Monday Mailbag – June 16th

I know how much you love learning, and the Monday Mailbag is your opportunity to do so. This segment is completely dependant on you guys so send your questions in. I’ll send everyone that submits a question a sticker package from the Nation as a thank you. You can submit your question by emailing me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or by hitting me up on Twitter – @jsbmbaggedmilk.

Jonathan Willis: 

Because Huberdeau plays for the Panthers, a team almost literally nobody cares about. This is a team that occasionally loses the ratings battle to infomercials and where you can buy season tickets for the same price as a game in Toronto.  The players are in similar situations, career-wise, but only one is playing under real scrutiny.

Lowetide: 

Because Florida has other things to do. Yakupov had a tough time, but he didn’t loose a limb. He’ll be fine, and I sincerely hope it is as an Oiler. I have a funny feeling about this summer….

Jason Strudwick: 

I only watched Huberdeau a few times this season. His numbers don’t really matter to me. I think Yak has to develop a better respect for playing without the puck. There are talented players and then there are hockey players that are talented

Huberdeau doesn’t play in Edmonton. He plays in Florida where they have 1/10 of the media coverage and fan interest. I did read a few articles in Florida wondering why he was struggling, but the scrutiny wasn’t as intense because the market is not a hockey hotbed. The other difference is when Huberdeau scored 14 goals as a rookie people in Florida didn’t claim he was going to be the next great superstar. In Edmonton, I think Yakupov was a bit of a victim of being overhyped for his rookie campaign, and over scrutinized last year. That is how it is in a hockey market.

If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? Florida cares about hockey as much as I care about dressage… although a horse crip walking is pretty gangster. Yak is going to be fine and we’ll all laugh about this one day.

Jonathan Willis: 

Ryan Callahan and Dave Bolland because they’re on the wrong side of their career curves and they’re going to be way overpaid in term and dollars. Unless it’s a bizarre off-season, we can probably say ditto for Brooks Orpik.

Lowetide: 

Christ. Pretty much all of them. This is a really dangerous summer to blow your brains out. I might suggest he waits until July 20th to jump in and get the secondary moderns.

Jason Strudwick: 

Anyone under 5’10 or over 6’3 that plays like he is 5’6.

Jason Gregor: 

Any of the small, skilled forwards. The Oilers have more than enough.

I’d like to see the Oilers avoid giving players contracts until the end of time. I hope MacT learned something from the whole Clarkson thing.

Jonathan Willis: 

Reduce the size of goalie pads.

Jason Strudwick: 

Shrink the goalies gloves.

Jason Gregor: 

Shrink goalie equipment.

baggedmilk:

I suggest a 5 minute portion of every game where both teams will play without a goalie.  The NHL wants scoring, and this would be the most exciting (read gong show-ish) five minutes ever played! 

Jonathan Willis: 

That’s a tough one. I think fans/media influence the team to a certain degree, but I doubt that Craig MacTavish is clicking on OilersNation.com and rifling through newspapers on his desk before he makes his decisions. 

Lowetide: 

I don’t know. Oiler fans don’t like college defenseman, and I think some media dislike them too, but the management of the team also doesn’t seem completely sold on the player type. So, what came first? No idea.

Jason Strudwick: 

The pressure in a Canadian city can be hard. The best thing a player can do it not listen to or read any online noise.

Jason Gregor: 

Over time it might, but it usually happens to players on losing teams. If a team is winning I doubt they care what the media and fans say, but when the team is losing they have a tendency to “hear” the negativity more. Players get sick of losing, and if the fans are on them constantly some might prefer a change of address, but very few of them ask to leave.

Maybe we wouldn’t have to run guys out of town if they didn’t suck so much! I don’t know… you’re a pro athlete so media and fans are part of the job – deal with it.  If you don’t want to know what fans and media are saying stay off Twitter, build a cabin in the woods, and don’t read it.

Jonathan Willis: 

So my wife went on a Desperate Housewives kick… and I’ve now seen several episodes. And by several episodes I mean several seasons. And by several seasons I mean pretty much all of it. *hangs head in shame*

Lowetide: 

Jeff Buckley’s version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Chills. Absolute chills.

Jason Strudwick: 

Finally a good dumb question. Three’s Company

Jason Gregor: 

I like ballads. Beneath your Beautiful by Labrinth is a must-listen and it reminds me of my wife.

This is going to take a while…

For music, my list of guilty pleasures is endless… Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe was my jam all year last year. I’m also a big fan of Story of My Life by One Direction. I’ll blast that louder than any 29 year old male ever should. I’ve got Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, and Hanson on my iPod. I know all the words to many Katy Perry songs.

As for TV, I used to watch Teen Mom all the time.  I don’t know why trashy teenagers are so funny but if Teen Mom is on, I’m all over it. 

*is embarrassed to know self*