Good morning, everyone. We’ve got another mailbag ready to go after taking your questions and sending them off to the crew for their take on whatever is on your mind. This week, we’re discussing the defence, Evander Kane, Stanley Cup expectations, and much more. If you’ve 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 I can.

I think Josh Brown has stuck out in a poor way and I think he’s on the outside looking in. Stecher is a better puck mover and Emberson is a far more complete player. Brown is in the mix for the seventh defenseman spot but I think he’s a bit too expensive to keep there.

I would say Ty Emberson has the biggest advantage since they traded Cody Ceci away for him. Feels like they really need him to workout and he had a strong year with San Jose in 2024. Then, I’d have Troy Stetcher over Josh Brown. Stetcher brings that puck moving style, which the Oilers want, and Brown doesn’t have that.

I’m mostly expecting Brown to get more leash for making the team than anyone else because of his three-year contract. I still don’t know why he got one based on everything I can find on the Internet, but it seems like this man is part of a plan that I am yet to understand.

I’m not concerned about it. Janmark forechecks well and Podkolzin plays with some edge. I’m not worried about the level of physicality that they’ll have in the regular season. I think it’s a little overrated.

It matters but not like it used to but I’ll say Vasily Podkolzin. He’s a similar style to Kane with his big frame, ability to score but also had the skill set to penalty kill too. I fully expect Connor Brown to have a bounce back year too and he’s not afraid to bang and crash so let’s throw him in this category as well.

When Kane is at his best, he brings an element that no one else has. He’s big, physical, will beat you up, and can score big goals. That’s a tough hole to fill, and I don’t there there is any single player that will have to pick up the slack. Everyone will have to get a bit feistier.

The blue line will be a challenge for them without a doubt. Also, they’re the big dogs now and will get every teams best effort. There’s something to that.

I’d have them as Stanley Cup favourites too. They’re top heavy right now on the blueline and up front; however, with the money to build up until the deadline by not putting Evander Kane on the LTIR, they can acquire some serious firepower. The time isn’t perfect by any means but with the aggression shown by Jeff Jackson and Stan Bowman this summer you know they won’t sit on their hands.

I’m worried about the defence and I’m not afraid to say it. I’m hopeful, but this group, as is, makes me nervous.

The fourth-line job is open. I somewhat expected it but also thought they would just give it to Derek Ryan, granted that still could happen, but it really seems like an open competition right now and that’s because of how players like Noah Philp and James Hamblin have played.

The biggest is Noah Philp. Even after a year off, he can still play at an elite level. Admittedly, I’ve only watched him during pre seasons with the Oilers but people like Tyler Yaremchuk and Bruce Curlock have believed in this guy for a while. He’ll probably need some time in Bakersfield before joining the NHL but don’t be surprised if that happens sooner rather than later.

Here’s what I’ve got: Matt Savoie will be fun but it’s going to take a minute, Noah Philp will probably play in the NHL this year, I’m a big fan of Vasily Podkolzin’s forechecking, and I’m cautiously optimistic about Ty Emberson.

I’m opening a few “value” concession spots throughout the arena. The Blue Jays do this and I’m a big fan. Smaller beers, smaller hot dogs and smaller popcorns for cheap prices are a good way to give people a chance to enjoy these things without breaking the bank. The only draft beer option at Rogers Place is 24 ounces. That’s wild!

I had a different answer to this on Oilersnation Radio but I am going to go with Baggedmilk’s response instead. The walk in markets where you scan your credit card beforehand are quick and efficient. Having a couple of those in Rogers Place would be fantastic.

I’ve been to a few arenas in the States that have this credit card tap thing where you scan your card as you walk into the store, and. then you grab whatever you want and walk out. It feels like you’re stealing but somehow the 1000 cameras on the roof know what you took and charge your card appropriately. I know this sounds ridiculous if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

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