Mactavish falls short of great expectations
Free-agent, trade markets offer little for Oilers to bolster roster
SHERWOOD PARK — When he looks at his roster as it sits today, there are still deficiencies as far as Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish is concerned.
But with the current state of the NHL trade market and little in the way of answers on the free-agent market, he said on Tuesday that he may have to accept the fact that he can’t accomplish all he had wanted to this summer.
In the last week, the rookie GM traded captain Shawn Horcoff to the Dallas Stars, acquired defenceman Andrew Ference, third-line centre Boyd Gordon and backup goaltender Jason LaBarbera from the free-agent market, then re-signed third-line winger Ryan Jones.
What he doesn’t have is a big top-six winger, having lost out on free agent David Clarkson, who left a seven-year offer from the Oilers on the table to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clarkson would have made more money playing in Edmonton, but he wore a Leafs jersey as a kid. He had a tie to the team before he signed his seven-year, $36.75-million contract to play in Toronto.
Another top-four defenceman was also on MacTavish’s list and there’s still the lingering question about Ales Hemsky. He’s put his house up for sale, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for his game. Otherwise, he would have been moved by now.
Additionally, Sam Gagner, who has arbitration rights, still needs to be signed.
“I’m trying to get the right piece or another piece that would start to excite me in terms of how our team is shaping up,” MacTavish said Tuesday as the Oilers wrapped up their summer development camp at Sherwood Park’s Millennium Place.
“The UFA (unrestricted free agent) pickups, I think, are going to really help us, but I would like to do one or two other things before we’re happy,” he continued. “I’m a little frustrated. I had certain objectives in mind and I think I’m going to be able to accomplish some of those things, but it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to accomplish all the things that I wanted to.”
MacTavish has added some depth, both for the Oklahoma City Barons, their American Hockey League affiliate, as well as the back end of the defensive corps. His intent is to establish competition for the fifth through eighth spots.
“It’s going to look like we have a lot of defencemen, but I think that’s going help the competitive level,” he said. “Whoever does stay is going to be ready to play.”
The bottom-six forwards will have a different look, too, after Horcoff was dealt and Eric Belanger was bought out.
Jones, who needs to have a rebound season, can score, which is why he got a oneyear deal. MacTavish is certain they’re getting a motivated player who can produce for the third line.
Ben Eager, meanwhile, will get a chance to compete for a job on the wing, but he is not going to have a spot handed to him. Eager, who has one year left on his contract, was assigned in March to Oklahoma City, where he finished the season.
“He’s at the show-me stage,” said MacTavish. “He’s going to have to have a really good training camp and he’s going to have to really make a case to (head coach Dallas Eakins) that he’s going to be able to contribute in those areas.
“The thing that prompted us to bring him back was how he conducted himself at the American League level. We thought because of that, we’d give him another opportunity.”