Nov 5, 2026 · 1h 36m
San Jose and Chicago confront rebuilds without defensive answers
Who's Got It Worse Than Us? Nobody!
The episode tests whether struggling rebuilds can survive poor structure and mounting coaching pressure while weighing difficult roster decisions elsewhere.
- 1San Jose and Chicago’s defensive failures have turned rebuilding patience into an immediate coaching question.
- 2Steve Peters argues both organizations may need structural change, not merely more time for young players to develop.
- 3Boston’s prospects, Buffalo’s line chemistry, and a possible Nikita Kucherov move broaden the episode’s focus beyond two crises.
Don't miss
Steve Peters explains why San Jose and Chicago may need coaching changes despite being in rebuilds, tying their defensive failures to roster construction.
The brief
San Jose’s seven-goal loss to Los Angeles and a players-only meeting expose a deeper question: does the Sharks’ defensive identity fit their roster at all?
Chicago’s four-game skid and poor underlying numbers invite criticism from Paul Bissonnette, while Jeff Blashill faces pressure to create structure around a rebuilding team.
Steve Peters joins to argue that rebuilds do not excuse persistent defensive problems, assessing coaching changes, young centers, blue lines, and the culture Bruce Cassidy might bring.
The conversation widens to Boston’s young core, Peyton Krebs’s chemistry with Tage Thompson and Zach Benson, and whether Nikita Kucherov could plausibly leave Tampa Bay.
The episode closes with Ryan Reaves’s jokes about San Jose’s White House visit, a crowded NHL schedule, and the IIHF’s disputed international jersey rollout.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.