Craig MacTavish meeting the media

[CupofOil]

"Much better in our zone?
Only 3-4 pieces away?
100% confidence in coaching staff?"

... and here I thought MacT had some brains.

I never understood where people got this idea from, because he has an MBA?
He certainly never showed much smarts as a coach or GM.

Also, to those of you who only want to deal the pick for an elite player, how else do you expect to improve the team? You can't always hold out for the best deal possible because those deals rarely happen. There's a reason why Tambo and MacT have failed, it's because they overvalue their own assets then wind up holding onto them and never improve the team as a result because they're looking for the perfect deal (Smid deal notwithstanding).

I don't care if they deal the pick in a quantity for quality deal. This team needs immediate help in the worst way and if the Oilers have to trade a talented asset (whether it be the pick or one of the Big 4) for several good but not as talented support players who fill needs then so be it.

 

[Beerfish]

We are heading in the right direction, be patient!

 

[OilerFan4Life]

My favorite part of HF:

MacT adament he won't trade the core but the 1st is in play.

and...

Posters start proposing deals where we're trading core pieces.


Never change HF, never change.

 

[SeriousBusiness]

Didn't read the first 10 pages of this thread, but I can guess what direction it went.

Personally, I'm happy MacT finally spoke publicly. It should have happened a couple weeks ago, but better late than never.

I think he understands where the weaknesses are, and would love to fix it. His openness to trading draft picks to get a stud dman is encouraging.

I know we hate on the overall management team here all the time, and rightfully so. But MacT has done a good job as GM IMO. The players he's brought in this offseason have been our best players many nights. Perron, Gordon, Belov, Joensuu. I am confident in his ability to make moves that will improve our team.

What is of concern is how closely he's willing to listen to the rest of the clowns in the front office.

 

[bauer]

MacTavish also addressed Edmonton's player needs, starting with their defence corps.

"The blueline needs to be improved upon... do we need a big stud defenceman? It would help immensely," said MacTavish.

But MacTavish explained that he's not willing to part with one of his team's core pieces at this time.

so... let me get this straight. Mac says the blueline needs to be improved and they could use a big stud defenseman BUT.. he doesn't want to trade anything of value to get it. the only thing the Oilers have of value to other teams is those core pieces. it's impossible for them to get much better without trading one (or more) of them.

 

[joestevens29]

Look he's sticking by the coaching staff and is confident in the long term outlook of the team to become a strong Stanley Cup contender. His words (paraphrased).


He sees obvious holes in the team especially defensively as they aren't a competitive NHL defensive team at this stage in his view but he said the team needs to work through this and to keep pushing as what the coaches are preaching is what the players need to learn. Again paraphrasing.

My point is that from his comments he's looking at minor tweaks rather than large blow up moves. I doubt anyone can argue he inferred anything different than that.

It's a combination the team needs to work on things and he needs to add. Adding Weber isn't going to stop the kids from making stupid passes that they should. It's not going to stop Petry from getting completely beat or stop Justin Schultz from making the wrong pinch. It's not going to stop Dubnyk from allowing weak goals in, it's not going to stop Eakins from playing Gagner over Arcobello etc....

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

mactavish is such a loser it boggles my mind this guy is employed

you dont know our owner

 

[Hand of Gaudreau]

"talk is cheap"
-MacT April 15, 2013

so MacT spouts off about nothing really today

and lol @ Brossoit being a future #1...of course they think he is, cause Bob Green said so and had him on a stacked Oil Kings roster!

I can tell you this with brutally perfect honesty and not meaning to troll in any way, that there are very few out there outside of Oiler management that believe Brossoit is going to be an NHL starting goalie. A backup? Quite possibly, but he is extraordinarily inconsistent and mentally fragile, while not being nearly strong enough laterally on top of that. I don't mean to be mean, or rub salt in any open wounds, but that is just what we have seen from Brossoit, through all of our prospect camps, tourneys, preseasons, and in his single AHL game to date.(Lost 9-3, let in all 9) Also, being from Edmonton, I had plenty of opportunities to watch him with the Oil Kings, and I never saw him as being anything particularly special, even being a Flames prospect, though I loved when he did well.

 

[dustrock]

he's already in a bind with this team thanks to Tambo and he's in the worst possible position to be making a trade.

you think he's going to say "yes, absolutely we're looking at trading core pieces"? Seriously? Teams already know we're desperate, he has to downplay that as much as possible.

He needed to make this press conference but he said exactly what we all expected and nothing else. At least he wasn't tipping his hand, a la Hemsky & Horcoff.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I haven't had a chance to listen to the presser, is it time to head for the high level?

 

[Soundwave]

IMO EDM 1st 2014, Yakupov, and perhaps Gagner will be dealt at or around the draft next year (together or in separate deals).

He's not going to move any of Hall/Eberle/RNH/Schultz.

 

[joestevens29]

so... let me get this straight. Mac says the blueline needs to be improved and they could use a big stud defenseman BUT.. he doesn't want to trade anything of value to get it. the only thing the Oilers have of value to other teams is those core pieces. it's impossible for them to get much better without trading one (or more) of them.

I'm pretty sure you put our 1st and Klefbom on the block and this team can find some pretty good pieces.

 

[SeriousBusiness]

I think a 1st, which will likely be a top 3 choice, plus another prospect could get us a dman that would help us out immensely.

