WhyHockey

Greg Wyshynski, one of our favorites at WhyHockey joins Matt for his almost annual start of season podcast appearance where they talk over these topics and more:

Writer’s Note: this was recorded before the Sharks game and thus Aleksander Barkov’s injury, so please keep that in mind as you listen.

3:00: Heated Rivalry and the NHL’s bizarre Booktok daliance

7:45: Greg’s thoughts on Jakob Markstrom and Panthers goaltending

15:30: A little love for Seth Jones

19:00: A further point on why goalies don’t seem to be valued as highly in this new cap world

22:15: A further coda to the Larkin and Hellebuyck situations

Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

The 2026-27 NHL season is almost here, and Tommy and I are back to sink our teeth into previewing the upcoming Panthers season from a bunch of different angles. We have questions we’re trying to answer on this show, including:

6:30: A brief note on Teddy Richards

12:45: Question 1 - How will we know that the Panthers are physically, mentally and emotionally sharp again after a season in which they weren’t sharp in any of these areas?

26:00: Question 2 - What will Brady Tkachuk’s role be when the Panthers reach the end of the season? How will you know that his role has been defined and what might that look like?

39:45: Tommy makes an incredible point on how Brady Tkachuk’s role impacts Barkov and whichever center he plays with.

45:20: Questions 3/4 - Can the Panthers rebuild/recreate the defensive environment that has won them two Cups? How do the two new goalies play into this?

1:01:30: Can Seth Jones work his way into Norris consideration? Hear us out, we’re not that crazy.

1:07:00: Question 5 - Is the motivation of new guys in the room, new guys without Cups in the room, enough to carry them during moments when they need the lift?

1:13:30: Quickie standings predictions for the Panthers

Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

Before we launch ourselves completely in our summer side hobbies, there’s a busy offseason for the Panthers and Flyers to talk about, which we do and more including:

8:00: We talked about Brady Tkachuk for a podcast, so how about an extended talk about the Panthers fourth liners?

23:45: Radko Gudas is back and so is Alex Petrovic

33:45: Jakob Markstrom is back! What do we expect from him and Akira Schmid?

51:45: Quick thought on the Panthers draft

55:30: The Ducks matched the Flyers offer sheet for Leo Carlsson! Where do both teams go from here?

Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

After Tommy and I reacted to the Brady Tkachuk trade from the Florida side of the equation, I wanted to get more of a Senators perspective on the trade and Julian McKenzie of the Athletic joined me to talk about his view of all the news and more including:

6:00: How has Julian digested the last few days of Senators news?

11:00: Brady Tkachuk’s unique impact as a Sens player, captain and piece of a long rebuild and that impact on the feelings towards his departure

17:15: Could this relationship have ended more amicably?

24:00: Steve Staios deciding to pull the chute when he did and how he did

27:45: Is there an actual problem with players wanting to stay and play in Canadian and some US markets right now, is it a perception issue or something else?

35:00: William Eklund thoughts

Enjoy the show!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

Julian is @jkamckenzie on Bluesky and Twitter

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

Yes, the Florida Panthers just traded for Brady Tkachuk, shortly after I wrote about the Mackie Samoskevich trade and not a week after doing a draft preview podcast expecting the Panthers to make it. Such is life. There is a lot for Tommy and I to sink our teeth into with the trade including:

4:15: So, the Panthers traded for Brady Tkachuk, eh? Starting with the pick compensation: is it an overpay?

13:15: Where does Brady actually fit into the Panthers forward group? Do the Panthers potentially have a team speed problem?

27:30: Why this package for Brady Tkachuk and not Larkin or Hellebuyck?

40:30: Why do these captains in “hockey markets” want to leave their teams right now? Bigger trend or moment in time?

54:00: More dynamics on why this was the best time for Brady Tkachuk to leave and how he’ll fit in the dressing room in Florida?

1:01:30: Other assorted thoughts

Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

Will Scouch, or Scouching, is one of WhyHockey’s favorite draft experts, and with the Panthers picking in the top 10 for the first time in forever, it was time to bring him back to the show to talk about how it might play out, including:

3:45: Which previous draft does this remind Will the most of?

9:15: The Leafs are taking McKenna first, right?

13:45: Will San Jose go for positional need at pick two?

19:15: How does the draft change based on what the Sharks might do?

23:00: So what should the Panthers do at nine if they haven’t traded it by then?

29:15: Who is Scouch’s ride or die player in this draft?

32:00: When does the first goalie go off the board?

34:15: Any surprises?

35:45: Favorite name in the draft this year

Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Will is @Scouching on Bluesky and Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

It’s June in the world of hockey, which means it’s time to talk the Cup Final, the Draft, the coaching carousel and more. Tommy and I sink our teeth into all of this including:

0:15: Cup Final observations

24:00: Dylan Larkin wants to be traded! Florida is one of the places he may want to be traded to! The Panthers shouldn’t do this!

38:45: The Oilers may want to hire Mike Babcock! They shouldn’t do this!

1:00:00: Tommy’s focused on four particular players at ninth overall for the Panthers

Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

Tommy and I have a lot to go over on the latest WhyHockey podcast, particularly over the Flyers playoff elimination and the Panthers sliding to ninth in the lottery. We pour over these topics and more including:

6:30: The Flyers got swept, and Michkov got scratched again

19:45: What do the Flyers have to do to take the next step in the playoffs?

40:00: Previewing the Panthers options at pick Nine

45:00: Albert Smits

51:00: Viggo Bjorck

57:25: Other names to keep an eye out for

1:12:00: Quick hits on the other playoff series

Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

Tommy and I have a lot of thoughts on the Flyers beating the Penguins, and so we wanted to do a show to spell those out. We did that and more including:

4:30: The Flyers won a series!

16:00: The Flyers did playoff hockey better than the Penguins, and here’s how

20:00: Do they have a decent chance to beat Carolina?

31:00: A respectable Flyers blue line

35:45: The Michkov discourse

50:00: Habs-Lightning talk

1:06:10: Oilers-Ducks talk (are the Oilers out yet? You’ll know when you listen to this!)

And much more. Enjoy the show!

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com

Tommy and I are back for the official end of the Panthers season, and there’s plenty to talk about, including:

9:15: How do we analyze the 2025-26 season for the Panthers now that it is mercifully over?

26:45: Panthers forwards breakdown

38:30: Panthers defensemen breakdown

45:10: Goalie breakdown. Is the Sergei Bobrovsky contract situation rockier than we think?

59:10: What does it mean that multiple members of the Panthers front office members are frontrunners to become GM’s elsewhere? (Recorded before the Devils officially hired Sunny Mehta, podcaster’s curse everyone)

1:10:00: A brief Flyers-Penguins preview

Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple Podcasts:

Spotify:

Follow us on social media:

Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram

WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter

Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com