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Oiler’s GM MacTavish Has A Funny Bone

by Lisa Brown on 03/03/15 at 10:47 AM ET
Comments (2)

Edmonton Oilers GM Craig MacTavish was relatively quiet trade deadline day. Trading only the expected player, Jeff Petry to the Montreal Canadiens for a couple of picks in this year’s draft, MacT started the day off doing what was expected. What wasn’t expected came at his press conference Monday afternoon.

Speaking to the media, MacT indicated that he felt that his defencive core moving forward was in fine shape. Wrong. Trading Jeff Petry without having another player to take his place means that the Oilers are worse off than they were with Jeff Petry. Of course the team would not have been able to re-sign Petry, but that is the team’s issue. That’s what needs to be addressed, and shockingly, this should have been realised, addressed, and moved on from last year if not the year before!

Perhaps most comical however, was MacT admitting that Nikita Nikitin didn’t come to camp in shape, but that he is one of the team’s top four defencemen; that he is a top four NHL defenceman. This is where you would insert a sitcom laugh track as the local sports radio station has in their playback of the press conference.

Of course MacT is an intelligent man, perhaps he thinks that the fans, the players, and anyone else listening is picking up his sarcasm? Perhaps he thinks that we have to know that he is kidding and that he is on this. He could also be talking Nikitin up so that some unknowing GM who hasn’t done his homework may feel that his team can’t go a single day of the 2015-16 NHL season without Nikitin on their blueline. Of course, funnier yet, he may be dead serious. MacT may truly believe that this is the best his team can be moving forward and that no further moves need to be made.

Despite the fact that not much happened for the Oilers trade deadline day, I have to give MacT a passing grade based solely on the day. Not the fact that he let the Petry situation come down to a trade deadline day, but that he was able to move the upcoming UFA defenceman for something is better than the alternative. For dealing with the Petry situation, MacT of course gets a fail. If you know that there is something about a player that you don’t like, something about his game or character that you don’t like and you don’t want him on your team, you do what you can to remedy the situation as soon as you know that’s how you feel!

As for Petry, he will have the time of his life playing his first playoff games in Montreal this spring. Lucky him. 

Filed in: Edmonton Oilers, | Oil Patch | Permalink
  Tags: craig+mactavish, jeff+petry

Comments

Lisa Brown's avatar

That’s a good point, but Petry was a home grown/developed player. Who’s to say whether or not the other D-men are going to work out, or whether or not they will just get traded on another trade deadline day.

Yes I did! Had a fall orange and blue wedding and we are expecting our first hockey fan at the end of July.

Posted by Lisa Brown on 03/03/15 at 11:06 AM ET

mrfluffy's avatar

Congrats!

Posted by mrfluffy from the phone, calling Detroit, telling them it's on 03/03/15 at 03:41 PM ET

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Lisa McRitchie is a fairly new writer, online at least, but makes up for inexperience with passion for the game of hockey and memories of Mrs. Leskiw’s English AP class; who knew they would pay off one day.

Oil Patch focuses on the Edmonton Oilers, the Edmonton Oil Kings, The Oklahoma City Barons and Team Canada Hockey with game coverage, news updates, speculation and interviews.

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