Monday Mailbag – Prospects to Watch

Welcome, Nation, to a brand new edition of the Monday Mailbag where we answer all of your Oilers related questions and give you a few minutes of peace from whatever it is that you’re trying to avoid. Despite the August timestamp, there is still plenty to talk about as the Oilers look to get themselves back on track after yet another tough campaign. This week, we look at the recent @Taylor Hall rumour, prospects of note, @Mike Smith’s goalie gear, and much more. As always, I need your questions to make this work. If you’ve got one, email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or hit me up on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk and I’ll get to you as soon as we can.

I’ve spoken with Hall numerous times. He has never shied away from saying he’d love to play in Canada again. As for him suddenly saying last week he is open to Edmonton, I’d say that is a bit misleading. His focus is on the Devils right now. If he tests free agency he will want to go to a place he feels has a good chance to be competitive year after year. How likely is it he returns? Really tough to say with any accuracy at this point, since much of it will depend on how the Devils perform this season.

The rumor was from a trade speculation Twitter account with a dubious — make that awful — record of getting anything right. Until we see how Hall’s season unfolds in New Jersey, I don’t think it’s realistic to have a strong sense of what might happen on way or another. Same thing for the Devils. What kind of season will they have? Will they want to commit to Hall? If they do, and if he’s happy there, they have the inside track.

It’s simply offseason fodder. Could Taylor Hall be open to a return? Maybe. Would the Oilers want him back? Probably. Is it realistic? No. There will be teams lining up to pay Hall $10 million a season and the Oilers simply won’t have the money to do it.

It would be strange, but stranger things have happened. I’m pretty sure Hall enjoyed his time here, so maybe he feels like there’s some unfinished business in Edmonton. I don’t know how they’d make it work with the cap but they should get a decent amount of space next summer with the cap going up and a Neal buyout. I wouldn’t bet on it and I’m not even sure I’d want Hall on a free agent contract with his injury troubles.

I really don’t think Hall will want to come back to Edmonton after seeing what it’s like to NOT play in Edmonton. AND unless we give up something major, we would definitely not be able to afford him.

I’d love to see Hallsy back with the Oilers and I could even see him being down for a return, but I don’t think the team could afford it. Thanks, Pete.

Benson, Marody and Jones because I think they are the most NHL ready today. I’ll be watching the development of Bouchard and Samorukov closely. I’m also intrigued to see what Maksimov does as a pro. He has an outstanding shot, has some edge to his game and the potential to be a solid scorer.

Tyler Benson, Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear. There are younger players on the way in the system as well, but the Oilers need to find out who from this group of three has a chance to force their way onto the NHL roster. Their best window to do that is this season and next season.

@Evan Bouchard is the obvious answer. He has serious top four or maybe even top-pairing potential and watching him go through his first full pro-season will be interesting. Dmitri Samurokov is up there as well. He took such a massive stride forward last season in the OHL and I’ll be keeping a close eye on him to see if it translates into success at the pro level. My third choice is @Kailer Yamamoto. This is a big year for him. This will be his second pro season and for a first-round pick, this is when I’d like to see him take a massive stride forward either at the NHL or AHL level.

Tyler Benson, Philip Broberg, Evan Bouchard. Benson to see how close he is to NHL playing time. Broberg to see if he has more offence than initially thought and whether Bouchard can skip the AHL and be a difference maker in the NHL.

Definitely Stuart Skinner, Ostap Safin, and Ryan McLeod. We’ve got a bunch to be excited about, but I’m anxious to see how these three guys’ year goes.

I’m looking at Bouchard, Samorukov, and Benson. Those are the three that I’ll be checking in on as often as possible. Honourable mention goes to Philip Broberg because he’s our newest toy that could be very exciting in the future.

Today, I like Marody. If they sign a veteran to a PTO before camp that could change. He checks off a lot of boxes. Smart, right shot, very skilled. With the top two lines likely facing the toughest competition most nights, Marody won’t have to be called upon to be a defensive shutdown line. More a line that can compete and contribute against opposing bottom-six lines.

I’d like to see Jujhar Khaira tried there, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Maybe Gaetan Haas is the best bet, but I don’t know enough about him to say with any certainty.

I don’t think anyone has a leg up in the race. @Kyle Brodziak, @Colby Cave, @Gaetan Haas, and @Cooper Marody are all certainly options, they just aren’t great options. @Sam Gagner, @Jujhar Khaira, and @Markus Granlund have all played centre in the past, but I think they’re all better suited as wingers for the upcoming season. There definitely isn’t a clear cut favourite for that third-line centre role, which is why I believe we’ll see one more free-agent signing or a player brought it on a PTO. If I had to pick a wildcard, I would say keep your eye on Ryan McLeod. The speedy centre almost made the team last year and I bet he’ll stick around longer than expected this season.

Right now it has to be Cooper Marody. They clearly plan on using Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid together, so neither Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be at the third-line center spot. Markus Granlund isn’t a full-time center. Same with Jujhar Khaira and Sam Gagner. Kyle Brodziak and Colby Cave aren’t locks for a fourth-line spot, let alone a third-line spot. Marody might not have the best skating, but he shoots right and is a natural center. My money’s on him.

One of the best things we’ve got going right now is the competition in the bottom six. My final guess is that it comes down to Jujhar Khaira or Granlund for third line center.

I’m going to guess it’ll be Cooper Marody because the Oilers don’t have much cap room to make anything else happen. For a minute we thought it was going to be @Derick Brassard, but that ended up being just a tease. Thanks, Georges.

I want a goalie who stops the puck. If he is dressed in one colour or has a rainbow of colours, I don’t care either way, as long as he stops the puck that’s what matters to me.

White was tried for years, but it’s out of vogue now in the drop-and-stop era of guys shuffling around on their knees. Most of the holes are up high now and that tends to take away the impact of white leg pads. Some would argue dark pads can better hide the puck, but I don’t know about that.

I believe there has been research done on this topic. I’m not sure if it really matters too much — if you’re a good goaltender, it really shouldn’t matter what colour your pads are. The one area I’ll say it matter is at the bottom part of the pads and on the skates. I think goalies should have that area be either black or very dark so that it’s more difficult for a video review to detect if the puck completely crossed the line or not.

First off, Smith’s gear looks super slick. I’ve wondered the same thing you have. I don’t have an answer. Maybe white gear prompts shooters to go higher up? I like unique designs with brighter colours.

You’re right about the white pads. But I think it’s a trend right now to go opposite of what the current trend is. These goalies probably wear white their whole lives. I’m sure it’s a nice change for a lot of them to try something different.

I’m with Gregor. I don’t care what colour your gear is as long as you stop the puck. Paint unicorns all over it for all I care. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, that might look dope.

Grow out my hair, but like the previous ten summers, I think I’ve waited too long to start, so I’ll just keep the same style.

I’ll know when my wife gives it to me.

My ‘personal’ to-do list includes things like go to Banff for a weekend, golf a lot, and just relax. Once hockey season gets going it can get a little hectic with the teams I cover so I try to not have a to-do list in the summer. I like not thinking for a few months (some would argue that I don’t do very much thinking during the hockey season).

Finish reading the second Game of Throne’s book. Get in a bit better shape. One of those is going better than the other currently.

Honestly, I’ve accepted that this summer weather isn’t going to meet expectations. If this summer’s going to act like Fall, we might as well just start it. I’ve done all my vacationing and I’m ready for the hockey season!

Continue living my best, beet-free life for as long as possible.

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