Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to you all. As per tradition, I’ve got a brand new mailbag set to go after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their takes. This week, we’re discussing Darnell Nurse trade rumours, the Oilers’ coaching search, free agent targets, 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.

The Oilers’ talent makes them a Cup contender in my eyes due to their big three. The new coach will benefit from players being more attentive and wanting to impress him, similar to the previous coaches in Edmonton.

No, but it can help. Simply swapping out coaches isn’t going to magically turn the Oilers into a 110+ point team that can win a Stanley Cup, but the bones of a Cup contender are already in place. They just need to make some necessary tweaks. A coach who implements a system that works better with this current group is one of them. Offseason roster changes are another part of the equation. It’s not just one thing.

It can when that 93-point team had been one and two wins the two years before that, but that’s no guarantee. Ultimately, it’s about 16 playoff wins, built by laying a foundation through the first 82.

If a fired Kris Knoblauch can get the team to the Stanley Cup final in back-to-back years, then I’m sure any of the top candidates can get them to one. As Gregor said, Edmonton is a talented enough team to make them a contender.

I think it can help in certain areas for sure. Structure. Accountability. Fresh starts for some guys who may need it. That said, we’re also Oilers fans. We’ve seen many, many coaches roll through here, and they haven’t always made a difference.

Nurse has only had one real injury, 2017, but in the nine years since Nurse has missed a total of 18 games, and 11 of them came in 2022. In the last four years, Walman has missed 19, 19, 17 and 29 games last season. Availability is the best ability and 100% it is a concern if they move Nurse and move Walman up. Not to mention Ekholm will be 36 and I’m not sure how much longer he is a top pair Dman?

Yes. They are going to be paying Jake Walman $7m next season, so those are minutes that he should be able to handle. I’m not overly concerned with Walman’s health, but it is notable that he’s never played a full 82-game season. Still, it’s not like he’s dealt with any sort of chronic issues. If they do move off of Nurse, they would have to bring in some more depth on the left side, though. They can’t just throw away a guy who played 20+ minutes last year and not do something to add another piece to this blue line.

Moving Nurse requires another a defenceman to come back, either in that trade, or a separate one. Walman is not an 82-game guy, but I do like what he can provide when he’s healthy. But his money sort of requires additional minutes or responsibility. Otherwise it’s a Bowman Blunder.

Walman would see an increase in minutes for sure, but the team would need to add some insulation to the blue line. Spencer Stastney is part of that, and showed he can succeed in a sheltered role, but it’s yet to be seen if he can take on a bigger role.

I think everybody will have to take on some extra minutes. Nurse playing around ~20 per night isn’t something you can just magically fill, so everyone in the starting six will have to do more or adjust.

It would be difficult for McDavid on a personal level, but he wouldn’t be the first player to lose a good friend in a trade. He wants to win, and if a trade makes them better, I’d assume he’d be okay with it. I still think the Oilers have two years (at least) with McDavid, unless this season goes sideways, then that changes things.

No. Connor McDavid should be able to see the logic behind trading one of the most overpaid players on the roster. If he can’t see that and is upset because the team traded one of his friends, then his priorities aren’t in the right order. I don’t think that’s the case, so I don’t think this will be an issue.

Since it’s grad season, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened… In all seriousness, though, the Oilers have cycled through three-quarters of a roster in two seasons. If you hear Leon Draisaitl’s exit interview, does he miss those players he specifically listed, or does he miss that they felt like an actual team, instead of a collection of players. The Nurse move is business, I think they’ll understand, but the Oilers are missing a ton of collective tissue through the years. Just an idea that was put to me that I’ve been thinking about.

McDavid is a smart man who understands the business side of the game well. I’m sure he would be able to set the personal element aside in favour of the business side.

Of course it would factor into his decision, and I think pretending that it won’t is a little too “athletes are robots” to me. That said, the Oilers need to make the choice that is best for the organization, and that’s all that matters. Unfortunately, there could absolutely be consequences. That’s life. But this is also pro sports, and professional sports are a cruel mistress.

I don’t think so. His foot speed at 5×5 was glaringly weak. I wouldn’t be that interested, because the Oilers are already great on the power play, so they don’t need a PP specialist. The only reason I might be interested is that he likely signs a low AAV deal with performance bonuses. But I wouldn’t make them easily attainable, like 10, 20, 30 GP.

A free agent with 20-goal potential who could sign a contract that’s under $2m sounds like the type of player that the Oilers should be salivating over, but there are concerns with Laine. First off, he does a lot of his scoring on the power play, which is not an area where the Oilers need help. He isn’t consistent at 5v5, and he’s struggled to stay healthy over the last handful of years. He’s a fascinating gamble, but I don’t think the Oilers should be too interested.

You wanna talk distressed assets? I wouldn’t wait to step on Seattle’s toes in signing Laine, that seems like the type of “big swing” that jabroni team will look at.

I know no one wants to hear about your fantasy team, but in a full dynasty league six years ago I traded Pierre Luc Dubois and Noah Dobson for Laine, in a league where defenceman goals are worth two. That’s how convinced of Laine’s success to just casually score 30 goals a season I was. So I feel personally jilted. I am dogged about Laine every Trade Deadline in our league. I am forever tied personally to Laine in the minds of a dozen or so people. He has hurt my feelings and I am DONE with him.

He’s gonna score 45 points on a bad team next year, just you watch…(don’t do it to yourself Michael).

Laine is the type of guy the Oilers should be after. He can receive a bonus-laden contract, which would help keep his cap hit low, and is an gifted shooter, even if the numbers haven’t been in his favour the last few years.

I would absolutely do it if they can Roslovic him on a short-term deal. I don’t think that’ll happen, but that’s what I’d been keen on.

All teams are built different, and most play slightly different styles. The Oilers can’t mimic what Carolina does, just like Carolina couldn’t mimic what Edmonton did to get to consecutive Finals. I think the Oilers need to focus on their strengths, but be aware of their weaknesses and focus on improving in areas they aren’t consistent (defensive commitment and puck management).

The lesson to learn from the Golden Knights is to not mess around with the mushy middle in free agency, and don’t hug your prospects. If there are elite players on the market, go get them. The lesson from the Canes is that if you stay competitive long enough and avoid bad contracts, you’ll eventually get the breaks and it’ll be your year. Both strategies have downsides, especially Vegas’, but banners fly forever, so I respect it.

Don’t hesitate to make tough decisions, and don’t be shy to take swings. Vegas’ track record is robust with examples of both, but the Hurricanes found themselves in a similar spot with what happened with Mikko Rantanen.

The Golden Knights swung big on Marner and got their guy. They didn’t sign guys they hoped could moonlight in the top six. That’s the lesson for me.