from John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal,

MacTavish said he remains convinced a core group of 8-9 players is on the right track for the Oilers, even as they struggle with a new defensive system, a new head coach and, clearly, with the opposition, night-in-night-out.

He said he will continue to work the phones and network with his counterparts around the league to secure the missing pieces the club needs, especially a wheelhorse defenceman, a rare, hard-to-acquire commodity in the NHL.

Further, MacTavish said he would be prepared to include the club’s first-round draft pick, which could be No. 1 overall the way the club is going, in a trade package for such a player.

“We don’t need another 18-year-old kid in here next year,” MacTavish said, in reference to the cluster of young stars the club has acquired by virtue of a series of last-place finishes.

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