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Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer

Craig MacTavish continues (5/4/26)

05 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What are the latest updates on the Oilers' playoff performance?

0.031 - 38.411 Bob Stauffer

Hey, it's Bob Stauffer. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Oilers Now ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime. Philly scored the first two goals. It's 2-1. Carolina's just sniped on the power play. 2-1, middle of the first period. Ken, you can text us at any time. It's 780-451-8800. It is MACD on Mondays for contract equipment.

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38.431 - 58.459 Bob Stauffer

Canada's premium heavy equipment dealer with rental and sales. And when we talk about Bryn Ridge Ford winning the Ford President's Award. for customer satisfaction 15 times. What does that mean for you, the vehicle purchasers? Well, that number one fact is that customers who deal with Brentridge leave happy. And just as important, our consistency has remained strong over 15 years.

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58.9 - 84.937 Bob Stauffer

So if you want to be treated fairly with openness and transparency, reach out to Rich, Johnny, and Mark and the team at Brentridge Ford, 780-352-6048, or visit brentridge.com. All right, Royal Pizza. Hey, now we're talking. You can add eight or 16 pieces of their new mango habanero wings to your order today only for a limited time. For a menu and a location, visit royalpizza.ca.

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85.458 - 95.407 Bob Stauffer

Stop recommendation Mediterranean chicken. Craig, you talked about the fact that... By the way, Ehlers just got the 2-1 goal for Carolina, I believe.

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95.447 - 109.327 Craig MacTavish

Third-line goal. That's a top-six player that killed the others. Ehlers, Stahl, Marnuk. I mean, that's a good line. Ehlers going to Carolina. And Taylor's having an unbelievable playoff.

109.347 - 112.932 Bob Stauffer

You know my feelings on Taylor. I had a lot more time for Taylor than a lot of other people did.

112.952 - 125.278 Craig MacTavish

You know that. With Jackson Blake and Stan Colvin. I mean, that's the hope that Matt Savoy can... grow into being Stan Colvin or Travis Konechny or something like that.

125.419 - 132.616 Bob Stauffer

Yeah, absolutely. All right, so let's do this. Coaching. What did you think of Chris Knobloch's body of work this year?

133.437 - 148.793 Craig MacTavish

I thought it was a struggle for him. I mean, it was a tough year because they never really got unlocked. And going into the start of the year, I don't know how you could think that we were in a better position than we were the previous year.

Chapter 2: How does coaching impact the Oilers' strategy this season?

323.295 - 335.494 Craig MacTavish

So in Frederick's case, it's on Frederick? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's got to be better. He's just not a useful player at this level currently. Okay, bottom six forwards.

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335.995 - 337.838 Bob Stauffer

Doc, does he have a chance? Yes. Yes.

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337.902 - 342.268 Craig MacTavish

I mean, Stan, let's give Stan credit for the deal that he made.

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342.288 - 343.911 Bob Stauffer

The two Chicago trades?

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344.431 - 364.28 Craig MacTavish

Yeah. He almost pulled a rabbit out of the hat. I mean, Connor Murphy was an unbelievable ad. I had no idea he was that good. Stan did. He had him, and he came in here. He played fantastic. We talked about him playing at the level of Matias, and that's not easy to do. He would re-sign Connor Murphy, right?

364.721 - 364.821

Yeah.

364.801 - 389.366 Craig MacTavish

priority. You could try and chase something better, but you've got this guy who fits really well with Darnell. I mean, they were plus in the playoffs, plus three, and I think Connor was plus two. So, I mean, it didn't look like Connor was quite as effective. He played well. He wasn't quite as effective, Murphy, as he was during the regular season, but he still played fine. He's tough.

389.887 - 403.219 Craig MacTavish

He drilled that guy in the face with a left hand, which which I liked. And, I mean, I'd really try and sign Kapanen again because I thought he was really good, too. Yeah, I think those would be the first two that get priorities.

403.259 - 411.887 Bob Stauffer

So we're looking at it here. And on defense, at home, three-year extension, $4 million, solid defender.

