Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to all of you. I’ve got a fresh mailbag ready to go after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their take on whatever is on your mind. This week, we’re talking New Year’s Resolutions, unsung heroes, Leon Draisaitl’s amazing season so far, and much 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.

Add some skilled size, speed and ruggedness to the roster before the trade deadline.

Get meaner! Sometimes this team takes their foot off the gas against lesser competition, and sometimes, they seem a little reluctant to want to jump into scrums or stand up for their teammates. I want them to blow out bad teams, show that they’re the best team in the NHL for a reason and that if you take an extra shot, they’ll punch back.

I’d love for them to commit to a simpler, greasier style of play. The Oilers are incredibly effective when they play a North-South game without trying to get too fancy, and I’d love to see them do it every night and not just most nights.

He’s been very good in all facets of his game, offensively and defensively. I thought he had an underrated season last year, in terms of his defensive play. He’s taken it to a new level. He is a legit candidate for the Art Ross, Hart and Selke. Very impressive first 36 games for him.

Dominant. With the puck on his stick, he just does such a good job of controlling play. He’s scoring at a ridiculous rate, he’s been productive at 5v5 without a true play driving linemate, and he’s looking like playoff Leon in the middle of December.

Polished. This is the most well-rounded Leon Draisaitl has ever looked, and I’m a big fan of seeing that improvement in his game.

It is hard for it to go up when they don’t get a lot of shots. I’d focus more on the GAA stat. That matters much more for me. Do we focus more on a shooter’s SH% or his goal total? I think Sv% doesn’t always tell the story.

It’s just hard to overcome a slow start. I don’t think it’s a broken stat, but it shouldn’t really be viewed in isolation because there are so many variables to consider with it. Quality of chances, the score of the game, all of that stuff is important to consider.

I think it’s a pretty solid stat. What is the percentage of shots that they stop? Makes sense to me.

Brett Kulak. He’s been very solid.

I will say its Vasiliy Podkolzin. He hasn’t chipped in a lot of offense but he’s been a good source of energy and he helps on the PK. I’ve liked him game. Ty Emberson is getting better and better as well. Can you imagine if he wasn’t developing and the team had to play Josh Brown every night? Yikes.

I’m going to go with Calvin Pickard. When he was signed ahead of last season, no one would have ever expected him to be the Oilers’ every day backup, and yet, here he is. He doesn’t play all that often, but when he does, he gives the Oilers reasonable minutes, and that’s all you can ask for.

Podkolzin and Kapanen moves have both worked out really well. I didn’t expect him to make many other moves thus far. Now until the trade deadline is where he will earn his money this year.

I will say he gets a C+. He’s made some good moves but nothing flashy. He’ll be judged on how he does with his big swings. I like Emberson, Podkolzin and Kapanen, but he needs to find a top four defenseman and that’s the move that will really effect his grade. The offer sheet stuff wasn’t totally his fault, but he could have pushed to lock up one of those players when he first got his job.

I’ll go with a C grade mostly because he hasn’t had a chance to do too much yet. I like the Emberson and Podkolzin trades, I like the Kapanen waiver claim, and I don’t blame him for the way the offer sheet scenario played out either. After Jeff Jackson signed all of the free agents on July 1st, Bowman basically walked up to the table with his cards half-played. We’ll have a better idea of how he’s doing once the deadline rolls around.

Star Mechanical is one of Edmonton’s biggest locally owned and operated plumbing and heating businesses. They have been working within the community for over 20 years, and many of the homes built in Edmonton over the last two decades have had their plumbing and heating systems installed by Star Mechanical.  Visit them at starmechanical.ca to schedule an appointment and let them help keep your home running smoothly.