Episode 65 of Buds Mafia kicks off with full-blown NHL playoff chaos.

Game 1’s are in the books — and we’ve already got upsets, overtime winners, and some serious storylines forming across the league.

We break down:

• Buffalo buzzing and taking Game 1 vs Boston

• Montreal stealing one in OT vs Tampa

• Minnesota shocking Dallas

• Carolina’s usual playoff style vs Ottawa

• Philly suffocating Pittsburgh

• Colorado vs LA and Vegas vs Utah

Around the NHL:

• Rick Bowness calls out Columbus

• Werenski responds

• Sunny Mehta to New Jersey — what’s next?

• Celebrini historic season + contract talk

• Vancouver moves on from Alvin

• Bedard + Davidson extensions

Leafs segment:

• End of season media scrum reactions

• Matthews, Rielly, Nylander takeaways

• Easton Cowan future

• Keith Pelley and the direction of the team

We also get into:

• NFL Draft week

• Bills needs + mock drafts

• Major trades and extensions

Plus:

• Zurich Classic Draft

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

The playoffs are here… and it’s already chaos.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(05:35) — Rick Bowness and the Blue Jackets

(07:33) — Sunny Mehta and the Devils

(08:48) — News Around the League

(14:24) — Game 1 Recap

(35:13) — Leafs End of Season Media Day Take Aways

(44:00) —NFL Draft

(58:48) — RBC Heritage Recap and Zurich Classic Draft

(1:01:42) — Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 64 of Buds Mafia is all about the NHL playoff picture… and some of these matchups are going to be insane.

We break down the full playoff bracket, go through each matchup, and give our thoughts on how things could play out across both conferences.

We also get into:

• Cole Caufield vs Kirill Kaprizov — who would you take?

• Ron Francis stepping down in Seattle + what it means for the Kraken

• TJ Hughes signing with Colorado after a dominant NCAA run

• 40-goal seasons from Stamkos and Guenther

• Rocket Richard race heating up

Leafs talk:

• Toronto sitting near the bottom of the league

• GM search and the Sunny Mehta rumors

• Recent losses and what’s next for this team

We also cover:

• Ryan’s 2025–26 predictions (and how brutal they are)

• Full division breakdown and playoff projections

Then we shift into:

• Masters talk — Rory going back-to-back

• The criticism around him and why it doesn’t make sense

• RBC Heritage preview + picks

Plus:

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

The playoff picture is set.The debates are heating up.And there’s a lot to break down.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(01:47) — Draft or Dump

(06:25) — Caufield or Kaprizov?

(9:46) — Ron Francis and the Seattle Kraken

(14:47) — News Around the League

(16:43) — Ryans 2025-26 Season Predictions Recap

(18:51) — Eastern Conference Playoffs

(26:50) — Western Conference Playoffs

(36:08) — Leafs Talk

(41:25) — Masters Recap and RBC Heritage

(47:57) — Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 63 of Buds Mafia is pure chaos in Toronto.

Brad Treliving is OUT… and the Leafs somehow followed it up with one of the worst press conferences we’ve ever seen.

Keith Pelley steps in and somehow makes things even more confusing — talking culture, data, and direction… but giving absolutely ZERO clarity on what this team actually is.

With two weeks left in the season, the Leafs feel completely lost.

We break down:

• Brad Treliving fired — what went wrong?

• The Keith Pelley press conference disaster

• “Data-driven” Leafs… what does that even mean?

• Is Berube safe?

• Nylander hinting at uncertainty if this becomes a rebuild

• The future of the Leafs (and why nobody knows what it is)

Around the NHL:

• Playoff race heating up in both conferences

• Teams collapsing at the worst time (Islanders, Columbus, Anaheim)

• Porter Martone making noise in Philly

• DeBoer replacing Roy

• Tkachuk podcast drama

We also get into:

• Matthews vs Brady Tkachuk — who’s more likely to stay?

• Ullmark controversy

• Late-season chaos across the league

Then we pivot to:

• NFL news (Cousins to Vegas, Puka update)

• Masters week preview + draft

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

The Leafs are a mess. The front office is changing. And nobody knows what comes next.

