Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to all of you. I’ve got a fresh mailbag ready to go after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their take on whatever is on your mind. This week, we’re talking about Jeff Skinner’s spot in the lineup, Viktor Arvidsson’s first half-year with the Edmonton Oilers, Evander Kane’s latest surgery, and more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.

I think being more careful with the puck is one thing. The play does die on his stick quite a bit especially on the rush. He probably needs to play with a bit more intensity as well. I think he should get a solid 3-5 games with Connor McDavid at some point here. What was the point of this whole signing if you’re not going to be willing to give him a chance to develop chemistry with your best player?

Draisaitl needs a good forechecker and that isn’t Skinner’s game. So that leaves playing with McDavid and RNH has been a staple there for years. I don’t see it happening.

The first step is getting back in the lineup, I guess. He was a healthy scratch on Saturday against Chicago, and I’m wondering what he needs to do to get out of Kris Knoblauch’s doghouse.

I think they should be open to trading any number of their mid-round pick and any prospect not named Matt Savoie. With the LTIR space they can afford pretty much anyone on the rental market and could probably get a player with term if they wanted to. There is no one that will be too expensive for them, especially if they make their lower-case move (a bottom-six forward) before they get into the LTIR space.

The cap space they accrued is still very much relevant. They will have that (close to $1m), plus the $51.25m of Kane’s. They need a top-four RD. Not easy to find, but that is priority number one. They also need a fourth line centre. They will give Noah Philp some games, likely before the 4 Nations Cup break, and if he isn’t a fit they will find one. They also need some skilled grit, anywhere in the lineup. Having $6m in cap space gives them a lot of options.

Try and find a top-four defenceman that can help keep the puck out of the net and eliminate the cycle. We need a Jason Smith type. Is that person out there? I don’t know, but I’m hopeful.

I think making more deals like the McLeod for Savoie trade is a good way to do it honestly. They had a replacement for McLeod in Henrique, even if there’s less upside. So they get a true A-level prospect added to their system without making their current team worse. Also, taking flyers on guys like Podkolzin and Emberson is a great strategy. Just because they didn’t develop in your system doesn’t mean you can’t have them be good, young contributors on dirt cheap contracts. That’s the main benefit of having a good system.

I don’t think they care that much about their prospect pool. They only need four of five good ones, and realistically most teams only ever have six players on their AHL team who can help you in the NHL. They just need to ensure they make a few good picks in the second rounds and later. Get one to hit every year and they will be okay. Edmonton’s main focus is winning the Stanley Cup so they won’t have a deep prospect pool for years, and frankly, they likely don’t need one. Stan Bowman made two very good trades to get Vasily Podkozlin and Ty Emberson who are both younger pros. I’d look to do more deals like that, so when they trade away a first at the deadline they still have younger players on the NHL roster.

I think Matthew Savoie is going to be a stud for this team for a long time, but it’s going to take a minute before he arrives at the NHL level. Finding ways to get create with your trades like the one we saw with McLeod for Savoie will be huge, but more importantly, the Oilers have to do a better job of drafting with the selections they do have available.

They aren’t all that tough, but they showed us last year that they can dial it up when the games start to matter the most. I’d love to see them stand up for each other more when teams take runs at them, but I don’t think it’s the end of the world that they don’t. Going and getting your revenge on the scoresheet is a fine strategy.

I’d like them to add some grit. They have enough fighting toughness in the lineup, but they need another forward, or two, who can deliver some hits. I think it is overblown that they don’t stand up for each other. People overreacted to the Zadorov play. He was on the ice after the hit. How could you scrum him? Would Bouchard or Kulak be better jumping on him while he laid on the ice. Honestly, it made no sense to get so upset over that play. I don’t see teams taking liberties with the Oilers on a regular basis. But they could benefit from another strong, physical forward who plays like Podkolzin. Kane does, but his return isn’t for sure.

I’m worried about it. I think we need more people who are willing to mix it up when the games matter most.

I see why they thought he’d be a good fit in the top-six. He works very hard, forces a lot of turnovers, creates space for his linemates, and he’s good with the puck. I actually think his contract will look like more of a bargain if he can just stay healthy.

As long as he stays healthy, he’s a good fit with Draisaitl.

He’s starting to look so much better beside Leon Draisaitl now that he’s starting to play more like he’s capable of. With a little bit of luck, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him start filling the net here soon.

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