There are a lot of negative things floating around the internet Oilers wise right now, and for the most part it is all warranted. The fanbase is frustrated, the players are frustrated, the team keeps losing, and some different off-ice issue seems to pop up at least once a year, with this year’s side attraction being the Nail Yakupov/Igor Larionov comment machine.
Oilers fans have been pointing fingers at almost everyone, trying to find the scapegoat for a season that crashed and burned much earlier and worse than we all expected. Most of the finger pointing is directed in the right direction, but I’ve seen a lot of pointing in the wrong direction, the direction of Oilers GM Craig MacTavish.
Most just see him as another member of the Old Boys Club, but I don’t see Mac in that regard, in fact I actually see MacTavish as the perfect fit for this team and the right guy for the job. People will point to the standings, but I can’t, and I won’t, blame Craig for the mess on the ice right now.
WHY ISN’T THIS ON HIM HUH?!?!
It’s simple actually. Put the pitchforks and torches down and realize something, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Oilers fans, we need to have patience with Craig MacTavish. I know that really sucks because it’s been eight years, but it’s the sad reality of the situation. This is still very much Steve Tambellini’s roster, and it’s quite clear that doesn’t fit the plan in place right now.
Changing up an entire roster, or close to it, can’t happen in just one off-season, it just can’t. Mac brought in his guy as coach and they basically brought with them a totally new identity and playing style. The players have to fit that model, and for the most part they don’t. That being said, this was a roster that was built for a different style and can’t be totally changed in one swipe.
No one fixes a problem all at once, no one. What MacT did this summer was pretty good, and you can see his additions being key contributors. It’s the leftovers that are killing this club right now, the guys left around from the Tambellini era.
MacT has a vision for this team that seems to be one that will bring better days, and he is currently constructing the roster that he feels is needed. It’s going to take time to build, and we can’t judge him on just a few short months. He’s been pretty active since taking over, and he’s seemingly fell short on a few deals (Schneider, Coburn) that would have improved the squad further.
I think we can safely suggest this team will look even more different next October and more geared towards MacT’s vision. You have to let him build that, and he simply hasn’t been able to yet. He shouldn’t take blame for a short time period to fix a major mess.
What Have You Done for Me Lately?
MacT has actually done a really good job lately with this team. During the summer he moved out Ralph Krueger and brought in a guy that fits his vision, Dallas Eakins. Say what you will about Eakins so far, but he’s a coach that wants hard-working players and runs a system oriented game. Remember he struggled mightily year one in the AHL too.
MacT cleared out dead weight players like Nikolai Khabibulin, Mark Fistric, Theo Peckham, Ryan Whitney and Eric Belanger, while also moving out Shawn Horcoff’s terrible contract and upgrading a young piece in Magnus Paajarvi.
He added David Perron through trade in what looks like a steal of a deal, for Paajarvi and a pick. He added Boyd Gordon, a perfect third line center for the team, and replaced Lennart Petrell with Jesse Joensuu, who’s been a good add when healthy.
He added a solid veteran in Andrew Ference, who when in his right role is a great add. In MacT’s vision it looks like Ference is further down the depth-chart (Apparent by the search for a top tier guy), but he was still able to secure the veteran. He added defensive depth and gave guys like Mark Arcobello a vote of confidence.
He’s also been quick acting too, adding goalie depth in the forms of Ilya Bryzgalov, Chet Pickard and Laurent Brossoit. He also is active in the rumor mill and appears to be, according to people like Darren Dreger, Bob McKenzie and the fourth period, looking for more help.
In his short amount of time, he’s done a good job turning the roster over.
Okay, So What’s Next?
For the Oilers? I suspect a turnaround on the ice later this month as they figure out the system and adapt. For MacT? I suspect he and Eakins will be working closely to figure out which players fit the plan. They’ve started weeding out guys (Smid, Labarbera) and I suspect they will continue this process throughout the season, and move guys accordingly.
I also think we’ll see the Oilers make some additions, adding players that fit the mold and fill the major holes, like top-tier defenders, veterans and power-forwards.
Mr. MacTavish has a vision and is trying to build the roster that fits the new plan. He’s an impatient guy, and a guy who wants success badly. He’s only had a short time to build this thing, and people need to be aware of that.
Give MacTavish time, because I firmly beleive he is the right man for the job.
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