The Hockey PDOcast Dimitri Filipovic

Darryl Belfry joins the show to discuss his experiences working with the best players in the NHL, how stars use the offseason to work on their game and acquire new skills, and all of the different things that go into skills training at the highest level. Topics include:

2:00 Process of adding tools during the offseason
8:00 Crosby's endless pursuit of getting better
14:00 How MacKinnon fixed his shooting %
22:00 Different components that go into shooting the puck
32:00 Incorporating skills training into game situations
42:00 Performance indicators that'll translate to next level
53:00 Playing fast vs. skating fast, and the perception of speed

Jordan Samuels Thomas joins the show to help us rewatch the classic West Final in 2014 between the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. We discuss what made it arguably the best and most important series of the 2010s, what aged the best and worst with the benefit of hindsight, and the individual performances that really stood out above the rest.

Jack Han joins the show to discuss his time coaching with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, the pros and cons of the AHL as a developmental league, why innovation in the NHL is easier said than done, and how you can use video to help improve player performance. Topics include:

2:30 Making the most of the AHL experience
13:00 Older stars reinventing their game
21:00 Zach Werenski, offensive funnels, and thinking the game
29:00 Key attributes of a good coach
39:00 Trying to win vs. trying not to lose
49:00 Importance of 'puck touches'

Chad DeDominicis joins the show to deep dive the Buffalo Sabres rebuilding in perpetuity. We discuss all of the instability and turnover the organization has gone through over the past decade, how much of the blame should go the ownership's way, and how much Taylor Hall will be able to help Jack Eichel moving forward. Topics include:

2:30 The Sabres playoff drought
8:00 Tim Murray's 'Process'
17:00 The role the Pegulas have played
23:00 Jason Botterill's last stand
33:00 Rasmus Ristolainen's trade window
44:00 The fit for both Hall and the Sabres

Connor Carrick joins the show to discuss the intricacies of playing defense in the NHL, why it's a job that's dependant on so many variables, and how much the demands of the position have changed over the years. Topics include:

2:00 What does "good defense" look like exactly
5:00 The evolution of the position
11:00 The impact coaching has on decision making
18:00 Using patterns in data to gain an advantage
33:00 Toughest player to defend
39:00 Learning from success of other teams
44:00 Dealing with the forecheck

Prashanth Iyer joins the show to deep dive the Detroit Red Wings rebuild. We discuss how they got to where they are, what they've been doing this offseason, and how they can improve their outlook moving forward. Topics include:

3:30 Last year's historically bad results
8:00 How did they get to this point?
12:00 The turning point for the franchise
18:00 The various forms of tanking
24:00 The agenda being their moves this offseason
29:00 Identifying who's part of the core
35:00 Finding creative ways to add assets
42:00 Injecting elite talent in future years
49:00 Allowing goalies to do the tanking for you