If I had a nickel for every time someone called for Craig MacTavish's head in the last 24 hours, I'd have enough money to buy the guillotine. But if you're one of those in Oil Country waiting breathlessly for news of a firing to come down the pipe, get ready to wait a lot longer.

Tenure, as it should, plays a big part in deciding whether or not to replace a head coach. Craig MacTavish has 7-1/2 years of experience behind the Oilers bench, and although replacing him might ultimately be the right solution to the problem, you don't fire a man with that kind of history in your organization without exhausting all available remedies. Firing the coach is the LAST resort, not the first, unless your team is called the Tampa Bay Lightning.

All those in Oil Country that want the Oilers to be compared to the Tampa Bay Lightning, raise your hand.

We will never know how much the three goalie system is hurting this team until management rectifies the situation. And until they address the problem, firing the head coach would be untimely, unfair, and unjustified. The bottom line, as disturbing as it may seem, is that the last time Edmonton juggled three goalies, they did it for half a season, and went on to play for the Stanley Cup that spring. Oiler management is far too bright, and far too tight with their head coach to make him the fall-guy before they fix the problem they created.

Edmonton has played 13 of their first 18 games on the road. As a result, the Oilers often look as lost as they do predictable, but ask all of them which city they're sleeping in tonight and there is a good chance that one of them will say Cleveland. This dreadful early season schedule is not Craig MacTavish's fault, and you can't fire a coach for winning only half of the games given the unenviable hurdle it presents. If the Oilers are still .500 after the schedule balances out, draw up the pink slip. But not until it does.

But the most important thing to consider for the itchy trigger fingers out there is that there is generally a three step process to firing head coaches that work for NHL organizations with credible management and ownership. The first step is acquiring new blood via the waiver wire. Let's make a big assumption and assume that Jesse Boulerice was that waiver wire acquisition. If it was, step two is not firing the coach. Step two is improving the team via the trade route. Edmonton has not yet pursued that angle. And until the Oilers take the second step, the third one is off the radar.

If I'm a betting man, I'd say Steve Tambellini's first trade as an NHL general manager is right around the corner. With any luck, it will work out as well for Steve as it did for his old buddy Dave Nonis in Vancouver. Unfortunately for Nonis, Roberto Luongo is still there. He is not.

I know this much, Craig MacTavish isn't going anywhere.

For now.