Podcast Ombudsman Report for Blueshirt Bandwidth Ep. 91
From trade grades to goalie signings to Scott Morrow's future, the Ombudsman checks Joe and Eric's math this week—plus a hot dog debate no one asked for.
Welcome back to the Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast Ombudsman Report. Each week, Charlie Vidal will listen to the latest episode of the podcast and correct the record on anything Joe and Eric get wrong. If you aren't already, you can listen and subscribe to the podcast here.
Trocheck Return
Joe said that the return in the Vincent Trocheck trade was very good and that Durzi is just as good of a player as Trocheck. Centers are definitely more valuable than second- and third-pair defensemen, but HockeyStats.com has Durzi as a much better player, and Evolving-Hockey rated Trocheck as below-replacement level last season:
Given that the Rangers were seemingly committed to trading Trocheck, the right comparison is to what Minnesota was reported to have offered at the deadline. The Wild's offer was reportedly Charlie Stramel and a first round pick. Cole Beaudoin is a better prospect than Charlie Stramel:
Bjorkstrand vs Sheary
When discussing the Oliver Bjorkstrand signing, Joe said that Bjorkstrand is way better than Conor Sheary was. HockeyStats.com agrees:
Korpisalo Signing
When discussing the signing of Joonas Korpisalo, Eric mentioned that for the same price you could’ve just signed Stuart Skinner. Skinner probably thinks that there’s a chance that Connor Helleybuck is traded and then he will get a shot to be the starter in Winnipeg, while no such possibility exists with the Rangers.
The Scott Morrow Conversation
Eric said of the Rangers defensive situation that, “they clearly have much better options than Scott Morrow.” Looking at the HockeyStats.com projections for the various options that the Rangers have at the bottom of the defensive lineup, I’m not sure that this is the case:
Vincent Trocheck Son
The joke about Vincent Trocheck’s son not getting traded was from a media scrum back in February:
Vincent Trocheck said he has already talked to kids about the possibility of being traded to prepare them. His son, who is 7, had a legendary response, Trocheck said:
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) March 2, 2026
“My son was like, ‘Well, I’ll stay because, you know, I have a hockey team here, I didn’t get traded.’ "
Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?
Joe and Eric wrapped the show by attempting to answer, once and for all, whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich.
Per New York State Tax Bulletin ST-835 (TB-ST-835) tax law, which the New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden and under the jurisdiction of, the “What is Considered a Sandwich” section states”
Sandwiches include cold and hot sandwiches of every kind that are prepared and ready to be eaten, whether made on bread, on bagels, on rolls, in pitas, in wraps, or otherwise, and regardless of the filling or number of layers. A sandwich can be as simple as a buttered bagel or roll, or as elaborate as a six-foot, toasted submarine sandwich.
Some examples of taxable sandwiches include:
- hot dogs and sausages on buns, rolls, etc.;