 

[Beerfish]

he's already in a bind with this team thanks to Tambo and he's in the worst possible position to be making a trade.

you think he's going to say "yes, absolutely we're looking at trading core pieces"? Seriously? Teams already know we're desperate, he has to downplay that as much as possible.

He needed to make this press conference but he said exactly what we all expected and nothing else. At least he wasn't tipping his hand, a la Hemsky & Horcoff.

What bull feathers. The time honored oiler fan and media tradition of blaming every thing on the last guy. You think this mess is Tambos fault? MacT this off season did exactly what Tambo did each year, add a bunch of anciliary guys to the team with little results. Even his one 'big' move of trading mps and a 2nd for Perron we picked up a guy who is a carbon copy of our existing team, small, skilled, injury prone.

 

[AlowlyMcOilersfan]

I haven't had a chance to listen to the presser, is it time to head for the high level?

That would be much too bold.

 

[Oilfan2]

I can tell you this with brutally perfect honesty and not meaning to troll in any way, that there are very few out there outside of Oiler management that believe Brossoit is going to be an NHL starting goalie. A backup? Quite possibly, but he is extraordinarily inconsistent and mentally fragile, while not being nearly strong enough laterally on top of that. I don't mean to be mean, or rub salt in any open wounds, but that is just what we have seen from Brossoit, through all of our prospect camps, tourneys, preseasons, and in his single AHL game to date.(Lost 9-3, let in all 9) Also, being from Edmonton, I had plenty of opportunities to watch him with the Oil Kings, and I never saw him as being anything particularly special, even being a Flames prospect, though I loved when he did well.

No problem. That's what the majority of fans around here are saying as well. There are a few, as there always is, that think the Oil management and themselves know better than the majority but, as usual, they'll be proved wrong.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Asher]

IMO EDM 1st, Yakupov, and perhaps Gagner will be dealt at or around the draft next year (together or in separate deals).

I agree on the 1st two. For whatever reason, I think MacT sees Gagner as part of his core group of players.

 

[Soundwave]

I agree on the 1st two. For whatever reason, I think MacT sees Gagner as part of his core group of players.

I think it may also be more that he gave Gagner his word, lol, also that they are paper thin at center depth so that might spare Gagner.

 

[Beerfish]

The thing people are forgetting when talking about making the big deal is not the value we can offer it's who wants to make a trade. Teams that have high end Dmen and big forwards with skill are not offering them up as in many cases they either are contending or are terrified of letting go the face of the franchise which may piss off fans. (Not every team in this league has sell outs.)

A vast majority of trade proposals out there are not viable, not because of what the oilers are going to offer but because the player being talked about is not available. The odd time a prime guy may become available but then there is huge competition to get him.

 

[Moose Coleman]

What bull feathers. The time honored oiler fan and media tradition of blaming every thing on the last guy. You think this mess is Tambos fault?

Yeah you're right, it's all on the guy whose been GM for six months, not the guy who was here for five years.

 

[Oilfan2]

I'm pretty sure you put our 1st and Klefbom on the block and this team can find some pretty good pieces.

I think a 1st, which will likely be a top 3 choice, plus another prospect could get us a dman that would help us out immensely.

That trade needed to be made last season, in the summer or during the first 15 games when the reward would have helped this season. At this point, why bother? No matter who you get it isn't going to make the least bit of difference in this season, except to maybe make the draft pick worse which won't help the Oil.

Unless you're getting an OEL, Subban, Piets or Weber, keep it and draft the stud D that everyone outside of the Edmonton brain thrusts knows will be avialble to them in June.

 

[Billybaroo*]

What bull feathers. The time honored oiler fan and media tradition of blaming every thing on the last guy. You think this mess is Tambos fault? MacT this off season did exactly what Tambo did each year, add a bunch of anciliary guys to the team with little results. Even his one 'big' move of trading mps and a 2nd for Perron we picked up a guy who is a carbon copy of our existing team, small, skilled, injury prone.

I dunno. That rationale seems to work for a lot on this board when it comes to Yak. Like its everybody else fault. The Media, his teammates, coaches. Everybody but Yak

 

[Beerfish]

Yeah you're right, it's all on the guy whose been GM for six months, not the guy who was here for five years.

lol let me guess nothing was tambos fault when he was here according to you and the happy brigade right? nothing was rennies fault, nothing was krugers fault, nothing is mact's fault.

This is why the optimists club on this site and in the media is such a sheer and utter joke. MacT will be gone some time, the next guy will be in line and then you'll be saying....what! Are you saying it is Buckys fault that mact screweed up the oilers?

 

[SeriousBusiness]

That trade needed to be made last season, in the summer or during the first 15 games when the reward would have helped this season. At this point, why bother? No matter who you get it isn't going to make the least bit of difference in this season, except to maybe make the draft pick worse which won't help the Oil.

Unless you're getting an OEL, Subban, Piets or Weber, keep it and draft the stud D that everyone outside of the Edmonton brain thrusts knows will be avialble to them in June.

We want a stud dman now, not a stud dman that might pan out 3, 4, 5 years down the road.

 

[McOilbleeder]

I have no confidence that if these guys trade our 1st round pick, we'll get anything in terms of fair value back.

Tactical and positional improvement? Well I guess the next 10 or so games will prove if we're better. An improvement in goal and if we're better positionally, we shouldn't be averaging close to 4 GA/game. So we'll see.

I mean, it was another "well we're struggling now, but we'll be better" talk, but I'm scared of these guys trying to trade our 1st. I have no faith that they'll actually get fair value for it at all.