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🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro and Bachelor Party Recap

(03:53) — Draft or Dump

(08:38) — Keith Tkachuk on Wingmen

(11:53) — Landon Dupont to Michigan?

(14:53) — Patrick Roy fired

(17:26) — Who Leaves First? Matthews or Brady?

(20:21) — NHL Playoffs - Whos Getting In?

(24:53) — Leafs Talk / Treliving Gone / Keith Pelley Press Conference

(33:05) — NFL Talk

(34:08) — Valero Recap and Masters Week

(36:13) — Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 62 of Buds Mafia dives into one of the biggest questions in hockey right now…

Is Auston Matthews actually done in Toronto?

With rumors starting to swirl and insiders hinting at uncertainty around his future, we break down what a potential exit could look like — and why teams like LA and Utah are already being connected.

If Matthews even considers leaving… everything changes.

We get into:

• Matthews’ future in Toronto and what could happen next

• Why LA and Utah are being mentioned as potential landing spots

• What a realistic return for Matthews would look like

• Nylander keeping quiet and what that might mean

• Leafs finally showing some fight… too little too late?

Around the NHL:

• The playoff race heating up in both conferences

• Vegas potentially missing the playoffs for the first time ever

• Frank Seravalli saying something insane again

• Tkachuk brothers doing Tkachuk things

• NCAA season wrapping up with top prospects signing

• Tortorella back in the NHL

We also break down:

• NHL Awards races (MVP, Norris, Calder, Vezina & more)

• McDavid somehow being an underdog

• Suzuki’s case for the Selke

• Who’s actually winning what

Then we pivot to:

• NFL news and Bills updates

• PGA recap + Valero Texas Open draft

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

Matthews rumors are here.The playoff race is chaos.And the Leafs future is suddenly very uncertain.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(03:48) — Draft or Dump

(07:19) — Eastern Playoff Race

(10:48) — Western Playoff race

(17:10) — Frank Seravalli and College Hockey

(21:09) — McDavid and the Awards

(24:54) — Tkachuk Meet and Greet

(27:01) — Leafs Talk / Trade Packages for Matthews

(32:25) — NFL and Bills Talk

(38:20) — Golf Recap and Valspar Draft

(44:24) — Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 61 of Buds Mafia is all about chaos — and the Toronto Maple Leafs might be right in the middle of it.

With just weeks left in the season, the Leafs keep slipping, the vibes are off, and real questions are starting to come up…

Has Craig Berube lost the room?Can this team actually win without Matthews?And why are they giving up the most shots in the entire NHL?

We break down:

• Leafs continuing to spiral

• Berube’s comments and potential locker room issues

• Joseph Woll concerns after facing nearly 80 shots in back-to-back games

• Nylander as the guy — is that enough?

• Easton Cowan continuing to impress

• What this team even is right now

Around the NHL, the playoff race is getting insane:

• Buffalo is on fire (9-1-0)

• Columbus jumps into a playoff spot

• Ottawa, Boston, Detroit all fighting for their lives

• Nashville holding on in the West

• Kucherov overtakes McDavid in the Art Ross race

• Celebrini closing in on a historic 100-point season

We also hit:

• Leon Draisaitl done for the regular season

• Jack Hughes vs the Hockey Hall of Fame puck drama

• AJ Greer suspension debate

• Why Montreal’s future should scare everyone

Then we pivot to:

• NFL news and mock draft talk (Bills targets and needs)

• Jaylen Waddle blockbuster trade

• Flag football vs NFL players

We wrap it up with:

• Valspar Championship recap

• Houston Open preview

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

The playoffs are coming.The Leafs are slipping.And the pressure is building fast.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(06:43) — Draft or Dump

(12:20) — Jack Hughes and “His” Puck

(14:23) — News Around the NHL

(15:48) — Eastern and Western Conference Playoff Picture

(27:31) — Why Ryan is Scared of the Habs

(30:34) — Leafs News / Has Berube Lost the Room?

(36:47) — NFL Talk / Bills Mock Draft

(42:08) — Valspar Recap and Houston Open Draft

(36:47) — NFL Talk / Bills Mock Draft

(46:37) — Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 60 of Buds Mafia gets heated.

