Tag Archives: Craig MacTavish

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Puljujarvi Trade Talk is Heating Up

Just before we get into these rumors regarding my favorite Finnish hockey player, I’d like to see Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland exercise even more patience with this deal. I feel like the rumored offers are getting a bit better as we come closer to the start of the NHL season and I wonder if they’d improve further the more he waits?

How’s he doing over there in Finland? Well, let’s take a gander at a couple of highlights.

I’m still holding onto the slim possibility that he returns to the Oilers… I think the new style of play that Coaches Tippett and Playfair are attempting to implement would really compliment Puljujarvi’s style of play.

Puljujarvi Trade Market Heating Up

A Montreal Canadiens blog is reporting that the Oilers offered up Jesse Puljujarvi for Artturi Lehkonen and Xavier Ouellet but it was rejected by Habs GM Marc Bergevin. Apparently there are quite a few teams interested in Lehkonen and Bergevin wants more in return for the Finn.

I get asking for Lehkonen, he’d be a good middle-6 forward for the Oilers, but the only reason I can think of for the Ouellet ask is that Ken Holland wants a guy on the AHL club to provide stability and leadership.

The Frenchman was drafted by Holland’s Red Wings in the 2nd round back in 2011 but Ouellet couldn’t force his way onto the Red Wings full-time and was eventually bought out. He then signed a two-way with Montreal in 2018/19 but didn’t spend much time there. He spent the majority of the year captaining their AHL club in Laval.

Don’t the Oilers have enough defensemen in Bakersfield now that Evan Bouchard has been sent down?

I can’t speak to the legitimacy of this blog but the rumors of the Canadiens being interested in Pulju have been non-stop for some time now.

Then there’s this…

Now, THIS is the kind of trade I’m talking about if the Oilers are looking to move Puljujarvi. Work something out to improve the team now, not a few seasons from now. By the looks of that 2nd line vs. Arizona last night, they could probably use a guy like Drouin instead of a Gagner or Nygard. Of course, a trade like this would require more than just Pulju. I’m just saying that a deal built around him and Drouin would be something worth investigating.

Fallout from the Justin Faulk Trade

Would you have traded Kris Russell, Kailer Yamamoto and a draft pick for Justin Faulk and another pick? Not that it was a realistic trade scenario, bringing Faulk in I mean. Bob Stauffer said on his radio show that Faulk wasn’t going to sign a long-term deal with a team in Canada…

Mind you, if there is a deal out there where the Oilers could upgrade their defense and the cost is Russell, Yamo, and a pick; I’d hope Holland is right in the mix.

I wasn’t expecting the St. Louis Blues to be the team that would trade for Justin Faulk. I thought they had a nice looking group of defensemen that didn’t need a lot of tweaking, but I guess I was wrong.

Doesn’t it feel like they overpaid for Faulk on both the trade and the contract? I mean, who pays a 35pt defender $9M (I know his AAV is $6.5M/yr) to play on the 3rd pair?

I hope getting sheltered on the 3rd pair and getting cherry TOI sees an increase in Faulk’s production or else this deal might be one the Blues regret.

Joel Edmundson will help out the Hurricanes’ back-end, shore up the defensive aspect and provide some sandpaper and toughness and Dominik Bokk gives the Canes ANOTHER nice-looking prospect who will percolate in Europe before joining the organization next season at the earliest.

From what I’ve read online, Carolina was looking for another right-shot winger for their system and Bokk helps fill that void, but my question is, does that take the Hurricanes out of the running for Jesse Puljujarvi?

Speaking of righties in Carolina! Julien Gauthier is apparently having a good camp so far but I’m still not convinced it’d be in the Oilers best interests to trade Jesse Puljujarvi for him.

What about this idea from Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts though?

Do you remember this player from the World Juniors last year? He made a bit of a scene after losing to the US in the semi-finals as the captain for Russia.

He’s a big centerman (6’3″ 212lbs) that’s been marinating in the Blues’ farm system for the last two seasons. Stats-wise, he hasn’t exactly hit it out of the park though,

  • 2017/18 – 67gp 6g 22a 28pts 72PIM -6
  • 2018/19 – 66gp 10g 14a 24pts 102PIM -28

At the time of writing, Kostin has six points in four preseason games. He was pretty average in his most recent performance vs. Dallas though. Perhaps he’s simply been lucky enough to square off against some inferior opponents to date and capitalized on that opportunity.

Look, the reality is with this player is that he’s got middle-6 center written all over him. He’s skilled, has a big body, plays physical, and he’s a passionate leader to boot. Then there’s the Russian factor… I know I know… It’s dumb. But for whatever reason, it’s a thing in Edmonton. If we’re lucky, the Ken Holland era will find a way to get rid of this supposed “curse”.

