Monday Mailbag – The Best Canadian Team?

It’s Monday and that means we’re back with another edition of the Mailbag. This week, we talk about the best Canadian team at this moment, who the writers protect in the expansion draft, and where you would go if you had two weeks to take a road trip. As always, this feature depends on you guys so I need your questions for next week. If you have a question for next week’s mailbag you can always feel free to fire off an email to baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or hit me up on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk. Now let’s all gather around to kill some company time and learn something. 

As much as I loved Esa Tikkanen as an Oiler—and I did—the trade for Doug Weight was fantastic. Glen Sather made many very good trades. I don’t count the Gretzky sale as a trade.

Won Peca trade, Spacek, Roloson, Samsonov…all in one year. 

Won the Doug Weight trade. He became star in Edmonton. Tikkanen was good player, but from day of trade and through next six seasons in NHL until Tikkanen left he played 355 games scoring 66-128-194 points. And he played for multiple teams: NYR, St.L, NJD, Van, NYR, FLA, WSH and NYR again. Weight played 588 games and scored 157-420-577 and was their best player for eight seasons.

In recent memory the best Oilers trade was probably Patrick Maroon. I’d say Chiarelli also won the Cam Talbot trade and you could easily argue the Zack Kassian trade as well (sorry Ben!). Even though the jury is still out on Brossoit, and a lot of us appreciated Ladi Smid, I’d give MacT the W on that one and the Perron trade. Tambo inadvertently turned Penner into Oscar Klefbom, so at least we can say with certainty that Steve Tambellini made at least a single transaction during his tenure as GM!

Getting Jason Smith from Toronto for a second and a fourth-round pick is near the top for me.

I thought the Talbot trade was really good. Getting a starting goalie for picks? Magic. I liked the Maroon trade a lot. I liked the trade that brought Vishnovsky. I liked the Roloson trade for a first rounder back in 2006.

I wouldn’t hazard a guess this time of year. It takes time to suss out who did what and we are getting trades coming in here and there. I think you have Edmonton too high, though.

I don’t see how swapping LW, adding 1 D-man and an 18 year-old draft player takes Edmonton from second worst to second best. 

Oilers need to prove they are better on the ice. On paper they have looked better than they finished for many years. 

I’d go Montreal, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto. Edmonton has a lot of potential, but until they prove it I can’t rank them higher in July.

I’d go Winnipeg, Montreal (though there’s a 50/50 chance they will be an unmitigated disaster this year), Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver.

I’m wondering if both Edmonton and Calgary might be neck-and-neck with Montreal. Tough to call. Don’t have any major disagreement with your order.

Montreal (if Carey Price can stay healthy), Winnipeg, Calgary (unfortunately), Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto. I’d bet Wanye’s money on it! I mean, I wouldn’t tell Wanye I said that but that’s the list I’m going with. Nailed it.

Too soon to know. Expect he will be in the mix during training camp and may in fact play plenty on skill lines. I think we might see a back and forth battle for much of the season—unless Puljujarvi comes in and lays waste to the competition.

If he is here, he will have to play well early to not lose his spot to Puljujarvi. It will be up to him to show McLellan he can be consistent. I could see him on the third line and second PP unit to start.

Who even knows with Yak at this point. He could ride shotgun with Connor and Milan, or they could make him go take tickets at the door for a game because he botched a play in the defensive zone. Realistically I think he’s destined for the third line, though thankfully it looks like regardless of which line he plays on this year he should have competent line mates. I can see a third line of Maroon-Draisaitl-Yak being a reasonable bet to start the season.

Not sure he has one, except designated trade bait. Don’t think Yakupov is suited as a bottom-six player.

Man, who knows? This really is the $2.5 million dollar question. There’s no point in having him play with Letestu because he’s not good enough defensively and he’ll never produce offense there. He has to play in a top six role to be successful and I don’t know if that’s going to happen here. I would start him ahead of Puljujarvi this season but that’s based mostly on Poolparty never having played an NHL game before. 

Talbot, Sekera, Klefbom, Larsson, Davidson, Nuge, Draisaitl, Eberle, Lucic. I always miss someone in these things, but I think that has the best talent surrounded (McDavid, Nurse do not require protection). I do not think it has impacted him to the extent we know what was available. 

Not at all. I don’t see the Oilers being in a big problem today. Chiarelli had to improve his team to be better on the ice this year, not worry about losing his 10th or 12th best player (depending on which group they protect). If they add another D and trade RNH, for instance, they could protect new D, Klefbom, Sekera, Davidson, Larsson, Eberle, Lucic and Draisaitl. If no trade just protect RNH. Losing Pouliot or Maroon or Reinhart won’t cripple team.

Eberle, Nuge, Lucic, Draisaitl, Maroon, Pouliot, Pakarinen, Larsson, Klefbom, Sekera, Talbot.
Doubtful.

Have to cover Lucic, Sekera and Talbot with NMCs. McDavid is the most significant exemption. I’m thinking you’ll see guys like Maroon, Kassian, Hendricks, Pouliot, Letestu and Fayne up for grabs.

Nuge, Lucic, Draisaitl, Eberle, Sekera (NMC), Larsson, Klefbom, Talbot. 

The Washington-Oregon-California tour. I love it. My goodness it is paradise.

If you are driving head down to Seattle, Portland and along the coast. It is fantastic scenery. I’d also recommend you hit the Historic Columbia River Highway. It is only about 70 miles long but worth it.

I’ve always wanted to do a PCH road trip. Washington, Oregon and California are all amazing, and it’s true what they say; the west coast IS the best coast!

If you actually want to hit the road as opposed to flying somewhere, I’d drive what’s left of Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago. That’s a bucket list trip for me.

When I was a kid we took a road trip up to Whitehorse and in through all the old gold mining spots up north. It was really cool once you got past all the boring forrests of Northern BC. If you’re looking for pure scenery then I would always go for the coast or through the mountains.

 

Our friends at AMA Travel have put together an exclusive golf getaway for two lucky citizens of the Nation. This is a FREE draw to enter so there’s really no excuse not to try chances for a free golf vacation. 

The fine folks at AMA will pick a grand prize winner on July 17th, and have even sweetened the pot with weekly giveaways which increase your odds of winning something for doing basically nothing. To get further information and to enter this FREE draw just submit your info here.