On the fifth episode of the Hockey Writers Podcast, we bring in two insiders with two teams who have been front a center in the world of hockey news lately. Our two special guests are Sean Shapiro of The Athletic who covers the Dallas Stars and Reid Wilkins of the Edmonton Oilers and 630 CHED.
What to Expect on the Podcast This Week…
No two teams have been more front and center than the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers this week. In one city, the CEO called out two of its star players and set the hockey world on fire with the colorful language used to describe their play. In another city, the GM has been making trades and moves in an attempt to stop a five-game losing streak, adding depth on their blue line but in the process picking up a player who has a heated history with the star of the team.
Segment 1: Sean Shapiro – The Athletic
After the week that was in Dallas, we felt it was imperative we bring in the man who broke the story on Dallas Stars CEO Jim Lites ripping into Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin and blasting them for their big contracts but lack of production. It was a huge story that exploded, not just in Dallas, but across the NHL.
We asked Shapiro how that interview with Lites came about, what sense he got from the tone of it, what it was like to write that story and where things will go in Dallas moving forward. Will this interview have a lingering effect on the team? Is this something the team should worry about and is there an underlying feeling that one of Benn or Seguin might be traded?
Shapiro suggests this could be an interesting story as the team goes on the road and the two players in question are repeatedly asked about their CEO’s comments.
Related: THW Podcast – Ep. 4: Top 5 Stories of 2018 NHL Season
Segment 2: Reid Wilkins of 630 CHED
In our second interview, we traveled to Edmonton where we chatted with Reid Wilkins of 630 CHED. We asked Reid all about the trades the Oilers recently made as they picked up Alex Petrovic and Brandon Manning in an effort to try and shore up their blue line. We asked about the uncertainty in Edmonton moving forward and we discussed the topic of star players like McDavid and how much power they should have on decisions like trades, especially when they include acquiring a player like Brandon Manning, who had a heated history with the star of the team.
We recorded this podcast live from Phoenix, AZ after watching the Oilers finally win a game and McDavid had another three points, with two goals and an assist. It was a well-played game by the Oilers in a must-win situation.
Can the Oilers keep things up? Will the new bodies on the blue line be enough to push the Oilers towards a playoff spot?
Related: THW Podcast – Ep. 3: Lightning, Penguins, and NHL Officiating with Kerry Fraser One-on-One
We thank both Sean Shapiro and Reid Wilkins for taking the time to chat with us and we hope everyone had a great New Year’s holiday and wonderful Christmas. We’d love to have you subscribe to our podcast, check it out on anchor.fm or any of the below platforms:
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