Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to you all. As always, I’ve got a fresh mailbag ready to go after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their take on whatever’s on your mind. This week, we’re discussing the Connor McDavid contract noise, Andrew Mangiapane’s spot in the lineup, value contracts, 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.

It won’t change for me. I don’t see a team who gives him a better chance to win. I actually could see him waiting to see if the Oilers make a big move in season, and if he has to take a bit less on a short term deal he will, as his main focus is to win. He’s said many times his main focus is winning and EDM is the best team in the West, and for the next few seasons, at least right now, EDM gives him a great chancae.

Right now, I’m at a very nice 1.5 on the panic scale. Still chilling. If this thing isn’t done by opening night? My number goes up to a 6.5. Not done by January 1? Then I’m at an 8. I’m still very confident that this will get done by game one though. The idea of it lingering is not ideal.

Still 0 because it doesn’t matter when he signs. He just needs to sign.

I’m about 3/10. Not necessarily nervous yet, but definitely hoped/thought it would be done by now. It’ll crank up the longer this goes, for sure.

In seven seasons he’s scored more than 18 goals once. He did score 35 goals in 2022, but that looks like the outlier thus far. With the opportunity to play with McDavid or Draisaitl, he could get close to it again, but I don’t see him as a lock. With Hyman’s availability on opening night in question, Mangiapane will likely start in the top-six, but I’m not sold he’s a lock to be there all season. Matt Savoie and/or David Tomasek could push him.

I think he’s best in the top six. I know he played a lot in the bottom six last year in Washington, but I think he has decent scoring touch and we’ve seen players with his similar playing style have lots of success with both McDavid and Draisaitl.

He’ll be a piece that bounces around the lineup. He was only a 4th liner for the Capitals last season, so I’m not willing to set expectations too high. My hope is that he can become Connor Brown.

I think he’ll be in the top six for the most part, but I also think he’ll live on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ left wing on the third line for stretches as well.

Stay healthy in the Final. Hyman, Ekholm, RNH in 2025 and Draisaitl and Nurse in 2024. Health is the biggest wildcard and impossible to predict. On the ice I’d like to see them have more traffic in front of the net, and get a few more garbage goals.

During the regular season? I’d love to see them start getting a little more cocky and just blowing out teams. Go out and win some games 6-1 and 7-2. Show the league that you don’t take your foot off the gas at all, celebrate goals hard, make it look like you’re just picking teams apart for fun.

The need there special teams to become elite again. The fact they made it to the SCF with a penalty kill that bad is incredible.

Consistency… in all positions.

Stuart Skinner is the starting goalie and makes $2.6m. He is the 38^th highest paid goalie in the NHL this year. He has potential to be one of the best value contracts in the league due to his cap hit and his position. Vasily Podkolzin at $1m could bring unreal value. He did last year with his overall play, but this year if he produces 15 goals he’ll be great value. And if one of Ike Howard, Matt Savoie and David Tomasek can emerge and contribute 30+ points they’d be excellent value.

The first two that come to mind are Howard and Savoie. If they can be cost effective top-six options for the next 2-3 years while we wait for the cap to go up, then life gets easier for Stan Bowman. I’d also add in players like Tomasek or Kapanen because having a good and cheap bottom-six goes a long ways when it comes to being competitve with a lot of high-paid stars.

Jake Walman and Trent Frederic, the two players they added at the deadline. They’ve still got plenty to give and won’t take up too much money.

Players like Matt Savoie and Ike Howard have to be able to contribute on their entry level deals. If the big dogs are making big cash, the youngsters need to earn their keep.

I do. Jeff Jackson knows McDavid and his family better than almost anyone in the NHL. He was his agent for years and will know their thought process and trust their word. I won’t be surprised if we see McDavid sign a short term deal. I used to think four years, but I sense it could be shorter. He wants to win and shorter term gives him more flexibility, but he also might sign for a bit less if the Oilers acquire someone this season with a larger cap hit. I don’t think any scenario, other than a long term deal, is out of the question.

I don’t think they’re worried about it right now, but if it gets to October and Connor still isn’t signing then I could see them getting worried. If they’re truly giving him a ‘blank cheque’ right now and he just isn’t interested in committing to the Oilers, then there’s legit reason to be worried.

100%, I don’t think it’s a case of if McDavid wants to stay but more how long.

I don’t know. I want to believe them, but I also don’t trust anybody until the contract is signed. Way she goes.

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