Darren Dreger

There's a narrative out there that, okay, maybe the stars didn't align.

So McDavid and Dreisaitl didn't necessarily align with the coaching philosophy of Chris Knobloch.

No, I think we're saying the same thing.

I don't buy that for a minute.

So we hear Connor McDavid speak the way he did and Leon Dreisaitl just...

dropped the gauntlet in his end-of-year media address, that's directed at Jeff Jackson and Stan Bowman, his general manager.

That's not directed at coaching.

That's saying, look, you took a swing at goaltending and missed.

Missed.

And a piece that you had to throw into the deal, Brett Kulak, is now a pretty big player for the Colorado Avalanche.

And it created a whole...

In our defensive group.

So a miss, right?

So how are you going to fix those roster problems?

That was the frustration that was bubbling out of Leon Dreisaitl and Connor McNevin.

Two good players.

And look, I mean, Daryl Cates, the owner of the Edmonton Oilers, is as demanding an owner as there is.

I'm not saying that he felt like there needed to be some bloodletting in the disappointment of this season.

But it kind of has that feel to it, right?

And, you know, in talking to those who have worked in Edmonton and worked for this owner, even though they've been slow and methodical through their process, as Stan Bowman alluded to, at the end of the day, come on, you're firing a guy that's going into a three-year contract extension?