the return. And that is unsustainable for us.

We don't have to debate that. So the Q&A was around the buyout. The buyout right now to leave the ACC is 120 million dollars to buy to buy your way out of the league. And it's like, whoa, so if we just buy out, we could, you know, we could fight our way back. And there was no pushback to that.

And here's what they're missing. Grant of rights. The grant of rights, as far as we all understand at this point, means that if a school leaves, the buyout isn't even half of the problem.

No. It's a fraction of the problem because what you're doing is you are forfeiting your media take from wherever you go, you just transfer it to the ACC until the ACC's TV deal is up, which is 2036. So Florida State, feel free. You can give all that money to the Atlantic Coast Conference. We'll take it.