Winning would cure everything for Oilers

It's been the same story for too long with the Oilers, and it seems both the players and media have had enough.

Video Transcript

JUSTIN CUTHBERT: Well, this week, the story this week is Leon Draisaitl versus longtime reporter Jim Matheson. The two stepped into the ring Tuesday during what was another Oilers press conference that did not go the way public relations had envisioned it.

And it led to you know, what was ultimately a meaningless conversation or spat, but it also produced-- it was also something that produced a million takes on the media, and the relationship between media and players, and the relationship between the media and Edmonton, and the players in Edmonton.

But here's my take on it, a million and one take on this, and I guess it's sort of measured, it's not really a hot take. That both Draisaitl and Matheson, they were right and wrong in this situation. Did Matheson start into a reasonable line of questioning? Sure, he did.

The media fraternity that's rushing to the defense of him can lean into that all they want, and they should lean into it. But did he become emotional? Did he overstep his bounds? Did he act as though his resume provided grounds or the basis to act adversarial in a moment where he's supposed to be nothing but professional? Of course, of course, he did.

But on the other side, Does Draisaitl, superstar player, have the right to challenge the questions. He's being asked and refused to take the bait? Of course. But was he mature in that moment? Of course not. One of the million takes that has spawned from this is that the relationship between media and players has been damaged by the fact that they are separate now, and they can't have private face to face conversations anymore.

And that this is contributing to the sort of stress that's both on them and the players, and of course, these two factions are colliding. I do think there's something to that however, what's crazy or craziest about this clip is that Matheson and Draisaitl we're looking at each other dead in the eye when they exchanged these fireworks, these body blows, whatever you want to call them.

This wasn't the product of the natural effects of communicating through technology, or the Ether, that is the internet. Folks act a little tougher. They're a little bit more emboldened. They'd say things they wouldn't say to people face to face because there are no consequences to doing so on the internet.

But this was just an immensely frustrated player, probably at the peak of his frustration, locking horns with the sort of journalist who's built up at least enough cache in his mind to say what he wants, when he wants, and to not fear the recourse of public relations, like most people would.

I would never say pissy or accuse someone of being pissy at a Maple Leafs Press Conference when and if I do in fact, end up in one of those seats by the end of this season or any time soon. It is a special sort of arrogance I'd say to even overstep those bounds or even think of overstepping those bounds. But in reality, this was happening, pandemic or not.

Because it wasn't a product of them being separated by a webcam and a microphone, this was real deal stuff. It is the internet though, which takes this sort of thing to the next level because this was cut and shared in a blink of the eye and spread and became much bigger than it ever should have been.

It take-- it has taken on a life form, and maybe a life form that has brought it past the threshold of possible repair. Maybe though, maybe it is possible. Somewhere down the line, pandemic or not, that these two can sit down have a laugh. But that would require some sort of success to be had in Edmonton. And when it boils down to it, is that not the real issue here? Anyway.