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

Jack Han joins me for a brand new WhyHockey show to talk about not just his new Hockey Tactics 2026 book (which you can buy here), but plenty more about the evolution of NHL X’s and O’s in the 2025-26 season and more including:

2:15: Jack’s experience at the HALO analytics conference in Denver

9:15: Have the Panthers changed anything tactically because of their injury crisis that can be carried over to next year when they’re healthier?

14:00: How does Jack expect the playoffs to evolve tactically, particularly in the East with the Panthers not there?

23:00: What is Jack most interested in watching heading to the playoffs?

26:15: What’s been reenforced for Jack writing his book for seven years?

32:45: What is Jack’s advice for rebuilding the Maple Leafs front office?

The Panthers did lose in the end to the Habs because they scored right after we stopped recording, but in a shootout. It happens.

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 is back for a new WhyHockey show in an unfamiliar spot for the Panthers: playing out the string. How do the Panthers go forward from here? We look at that and more including:

5:00: Matt is mildly amused by some stories around Pride nights and Heated Rivalry adjacent stuff

15:00: Boy this Panthers season has completely collapsed, hasn’t it?

28:00: An early preview of some Panthers offseason roster decisions

45:20: If you’re watching these games and following Mike Benning, what should you be looking for in his game?

59:00: Are we going to see one of the Checkers goalies get a NHL game or two?

1:03:30: The rest of the league and the wild playoff picture

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

David Dwork of the Hockey News and the Hockey Show joins me to go over how quiet the Panthers trade deadline turned out, plus plenty on the future for this team including:

2:30: Was this an unsurprisingly quiet trade deadline for the Panthers?

9:15: The Sergei Bobrovsky trade rumors stumped Matt

14:15: What could a new Bobrovsky contract with the Panthers look like if he signs?

26:45: A Bam Adebayo diversion

28:45: Are the Panthers “tanking” by load managing and shutting down players and does it really matter if they are considering their circumstances?

33:30: A philosphical discussion on whether missing the playoffs in seasons like this is “better” than going out in Round 1 or not

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

Enjoy the show!

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

It’s time for a new WhyHockey show right as the Olympics get underway, but there are Florida Panthers items to attend to first. We get to a lot on this show including:

4:30: Should the Panthers throw in the towel on the 2025-26 postseason?

13:30: The load bearing injury for the Panthers? Seth Jones.

26:15: Is Mackie Samoskevich going to be a Panther next eason? How did we get here?

47:00: The Panthers goaltending has fallen apart. What do they have to do next season in net?

1:01:45: What are the Flyers doing with Matvei Michkov?

1:12:40: The shortest Olympic preview ever

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:

If you want to listen to the show I referenced with Igor Larionov II, click right here.

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

On the newest WhyHockey show, Tommy headed to Detroit for Sergei Fedorov’s jersey retirement night and he talks about the experience here plus much more including:

0:00: Tommy’s experience at Sergei Fedorov’s jersey retirement night

13:00: Gary Bettman (and Matt’s sister) binged Heated Rivalry! What a world!

18:30: The Panthers finally get Matthew Tkachuk back. Is it enough to get on the run they need to make a firmer playoff push?

26:45: Why haven’t the Panthers been able to go on a winning streak like many in the East have? Why is that consistency not there?

41:00: There’s a Panthers standard that hasn’t been met in more games this season than usual

47:00: Tommy on the Flyers, brace for impact

1:09:45: Rasmus Andersson to Vegas, and explaining a type of defensemen

Note that since we recorded this the afternoon of the 19th, no goalie fight discussion on this show. Podcaster’s curse.

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