Craig MacTavish spent part of his day on Wednesday talking to a group of kids at the Edmonton Oilers hockey school. MacTavish is used to answering questions but this time he was the one asking them. When did the Oilers win their last Stanley Cup (1990)? Who was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner (Bill Ranford)? What team did they beat (Boston)? To the kids’ credit, they were able to come up with all the right answers. Now that’s what MacTavish is trying to do with the Oilers.
It’s been a busy few months since MacTavish took over from Steve Tambellini; the longtime Oilers employee has been working hard to transform the Oilers from long-suffering losers back to winners. His work hasn’t been bold but his Day-Timer has been busy. After nearly four months on the job, here’s where the Oilers are at.
He drafted Darnell Nurse with the seventh overall pick at the NHL draft, who he hopes can eventually help in the healing process.
They have a more than capable backup in net with Jason Labarbera and they have lots of depth on defence, although they are still missing a high-end blue-liner.
Up front the team hasn’t changed a whole lot, but the one change could be a sizeable one – that being the David Perron acquisition. What the Oilers have in common with Bono and U2 is they still haven’t found what they’re looking for when it comes to toughness.
Over the years they haven’t had the right player or the right tough guy — one who can play. Ben Eager was supposed to be that guy. It didn’t work out originally but MacTavish believes in second chances and Eager will get one.
What they do have is Ales Hemsky and what they don’t have is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I’ve lost track of all the Oilers who’ve had season-ending shoulder surgery but RNH was the latest. It looks like he won’t be ready for opening night. Hemsky will be. It was expected that would happen in another city with a different team. Listening to the Oilers GM on Wednesday, you get the feeling he’s hoping the trade you don’t make or can’t make ends up being the best move of all.
He wants to weed out complainers and he wants people who are willing to put in an honest effort. If you are in Edmonton just for the paycheck then he’ll tie your T4 slip to a pink slip and send you away. As the GM put it, shortcomings in your game are understandable. However there should be no shortcomings in your effort and attitude. MacTavish is leading by example with his effort and his attitude to make the Alberta capital a hockey hot spot even in the dead of winter.
The kids at the Edmonton Oilers hockey school weren’t exactly sure who MacTavish was until he explained his previous role as the team’s head coach. MacTavish is like those at the camp. He’s learning in his new job what it takes to be successful at hockey and to one day, in the near future, have different answers to the questions about Edmonton and the Stanley Cup.