Chapter 3: What challenges did Chris Knobloch face as head coach?

429.623 - 445.382 Bob Stauffer

Bouchard's a lot tougher than the average fan gives him credit for. That's what I'm going to tell you. People crap on that guy all the time. He led the league in points. Do you know what the numbers were for McDavid and Drysdale when they played together and didn't have Bouchard? They weren't that good.

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445.362 - 454.106 Craig MacTavish

They were much better. Well, people don't crap on them as much as they did because they now see he's one of the top three or four defensemen in the game.

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454.126 - 463.494 Bob Stauffer

So you got Ekholm and Bouchard. you're going to have a pretty good chance to re-sign Murphy, nursing Murphy. You got Wallman, who played better in the playoffs than he did in the regular season.

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464.115 - 472.849 Craig MacTavish

Well, he's got the physical skills that the pace and the elevation of the pace does not affect him. He actually got better in the playoffs, less mental mistakes.

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472.889 - 481.162 Bob Stauffer

I actually think Paul could have played Emerson more. I thought Emerson was solid. Like, you know what? And then they got – they could have all seven. Is their D good enough as is?

481.182 - 488.193 Craig MacTavish

I think it is, yeah. I think the way that they played at the end of the year – What do you do with goaltending?

488.213 - 491.981 Bob Stauffer

You have no choice but to rebuild Jari, do you not? Unless you flip him, I guess.

492.723 - 504.006 Craig MacTavish

Well, I don't think he can flip him. I mean, he's making $5.5 million or whatever it is. You've got to try and work with him. I don't think there's any...

503.986 - 528.238 Craig MacTavish

any other courses who you bring in to help them out i mean connor did a pretty good job it'd be hard not to sign him and bring him back there's an eastern conference team that's got four goaltending prospects i would target there's a couple of eastern conference teams that got extra goalie prospects and see if i can get a goalie out of future out of one of those organizations that's better than any of the orders goalies in the future

Chapter 4: What are the key player acquisitions for the Oilers this season?

845.921 - 869.832 Craig MacTavish

I mean, Leon and Connor. Because... They're superstar players. They're superstar players. And, you know, to what degree they want to be involved in any of these decisions or discussions remains to be seen. I suspect they want very little to do in these decisions. I just want to leave our listeners with this.

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870.773 - 881.665 Bob Stauffer

We joke around a bit about it. Leon Drysaddle, when you guys interviewed him, He made it blatantly obvious he wanted the Edmonton Oilers to take him, didn't he?

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883.348 - 908.768 Craig MacTavish

Well, he was in Prince Albert. So, I mean, he wasn't coming from Miami or anything like that. So, yeah, he was a hockey player. And he wanted to come to Edmonton. And he's committed here long term. He's I mean, he's turned into an unbelievable leader. I saw the other night during a game, somebody one of my buddies called me and said, why isn't Leon wearing an A?

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908.808 - 916.798 Craig MacTavish

And I thought, that's a good question, because he's the best to me. He's he's the best interview for me.

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917.018 - 934.799 Bob Stauffer

The most dangerous guys don't lose. Don't learn from their mistakes. Anybody out there seen any given Sunday? I am literally Al Pacino's character when he sits there and says, I have made every stupid decision a grown man could make in his life.

934.819 - 944.934 Craig MacTavish

I can totally relate to that, Mac D. Well, let's finish by saying about Stan that he almost pulled a rabbit out of the hat with Murphy, Dickinson, and Doc.

945.054 - 948.78 Bob Stauffer

And did the injuries at center play a part in them ultimately losing?

948.76 - 965.672 Craig MacTavish

I would have waved the white flag a long time ago on this group in terms of our ability to win a Stanley Cup, but Stan didn't. And, you know, he had me believing at the end of the year that we had a chance, had it been for the injuries.

965.652 - 975.065 Bob Stauffer

All right. More with Matt. You going to join us next Monday in studio? Yeah. All right. We'll see what transpires between now and then. Tomorrow, we'll tell you that we've got Elliot Friedman and Brian Lawton on the show.

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