Mike McDaniel leads a different mindset that began at the final team meeting of last season and has elicited strong player response. The general manager and coach set locker-room expectations, soliciting input from team leaders but retaining final responsibility for locker-room structure and discipline. Bill Zito and Matthew Tkachuk brought the Stanley Cup and emphasized the importance of locker-room uniqueness and closeness. Darren Waller, acquired via trade from the New York Giants after retiring last year, has been working and running in practice activities and is not currently battling an injury. The front office and coach appear to be charting a different path for 2025.
"We don't really talk to players about what we want the locker room to look like," he said. "When Mike and I talk, this is what it's going to be. Obviously when that's laid out, we talk to the leaders of the team and say 'This is how it's going to be' and we do take input from them, but at the end of day it falls on Mike and I for the locker room and how things are handled in there."
"Bill Zito brought the Stanley Cup over," Grier began, "Bill is a friend of mine for a while, he actually tried to sign my brother when he was a player, when he was an agent to sign my brother. Bill and Matthew Tkachuk came over and talked about how the uniqueness and closeness of a locker room is so important."
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