Do you think that this trade would’ve been made already had Colby Cave not stepped up?

Then we have this coming out of Vancouver,

Virtanen for Puljujarvi? I’m still a bit leary of this kind of trade. I like Virtanen when he’s on his game but that’s the thing, when is he on his game? Who would he replace on the Oilers wings if he were acquired?

What Happened in Russia with Craig MacTavish

Former Oilers head coach and GM Craig MacTavish’s coaching tenure in the KHL lasted a whole eight games before his club decided to cut ties with him. I haven’t been able to confirm if the dismissal was performed in person or over Skype but I was sent a DM regarding why he was let go.

If you listened to Oilers Now yesterday, you might’ve heard host Bob Stauffer comment on the firing. At one point he said that he knew MacTavish could be hard to work with sometimes and from what I’ve gathered from sources close to the team, MacTavish went into that KHL job very much in the same way Dallas Eakins came into Edmonton back in the day.

“He behaved like he was the smartest guy in the room.” is what I was told.

That’s too bad that it didn’t work out for MacT. Reckon he regrets bolting out of Edmonton so quickly after Holland was hired? Best wishes to him going forward.

What do you think about these new Puljujarvi rumors? It seems like the rumored returns for him have gone from MAYBE a 2nd round pick to players like Alexander Volkov and Julien Gauthier to Klim Kostin and Artturi Lehkonen. Could the return get even better with just a bit more patience? Maybe.

Let us know in the comments below what you think of it all!

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Breaking News, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Breaking Oilers News: Craig MacTavish Leaving Oilers to Coach in the KHL

It has begun folks. The Purge.

According to Igor Eronko, a journalist that covers Russian hockey for Sport Express, the Oilers SR VP of Hockey Operations, Craig MacTavish has signed on to coach Lokomotiv of the KHL for the next two seasons.

I’ve said previously that the word that was passed on to me was that there was a slight chance Craig MacTavish could stay on and run the Oilers AHL team but I guess after meeting with Ken Holland, the new GM thought it would be better for the two parties to go their separate ways. I do wonder if that means Keith Gretzky will be given MacTavish’s old job as overseer of the Oilers’ AHL team as that is something I’ve also heard from sources in the past?

I do expect to hear others leaving the club as Ken Holland puts his stamp on it. The more prominent names I’d figure to be heading out include Bob Green, Scott Howson, and Duane Sutter. Maybe that happens closer to June. 30th mind you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0QpAJM1zeI

Save for a stint coaching in the AHL, MacT had been with the Oilers since 1999! Hellva run I say. It’s too bad they couldn’t seal the deal in ’06.

In Locomotiv, they’re getting a man with a decade plus of coaching experience. MacTavish will join up with former Edmonton Oiler Anton Lander.

So good luck to the last man to play helmetless in the NHL!

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Oilers Set to Name New GM Shortly

Now that the Battle of Winterfell has been completed, it’s time for the Edmonton Oilers to name their new GM and I strongly suspect that will take place this week. Thanks to Bob Stauffer for throwing that Game of Thrones spoiler up on Twitter… I didn’t really want to watch that episode as it was.

The timing of this hiring is important for a few reasons:

  • The Oilers will send out their season ticket renewals this week and not only will it be of the utmost importance as to who’s named general manager but also, who won’t be returning to the organization.
  • I feel as if there are just as many concerns regarding who the new boss will be as there are for which members of the old boys club might be coming back.
  • I’d heard rumblings that Scott Howson would be leaving and also Craig MacTavish but then weeks later that MacT would be retained due to his work with the AHL club… So take that for what it is.
  • It sounds like the organization is really monitoring social media and other online outlets. They want a real true idea as to who the fans would like brought in and other areas they’d like to see change at.
  • We were told that this would be an airtight process. That nothing would be getting out, but every week we hear from hockey pundits about who’s in the running for the Oilers GM position. That’s not an accident. It’s strategic and smart, in my opinion. Get as much intel as possible, right?
  • It sounds like the pro scouting department will be getting overhauled as that is a major concern amongst the fans and if OEG wants to have the best chance at getting as many season ticket renewals as possible, bringing in some new pro scouts would go a long way.
  • That being said, I wouldn’t expect said turnover right away with some very important meetings set to take place this week.

This whole ordeal is as much about getting the right guy as it is about regaining confidence in the brand. There’s a belief that if Bob Nicholson doesn’t get this choice correct, that it’ll be the end for him and possibly the club’s roster structure as we know it today.

I don’t believe that the club’s major players would want out, but I’m also not sure if they’ve got the same amount of patience as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who’s been with the club for near a decade and has only made the post-season once.

