It started out early, with a bang, as Jeff Petry was traded to Montreal for a pair of 2015 NHL draft picks. After that deal however, which occurred just before 7:00 AM MT, the Oilers were quiet. No other deals were completed, even though there was interest in F Teddy Purcell and D Andrew Ference.
The Petry deal is unfortunate, it really is. Regardless of what you think of him, he was Edmonton’s best defender, providing a complete game. He could move the puck, play the power-play and penalty kill, and played on Edmonton’s top-pairing in the toughest spots. Todd Nelson clearly trusted him too, evident by the high amounts of ice time handed to Petry.
The return is bad too for this club. The Oilers snagged a 2015 2nd round pick, along with a conditional 2015 5th rounder. Should Montreal win one round in the playoffs, it will become a 4th rounder, and if the Habs win two rounds, it will become a 3rd round pick.
The value is likely fair for Petry, no doubting that, but it’s still a poor return for Edmonton. The Oilers have been an awful team when it comes to drafting, and have wasted second round picks like candy the last few seasons with some of their selections. On top of that, the second round pick won’t be helpful for at least another three-to-five seasons, meaning fall of 2020. That’s kind of tough to take, really.
You developed Petry for eight and a half seasons, then dumped him for a pick that will likely be later than the one you used to select him with back in 2006 (Also a second). That’s poor asset management. Sure, he probably didn’t want to re-sign, but that’s what happens when you put together awful teams for a decade straight and you push the player around with low-ball offers while you pay guys like Nikita Nikitin.
This opens up another huge hole for Edmonton on the back-end, as the Oilers now only have one established NHL top-four option. That option is Mark Fayne, who is a solid second-pairing guy. Oscar Klefbom looks like a good bet in the top-four, but it’s early days. I’ll have a complete look at the defense moving forward tomorrow morning.
Overall, this deadline was boring for Edmonton, but we expected it. We knew Petry would go, and we knew the return could be underwhelming. We knew, because of injury, that Viktor Fasth wouldn’t be moved, and we knew it was unlikely that Teddy Purcell or Andrew Ference would get moved. We hoped, but we knew.
It’s still disappointing, but we understand it, to a degree. I wouldn’t have moved Eberle (Who had teams interested) or any of those guys today because it doesn’t make sense at the deadline, I get MacT’s inactivity there. As for his inactivity regarding Ference, it certainly seems like he missed a golden opportunity to shed an awful contract and a player that, quite frankly, is not very good right now.
My overall grade for today: D. MacT was unable to make a nifty little move and got a little less than I thought he could have for Petry. The D grade signifies that MacT was below average today, and while he didn’t fail, he wasn’t great. I think that’s a fair grade.
MacT’s Presser:
I want to talk about this for a second here. As per the usual, GM Craig MacTavish spoke to the media on Monday following the deadline. He outlined the Petry deal, and mentioned how he was disappointed that he couldn’t get a prospect for him as part of the deal. That wasn’t what caught my ears though.
MacTavish began to talk about next season, and it scared the living crap out of me. MacTavish mentioned he is excited for Oscar Klefbom and Justin Schultz to return next season, and specifically named D’s Mark Fayne, Andrew Ference and Nikita Nikitin as guys that he will count on for next year.
Personally, I think this is a mistake that could cost him his job. Nikitin has been awful when he has played this season, while Ference has eroded to the point where he is a liability when on the ice. This is a defense group that belongs on a lottery team, not a team hoping to improve, plain and simple.
Another thing MacT mentioned was this team being on the cusp of another decade of Oiler greatness. I appreciate MacT being excited, but this statement is just absurd. The Oilers are going on nine years of no playoffs, and you believe greatness is right around the corner? The team hasn’t been out of the basement for six straight seasons now, that’s pathetic!
There has been no improvement this season, and the roster is a mess. There is still no starting goalie, one top-four defender, and a bunch of boat anchors! There are more AHL’ers on this team than impact NHL players! Unless MacT has an off-season from heaven, this team is only destined for the basement again next season.
MacTavish said that the worst of times are in the rear-view mirror now, but I disagree with that statement too. We said this exact thing last year at this time, then things got worse this fall. Honestly, I think things could be just as bad, if not worse, next season if MacT is true to his word regarding his defensive group. I have zero faith in that group of players, and even less faith in MacT to be the guy that fixes it.
MacT also said that the Oilers need about three or four pieces, which I actually agree with. The problem is, those pieces are big pieces. Edmonton needs a starting goaltender, two top-four defenders, and a top-nine forward to be competitive. Yes that’s four pieces, but four major pieces. While MacT is correct in this assessment, I feel that he underestimates the importance of those pieces. We’ll know in July I suppose.
Lastly, MacTavish said something that made me think maybe, just maybe, he is feeling some heat to improve next season. He said that the team will got forward next year, quickly adding that they have to go forward in the process next season. Is the pressure on a little bit? It sure sounds it, we’ll see if the actions match that in the off-season. Edmonton must turn north next year, or some heads could seriously role in the management department.
Back with more tomorrow, including a look at Edmonton’s blue-line moving forward and another edition of the podcast.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
