Craig MacTavish: The Heat Is On

On Wednesday, the first real blockbuster of the 2014-15 NHL season took place between the Winnipeg Jets, and the rebuilding Buffalo Sabres. The deal sent elite goal scorer Evander Kane, D Zach Bogosian and a prospect to Buffalo in exchange for a 2015 first round pick, F Joel Armia, F Brendan Lemieux, D Tyler Myers and F Drew Stafford.

In my mind, the best player in this deal is Kane, while you can argue the second best player in Bogosian, a steady top-four defender who often gets overlooked in Winnipeg. At worst, the flip of Myers for Bogosian is a wash in my mind, with each guy established at the NHL level, but having a lot more to prove.

Without a doubt, this trade improves Winnipeg in the here and now (Kane is out for the season), but is absolutely swinging in Buffalo’s favor the second Kane hits the ice. The Sabres, a team in the middle of a rebuild, just expedited their process with a bold trade. Where have we heard that line before?

I bring you back to April of 2013, when Craig MacTavish took over as the GM of the Edmonton Oilers. In his first press conference, MacTavish made mention that the Oilers’ rebuilding process needed to be “expedited” with a bold move. That move, nearly two years later, has yet to come, and the ‘process’ has halted and even went backwards.

Kevin Lowe said back in the winter of 2011 that it would be a five year plan, while GM Tim Murray in Buffalo said two years. Five years later, Lowe’s Oilers are just as bad, while Murray’s Sabres appear to be gearing up for a solid 2015-16 campaign (Just a year and a half after proclaiming a two year process).

The Sabres will add the talented Kane to a line-up that will include one of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, and that will likely include 2014 2nd overall pick Sam Reinhart. In a weak Eastern Conference, Murray’s bold move to acquire Kane might help propel the Sabres back into the conversation for the last playoff spot as early as next season. Is it likely? Not without more additions, but it’s totally possible. This move moves the process forward.

This season, two rebuilding teams put their stamp on their processes. Calgary made a bold move in bringing in G Jonas Hiller and now sits in a playoff spot, while Buffalo just went out and got an elite five-on-five goal scorer. Edmonton’s plan? To trade it’s best defender, Jeff Petry, in the coming weeks prior to the trade deadline.

The only thing we’ve heard from Craig MacTavish? That he is content with a defense clearly out-matched and proven to have failed. He’s content with moving into next year with arguably the league’s worst blue-line group.

The clock is ticking in Edmonton now, there really is no debating that fact. The fans are restless and pretty pissed off, while the media is just flat out bashing the team at every single turn. Other rebuilding teams have either turned north, or made moves to position themselves for a quick turn north in the near future.

The Oilers? More of the same, and the mistakes keep rolling. Once Edmonton trades Petry, the 29th place team in the NHL will actually get worse, if you can believe that for a moment.

The pressure is on now. The heat is on GM Craig MacTavish. If the Evander Kane trade pushes Buffalo up the standings, and Edmonton continues to spin it’s wheels in the basement, only MacTavish should have to answer, answer with his job.

With the pressure on, it’s time for MacTavish to follow suit. All successful teams have those moments where they make a move to change things, and Edmonton needs that. After two years, it’s time for MacTavish to live up to his word and make that bold trade.

It’s time for Edmonton to move this process forward, and fast. Edmonton has assets, and there should be some real difference makers (Craig Anderson, Brent Seabrook) available this off-season. Failure to act should result in a new GM in my mind.

Enough of the talk, enough of the patience, enough of the spinning the wheels in last place. It’s time for Craig MacTavish to step up and deliver a massive deal to the Oilers to bolster this team and move it forward. Forget the patience narrative, it’s win now, and it should have been from day one.

The heat is on, Craig MacTavish must make a big move between now and training camp, not just to save this team, but to save his job. Spinning the wheels isn’t acceptable anymore, hell it never should have been. Get bold Craig, stand and deliver.