What is going on with Keith Gretzky now? My feeling is that he’s out of the picture because nobody has thrown his name out there for a few weeks. Could that be because he’s out of the running? Could it be because he’s actually the guy getting hired as GM? I don’t think it would be the latter if the Oilers are concerned about season ticket renewals.

Another reason the timing of this decision is key is that, according to Spoiler Stauff, the pro and amateur meetings are being held this week. Hiring the new guy and bringing him right in to meet his new employees makes too much sense. It’d give him a chance to lay down his future plans for the club and to let those who will be staying/going know where they stand.

I truly believe the race is down to three names (in order of club preference):

  1. Kelly McCrimmon
  2. Mark Hunter
  3. Ross Mahoney

Mahoney is the man with the most NHL experience here at 24 years and he’s a good ol’ Saskatchewan boy! So that’s a plus for folks looking for a GM who might be a bit more relatable.

The same could be said about Kelly McCrimmon too though. He’s spent a majority of his hockey career in Brandon, Manitoba. Not quite the same flash as Vegas. His reputation for being a very hard worker, a grinder if you will, precedes him. Typically in junior hockey things going in cycles. You’re good for a few years, then you’re poor. You rebuild for a couple of seasons and then make a run again. Well, Brandon has been on top of the junior seen for a very long time and has never really fallen into that cyclical nature that other teams have. That’s the sign of a manager who can not only plan for the short term but also the long term. Edmonton could use that.

And this also could be said for Mark Hunter, whose London Knights are annual contenders for the OHL championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup. It’s said that he’s a very astute talent evaluator and buys into the mastermind theory. Basically meaning, he puts the smartest and most talented people around him. From what I’ve gathered reading online, he was the eye-test to Kyle Dubas’ analytics during his time in Toronto. Hunter has also been in contact with the Oilers the longest I do believe with regards to this role on the team.

I think there’s a thought going around that there is a fourth candidate competing for the position but it’s different depending on your source.

  • Pat Verbeek (McKenzie)
  • Dave Nonis (Dreger)
  • Mike Futa (Leavins)
  • Sean Burke (Rishaug)
  • Ken Holland (Friedman)
  • Doug Armstrong (LeBrun)

I sure see a lot of Hockey Canada guys there…

I suppose that shouldn’t surprise anybody given the background of the man being tasked to find the new GM. I was just hoping that perhaps the net would be cast a bit further.

If you’d like to know more about these gentlemen and their careers, Kurt Leavins has an informative post up detailing quite a few of them.

Also, if you have a subscription to The Athletic (get one here if you don’t), check out the profiles of the potential GM candidates that Daniel Nugent-Bowman’s been throwing together recently. Outstanding work here.

Anyways, this is sure to be a REALLY exciting week in Edmonton. Buckle up, it’s going down!

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Armchair GM, Breaking News, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Oilers to Land Powerplay “QB”

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  • **DISCLAIMER!!**
    Because there are some folks who seem to lack the ability to discern between satire and seriousness, we need to put up this disclaimer. This is NOT a post intended to be taken seriously!! It’s a satirical piece. That is all. Please enjoy the creative musings of one Kosmic Burrito!*

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am absolutely honoured and truly humbled, that the Oilers chose me, Kosmic Burrito, to break this story to the masses! Why me? Let’s just say that I know a guy…

Ok Ok, truth is, I sold some ‘shrooms to someone in management. I won’t name any name’s, but his name rhymes with “Greg BackRadish”. I also filmed him while on said ‘shrooms, and basically said that if they don’t want this thing to go full blown “Rob Ford Crack Video” scandal styles. Then they need to ante up some inside information to me and our wonderful staff here at Beer League Heroes. Because trust me, this dude’s so weird and wrong on sooooo many levels, and I have the video to prove it! Soooo, which brings me here, you trippy, weird, beautiful creatures! Oh how I missed you glorious bastards!! Alright, let’s get to this breaking news story!

Great Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawd! Oh sweet baby Jesus! Our PP QB prayers have been answered, and by a holy roller himself! Thank you sweet, sweet, sweeeeet baby Jesus! Hallelujah! Can I get an Amen!

Ok, first off, yes you read that right. Craig MacTavish has found, and signed a right handed, power play “Quarterback” defenceman. Yes, that Craig MacTavish, the one that everyone (myself included) thought was going to be banished from the organization when Peter Chiarelli was hired. Nope, not a facking chance people! This cock-a-roach survived the cleanup! Not only did he survive, but he is in fact able to sign players, as well as tons of other cool shit! Here we all thought that they kept him on out respect for the “old boys club”. No way dude, he’s Craig Mac-facking-Tavish! He don’t need no helmet foo’! So I spoke with Craig over the phone, and he was absolutely ecstatic! His energy was contagious, and I started to get giddier than a little Catholic choir boy waiting for the Priest to tuck him in, waiting in anticipation for him to hurry up and tell me.

