Monday Mailbag – Who we losing in the expansion draft?

It’s Mailbag time again and we’ve got another dose of wisdom for you right here on the ol’ Internet machine. This week, we’re looking at the expansion draft, creating a better atmosphere at Rogers Place, jersey talk, and more. If you’ve got got a question you’d like to ask, 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 think teams are thrown off in Vegas because the Golden Knights are really good. I’m not a good person to ask about this because most of my life spent in NHL arenas has been while I’ve been working and ignoring all the noise and hubbub around me. While you can generate atmosphere by sharpening up the in-game presentation and music choices etc, the real jolts I’ve seen just happen — fans responding to goals, situations etc. 2006 was a great example of that. Nothing adds atmosphere like winning important hockey games.

Hard to match Vegas as they are the best, but their pre-game show is excellent and they encourage a raucous crowd. Edmonton still has an issue because I’ve seen ushers walk over to fans who were cheering loudly and ask them to sit down — seriously. And that comes from fans around complaining. In Vegas fans go there expecting people to stand and cheer, while in Edmonton many think fans should only cheer at select times. I’m not sure how you change that, but it needs to happen.

I’ve been to a couple of games in Vegas and it would be hard for anyone to match what they’ve got going on there, especially since the arena is within walking distance from the strip. That said, the Oilers can definitely do a better job of incorporating more into their in-game experience than simply showing crowd shots every whistle. In Vegas, there is always something going on between plays to keep the fans engaged and I think the Oilers could learn something from that for sure. More importantly, the best thing the team can do is win and get us back into the playoffs because that’s when Oilers fans really shine.

You trade a mid-round pick like the Oilers have because there’s somebody interested in it and they have a player you want and are willing to part with that player. Finding that is difficult enough without factoring in the unusual circumstances of this season. Do they even matter? If so, how?

Only if you get a legit top-six forward or top-four defenceman who has at least three seasons before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Edmonton still doesn’t have a lot of forward depth, so I wouldn’t be giving away a first rounder for a player who can only help for one or two seasons and then jump ship or ask for a major payday.

I would trade it if the right deal came along. I wonder if this is the year where Holland trades back to pick up a few more picks since we’re a little bit shy in that department.

As it stands now, probably Caleb Jones.

Edmonton needs to sign a D-man before they lose Caleb Jones, so today I don’t see why many think it is him. At this moment it could be William Lagesson or Tyler Benson. The main question is what will change in negotiations between now and July 17th that will convince Adam Larsson or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to sign?

Unless there’s a trade between now and then, my guess is that it will be Caleb Jones.

Evan Bouchard.

Good question, but I’d go Evan Bouchard. Still has two years on his ELC and I expect he will be a fixture on RD for many years to come. Just don’t expect him to be a first pairing D-man (in the playoffs) right away.

A Gretzky jersey will never go out of style. If it’s a current Oiler, then I would go with Puljujarvi.

Start by getting COVID behind us without being in such a hurry to do it that we get it wrong.

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” – Edith Wharton

You choose if you are the candle or the mirror. But choose light.

When I get this time machine finished that I’ve been working on for the past few years, I’ll head back to 2015 and make sure Peter Chiarelli was never hired as GM.

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