The Toronto Maple Leafs season just took a brutal turn after a dirty hit from Radko Gudas leaves Auston Matthews out for the rest of the year — and the league only handing out 5 games has Leafs fans furious.

With the captain done, the conversation suddenly shifts to something nobody expected…

Are the Leafs accidentally tanking for a Top 5 pick?

We break down:

• The Radko Gudas hit on Matthews

• Why 5 games feels like a joke

• Leafs media completely losing their minds

• Toronto potentially landing a Top 5 pick

• Matthew Knies trade rumors involving Montreal (absolutely not)

• The Calder Trophy race heating up

• The Norris Trophy debate

  
  

Around the league:

• Nick Schmaltz signs 8 years x $8M

• Ottawa gets their 1st round pick back

• Tristan Jarry practice drama

• Craig Button’s Top 50 prospects list

• Why the Leafs having zero prospects on it is concerning

  
  

Then we pivot to the NFL free agency madness.

Jackson breaks down:

• The biggest deals across the league

• Trey Hendrickson’s massive contract

• DJ Moore to Buffalo

• Patriots adding weapons

• Raiders rebuilding the right way

• Winners and losers of free agency so far

We also cover:

• PGA recap – Cameron Young wins The Players

• Valspar Championship preview

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

Matthews is out.Leafs fans are furious.And the tank conversation has officially begun.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(03:05) — Draft or Dump

(08:33) — 2026 Free Agents

(10:56) — News Around the NHL

(25:59) — Gudas Suspension and What’s Next for Papi

(31:32) — Full NFL Free Agency Breakdown

(55:40) — The Players Recap and Valspar Draft

(58:) - Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 59 of Buds Mafia is a full breakdown of the NHL Trade Deadline fallout — and why the Toronto Maple Leafs somehow managed to make moves that left fans even more frustrated.

Toronto did make trades… but instead of pushing the team forward, the decisions have only raised more questions about the direction of the franchise.

From questionable asset management to underwhelming additions, the Leafs deadline may end up being remembered for all the wrong reasons.

We break down:

• The biggest trades across the league

• Buffalo going all-in

• Dallas, Vegas, and Colorado strengthening their rosters

• Major defensive moves around the NHL

• Winners and losers from deadline week

• Toronto’s underwhelming deadline decisions

• Trading a 1st and a prospect for Scott Laughton last year… only to flip him for a 3rd

• Chris Tanev out for the season

• Matthews stuck in a slump

• Cowan making an impact with Matthews and Nylander

• Is this front office on the hot seat?

We also dive into the NFL chaos around the league:

• Maxx Crosby traded to Baltimore in a massive deal

• DJ Moore headed to Buffalo

• Bills clearing cap space and reshaping the roster

• Cardinals releasing Kyler Murray

• Patriots cutting Diggs

• Tua released with record dead cap

Plus:

• PGA recap and The Players Championship preview

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

Deadline week is over — but the fallout is just getting started.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(03:00) — Draft or Dump

(07:25) — Trade Deadline Recap

(24:51) — Leafs Trade Deadline

(33:32) — Bills News (DJ Moore Trade and Releases)

(38:15) — NFL News

(47:15) — Arnold Palmer and The Players Draft

(51:10) - Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 58 of Buds Mafia is all about the NHL Trade Deadline — and whether it’s finally time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to blow it all up.

With March 6th looming, the Leafs have lost three straight, the vibes are awful, and the organization feels completely stuck between competing and resetting. We break down who should stay, who should go, and what the future of this team actually looks like if changes are coming.

We get into:

• Why this might be the last stand for this Leafs core

• Who Toronto should actually listen on at the deadline

• Why “just running it back” feels impossible

• Bobby McMann’s future, Rielly’s brutal season, and MLSE’s message to fans

• Ryan absolutely clowning Damien Cox and the Toronto Star

Around the league, we hit:

• The biggest names who could be moved at the deadline

• Jim Hiller fired in LA

• Quenneville hitting 1,000 wins

• Matthew Schaefer’s insane season

• Buffalo turning into a legit wagon

• Dallas rolling, Wyatt Johnston stock skyrocketing

We also cover:

• McDavid hitting 100 points (again)

• Cale Makar vs Quinn Hughes

• Current playoff matchups and contenders

Then we pivot to:

• NFL Combine recap

• Which teams still don’t have a QB

• Where Anthony Richardson could land

• Bills draft targets and rising prospects

• Montgomery to the Texans

• Crosby on the move?