“You know Kosmic, I should tell you all about how great of a talent evaluator I am when it comes to defencemen. I can spot a grade ‘A’ defenceman a mile away. Nikitin, Fayne, Ference, oh God, I could do this all day.” Craig said.

“Thanks sir, but if we could get on with this breaking news story, that would be stellar!” I replied.

“Fair enough. So I’m sure you’ve been paying attention to the world of sports lately, and aware of most things. Well, one of the more popular news stories lately is about a high profile athlete, who is trying to switch sports. This athlete used to play pro football, and now wants to switch over to baseball. Yesterday he tried out in front of twenty plus teams. Including your beloved Blue Jays.” Said Mactavish.

“Yeah I’ve read something about that, kind of like some wannabe Bo Jackson stuff. What’s that have to do with the player that you signed? You’re a confusing cat MacT.” I said.

“Well, I went down to the baseball skill showcase, I really liked what I saw and actually met with thisyoung man. Kosmic, I’m so proud to announce that Tim Tebow has signed with the Edmonton Oilers, and will become our new power play “quarterback”!!!” MacTavish nearly shouted with absolute excitement. “He has changed his mind about playing baseball, and decided that he would like to try hockey instead. And I was the lucky one to sign him! Trust me, I know a thing or two about winners, and I learned from the best, Mr. Kevin Lowe himself! Plus we all know how well I can judge defensive talent, so this was a complete no brainer.”

“Are you serious Craig? Tim facking Tebow?” I shouted.

“Damn skippy I am! I’ve never felt so confident in my life. I think he has Norris potential. Sure, we need to teach him how to skate, so I asked Andrew Ference to help get him up to speed. Trust me, we found our quarterback on the back end.” MacTavish said with a shit eating grin.

Tim Tebow himself then stepped into the room, and headed over.

“Hi Mr. Tebow, welcome to Oil Country, and I guess technically welcome to the entire world of hockey.” I said.

Tim then said, “First off, I want to give thanks to sweet baby Jesus. Without him…..

Just then a loud horn started to go off. Like really loud, almost like it’s directly in front of me! What is going on? What’s that noise? Oh wow…where did Craig and Tim go? Next thing you know, I narrowly avoided being hit by a city bus in the middle of the street. What the what???? Oh shit, not again.. where are my clothes?

That ladies and gentlemen, is when my ‘shrooms wore off. No, no, NO!! So I didn’t interview MacT? You mean I don’t have an inside link for Oilers info? And I’m not MacT’s dealer? We didn’t land our highly coveted RHD PP QB Tim Tebow? Oh wow….dammit these mushrooms are way too bonkers! I better find some clothes!

As always, stay trippy my friends and buy a shirt!
You can follow me on Twitter @kosmicburrito

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Breaking News, Edmonton Oilers, Rob Cooke

Oilers sign Klefbom long-term

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Oilers fans have a long history of watching this team develop real NHL defensemen only to let them walk as free agents or traded prior to UFA status taking effect. Today, more than any other day so far I have seen the changing of the tide. Proof that someone other than MacT and Lowe are in charge and making the decisions. Let’s face it, previous management had a proven track record of developing solid defenders that while they may not have been top pairing guys were still legitimate NHL defensemen and then trading them away.

The first three that come to mind for me are Tom Gilbert, Jeff Petry and Marty Marincin. Three quality players, well Marty had some issues but was still a damn sight better than Nikitin or Ference in my opinion. That brings us to today and the joyous occasion that has us reminiscing of players gone too soon. Today Peter Chiarelli made the smart decision and locked up one of the best up and coming defensemen in the league. Oscar Klefbom in my eyes is a huge part of the Oilers defense moving forward and today the Oilers proved they think the same way as I do.

The number I have heard is 4.167 per season. That is a pretty decent number but there are a lot of folks on twitter that are trashing this team for signing Oscar long-term. Well really there are those bitching about the term and there are those bitching about the dollar value. Of course all the hate that I have seen comes from those outside the organization and fan base. I haven’t really seen anyone from the MSM or fans say anything remotely negative about the deal.

Really, I don’t see how anyone can say anything negative about it now. He is a lock to be in our top four for the next eight years. He is still only 22 years old and has a ton of developing left to do so he is only going to get better! He may never be a top guy like Doughty or Keith but he will be a top pairing defenseman, likely by the end of this season. Visions of a top pairing of Darnell Nurse and Oscar make me giddy with anticipation. We are not that far away from that happening folks!

What do you think? Is this a good signing? Too long of a term? Too much money? Let us know what you think. Leave a comment below or follow me on twitter and we can converse there, @justoil78. Thanks for reading.

 

Cheers

Rob