EDMONTON — Craig MacTavish rates high on passion, loyalty and especially confidence, stellar qualities in a National Hockey League general manager, all things being equal.
But Edmonton Oilers fans might be forgiven for thinking, to their slack-jawed amazement, that any or all of those traits can loosen MacTavish’s grip on reality.
For example, MacTavish noted Monday during his end-of-season wrap-up news conference: “I think the fans have seen and appreciated the fact that we can make six or seven passes and still have the puck.”
He was talking about the club’s embryonic puck-possession style, and MacTavish meant this as a compliment, a marker of improvement.