We wrap it up with:

• PGA recap and Arnold Palmer Invitational preview

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

No sugarcoating. No fence-sitting. Deadline week means hard decisions.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(01:03) — Draft or Dump

(04:08) — Matthew Schaefer 

(04:53) — Trade Deadline Talk

(13:49) — NHL News Around the League

(17:14) — Current Playoff Picture

(23:49) — Ryan's Leaf Meltdown

(34:19) — NFL News

(44:16) – Cognizant Classic and Arnold Palmer Draft

(47:22) - Betting Segments and Wrap-Up

Episode 57 of Buds Mafia is a tough one.

We break down the Olympic men’s hockey tournament with a heavy focus on the Gold Medal Game, where the USA beats Canada in overtime to win their first gold since 1980.

We go game by game through the knockout round:

• Quarterfinals, semifinals, and how each team got there

• Canada’s dominant underlying play — and why it still wasn’t enough

• USA’s resilience, special teams, and goaltending

Then we dive deep into the Gold Medal Game:

• Canada controlling long stretches but failing to capitalize

• The 5-on-3 that has to end the game

• Jack Hughes’ OT winner

• Binnington’s performance and the reaction to the final goal

• Why this loss is going to sit with certain Canadian players for a long time

We talk legacy and fallout:

• What this win means for USA Hockey going forward

• What Canada needs to change for 2028 and 2030

• Which players helped or hurt their reputations

• Matthews finally winning a big international game

• McDavid’s tournament MVP and the questions that still linger

We also look ahead:

• Early thoughts on roster changes for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey

• Who’s in, who’s out for both Canada and the USA

Outside the Olympics, we hit:

• NHL news and weekly recap

• NFL Combine preview and players to watch

• PGA recap as Ryan finally gets his first win of the season

• Cognizant Classic preview

And of course:

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm

Honest takes. No sugarcoating. A lot to unpack.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(04:02) — Draft or Dump

(8:49) — Almost at 100 subscribers

(10:32) — NHL Clean Up

(13:00) — Quarter-Finals to Sem-Finals

(18:34) — Gold Medal Game

(46:44) — NFL Combine + NFL News

(53:40) — Genesis Recap + Cognizant Classis draft

(58:57) – Betting Segments

Episode 56 of Buds Mafia is basically an Olympic hockey emergency pod.

With the NHL paused, we go all-in on Olympic hockey, breaking down everything that’s happened so far and what’s coming next as we head into the quarterfinals.

We get into:

• Is the Celebrini–McDavid–MacKinnon line already the best line hockey has ever seen?

• Where Celebrini already ranks among the NHL’s elite

• Team Canada’s dominance so far and what still worries us

• Crosby’s ridiculous Team Canada record

• USA’s JT Miller decision and whether it actually makes sense

• Matthew Tkachuk chirping Leon

• Olympic stat leaders and standout performances across the tournament

We recap the games so far:

• Canada rolling, Sweden struggling, Finland owning them

• Slovakia’s run and Slafkovsky going nuclear

• USA’s inconsistency and chemistry issues

• Goaltending takes, depth concerns, and lineup tweaks

Outside the Olympics, we hit some NHL housekeeping:

• Leafs trade talk and why OEL isn’t moving for cheap

• Brandon Bussi’s extension and why it matters

Then we pivot to:

• NFL news and offseason chaos

• PGA recap from Pebble Beach

• Genesis Invitational preview

• PGA Draft update (Jackson up 3–0, Ryan is cooked)

And of course:

• Lock of the Week

• Bet the Farm (still painful)

Unfiltered takes. Olympic overreactions. Zero corporate nonsense. You know the drill.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 📱 

Follow us everywhere → @budsandpucks 

⏱️ CHAPTERS 

(00:00) — Intro 

(04:45) — Draft or Dump

(11:18) — NHL News

(15:45) — Olympic Hockey Updates

(37:38) — Canadian Olympic Updates

(42:58) — NFL News

(47:30) — Pebble Beach Recap and Genesis Preview

(50:51) — Betting Segments