MacTavish: Oilers willing to deal late first round, early second round draft picks

Edmonton Oilers GM Craig MacTavish spoke with the media on Tuesday morning.

On having a draft pick late in the first round and early in the second round, and if he’ll use those picks to get a live body:

“Well, we’ll be evaluating all those potential deals. We’d be willing to make a deal to get a younger player a little further along than an 18-year-old. But at the same time, we hold those picks in very high value. We’re going to get some good players.

“I’ve said before – our mandate has always been to build a championship-calibre team. And I know we’re not on schedule on the timeline that we’ve all wanted, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not recognizing the position we’re in. Our mandate has always been to build a sustainable, long-term successful franchise, and a big part of that is going to be through the draft.

“So those decisions will all be made with that fundamental objective in mind that ultimately, when this thing gets going, we’re going to build it. We’re going to do it the right way when it starts to go – and I think we’ve seen some signs the last little while that the team is playing better and some positive signs – but when it starts to go, then it’s going to be sustainable for a long time. And we’ll look back, hopefully in the not-too-distant future in the rear view mirror of all of this pain and suffering that we’ve all had to endure, including you guys.”

Source: Oilers TV/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey

Nichols on Hockey

Nichols on Hockey

Worth Reading

Nichols on Hockey

Nichols on Hockey