{"podcast":{"title":"NHL Wraparound Podcast","slug":"nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","podcast_index_feed_id":6738916,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/nhl-wraparound-podcast/","website_url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/b1f011ee-519a-4697-8650-bceee856df78/EY-HiA10QW6j_adqQ0EhGDtC.png","author":"Neil Smith & Vic Morren","episode_count":500,"summary":"Breadth and depth. Contemporary and historical. Straight-forward and experienced. The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League. Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past. With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you enterta…","last_synced_at":"2026-10-03T08:23:06.458636+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916"},"episode":{"title":"Summer Coolers – New York Islanders","slug":"summer-coolers-new-york-islanders","published_at":"2026-09-12T03:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/summer-coolers-new-york-islanders","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm/episode/summer-coolers-new-york-islanders","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/5b2655c8-b208-4746-9a24-1f68824b282f.mp3","summary":"Summer Coolers – New York Islanders The New York Islanders enter 2026-27 looking remarkably similar to the team that missed the playoffs last season—with one major exception: longtime captain Anders Lee is gone. After finishing sixth in the Metropolitan Division with 91 points, the Islanders turn to Peter DeBoer behind the bench. Neil Smith and Vic Morren question whether DeBoer can squeeze more out of a roster that made few significant offseason additions. Ilya Sorokin remains an elite foundation in goal, Matthew Schaefer looks like a future superstar, and several promising prospects are coming, but is there enough improvement to get the Islanders back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs? IN THIS EPISODE: [00:00:00] The Islanders finish with 91 points and sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season. [00:00:20] Peter DeBoer takes over behind the bench after replacing Patrick Roy with four games remaining last season. [00:00:35] Some team statistics improve, particularly the penalty kill, which makes an impressive jump from 31st to 10th overall. [00:00:50] The power play remains a major weakness, improving only slightly from 31st to 30th. [00:01:00] The Islanders make no offseason trade acquisitions. Tony DeAngelo re-signs for two years at $4.5 million, while Matias Maccelli arrives from Toronto. [00:01:15] Vitek Vanecek signs a one-year deal after playing in Utah, providing insurance given the uncertainty surrounding Semyon Varlamov. [00:01:30] The biggest departure is captain Anders Lee, who leaves for Utah. Backup goaltender David Rittich also departs for New Jersey. [00:01:45] Vic’s assessment is straightforward: this looks like essentially the same Islanders team as last season, except now it has lost its captain. [00:02…","meta_description":"Summer Coolers – New York Islanders The New York Islanders enter 2026-27 looking remarkably similar to the team that missed the playoffs last season—with…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":289,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/episodes/summer-coolers-new-york-islanders/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/summer-coolers-new-york-islanders.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}