Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to all of you. I&#8217;ve got a brand new 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&#8217;re discussing Darnell Nurse&#8217;s game, Leon Draisaitl&#8217;s chance at the Rocket Richard, trade targets, and much more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at <a class="text-accent" href="mailto:baggedmilk@oilersnation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">baggedmilk@oilersnation.com</a> or on Twitter at <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jsbmbaggedmilk</a>, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.

<figure id="attachment_166047" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-166047" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-166047" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24973722_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24973722_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24973722_168383996_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24973722_168383996_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24973722_168383996_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24973722_168383996_lowres-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-166047" class="wp-caption-text">Dec 12, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) falls into the net against the Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) in the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
1) Stephen asks &#8211; <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/12/09/the-redeployment-of-darnell-nurse-is-leading-to-some-of-his-best-hockey-for-the-oilers/">Darnell Nurse is playing some of his best hockey</a> right now. What do you see as differences in his game that have led to his resurgence?
Jason Gregor:
He is playing within himself. He isn’t reaching or jumping out of position and he’s not forcing any passes. The other big factor, and arguably the most important, is he is having fun. He is smiling more. He isn’t putting extra pressure on himself to be a perfect player he said.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
Every facet of his game has taken a big step forward. He&#8217;s back to moving the puck out of his own end and down the ice like he did a few years ago, in the defensive zone he&#8217;s not nearly as scramble even though he still has to cover for his partner a lot of the time, and in the offensive zone he&#8217;s consistently making good decisions. He&#8217;s a totally different player than we saw towards the end of last season.
Baggedmilk:
I think Nurse is keeping it simple and not trying to do too much. A big part of that is having a partner in Brett Kulak that he can trust, leaving him to play his game without worrying about whatever mistakes are being made on the other side of the ice. That&#8217;s my guess, anyway. All I know for sure is that this is probably the best hockey he&#8217;s ever played, and I&#8217;m hopeful he can keep it rolling because it&#8217;s been a huge addition to the back end.
<figure id="attachment_166056" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-166056" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-166056" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Edmonton-Oilers-Leon-Draisaitl-celebrates-goal-in-Minnesota-1024x682.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl celebrates goal in Minnesota" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Edmonton-Oilers-Leon-Draisaitl-celebrates-goal-in-Minnesota-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Edmonton-Oilers-Leon-Draisaitl-celebrates-goal-in-Minnesota-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Edmonton-Oilers-Leon-Draisaitl-celebrates-goal-in-Minnesota-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Edmonton-Oilers-Leon-Draisaitl-celebrates-goal-in-Minnesota-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Edmonton-Oilers-Leon-Draisaitl-celebrates-goal-in-Minnesota-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-166056" class="wp-caption-text">Dec 12, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild in the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
2) Taylor asks &#8211; There&#8217;s still a long way to go, but do you think Leon Draisaitl has a legitimate chance at winning the Rocket Richard Trophy? How many goals do you think he finishes with?
Jason Gregor:
Of course he does. He has finished 2nd in goals in 2019 and 2022 and fourth in 2020, 2021 and 2023. From the start of 2018-19 season until now he has the second most goals in the NHL with 294. He is currently on pace for 60. I think he will finish with 58.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
Absolutely. If he starts shooting the puck more and the powerplay heats up, he has a legitimate shot at 60+ goals and if he does that, the Rocket Richard should be within reach.
Baggedmilk:
Not only does he have a chance to win it, I think the Hockey Gords actually want him to win. How else would you explain some of the goals he&#8217;s scoring that aren&#8217;t necessarily shots on goal, but rather Leon finding a way to put the puck in the net with his mind. It&#8217;s happening, friends.
<figure id="attachment_165953" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-165953" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-165953" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24697652-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Travis Dermott" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24697652-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24697652-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24697652-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24697652-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24697652-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-165953" class="wp-caption-text">Oct 31, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Travis Dermott (24) warms up before a game against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.</figcaption></figure>
3) Blake asks &#8211; Are there any concerns about organizational depth after the <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/12/13/wild-claim-oilers-defenceman-travis-dermott-on-waivers/">Minnesota Wild claimed Travis Dermott</a> off waivers? By my count, there aren&#8217;t many LHDs left beyond the guys playing at the NHL level right now.
Jason Gregor:
Fair question since the only left D-man in Bakersfield is Cam Dineen. I’m not sure there is a big difference between Dineen and Dermott though. Dermott barely played for the Oilers, and luckily Edmonton’s three LD are very durable. If LD gets injured they can move Stecher to the left side. It is interesting how for such a long time the organization had so RD, and now all their closest NHL-ready D_men in the AHL, Brown, Wanner, Kemp and <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/12/14/diving-into-what-alec-regula-will-bring-to-the-oilers/">Regula</a> (still in EDM) shoot right. I could see them adding a depth LD defenceman before the deadline, but only after they’ve made bigger moves.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I&#8217;m not super concerned about it, but I could see Stan Bowman scouring the trade market for a LHD to add to the system. It wouldn&#8217;t be a bad idea, but at the same time I&#8217;m not overly concerned.
Baggedmilk:
I don&#8217;t know that losing Dermott is a massive loss for the Oilers, but it&#8217;s certainly a ding on the ol&#8217; depth chart. Dermott lost his minutes to Troy Stecher over the last few weeks, and I was actually surprised that the Wild felt the need to claim him even with the injuries they&#8217;re battling right now because it&#8217;s not like he was playing out of his mind or anything. That said, we&#8217;ve also seen Stan Bowman claim a pair of players already this season, so I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if Dermott ended up back in Edmonton at some point when the Wild inevitably waive him once they start getting healthy.
<figure id="attachment_165893" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-165893" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-165893" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24885098_168383996_lowres-1024x689.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers celebrate goal on the road" width="1024" height="689" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24885098_168383996_lowres-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24885098_168383996_lowres-300x202.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24885098_168383996_lowres-768x517.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24885098_168383996_lowres-1536x1034.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24885098_168383996_lowres-2048x1379.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-165893" class="wp-caption-text">Nov 30, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen (42) celebrates his goal with defenseman Evan Bouchard (2) and defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
4) Nathan asks &#8211; What have you learned about this team through the first two months of <a href="https://oilersnation.com/schedule">the season</a>?
Jason Gregor:
That the emotion of sports is still as high and volatile as ever. Many fans were freaking out after a few weeks. “You will never win with Skinner.” “This team is too slow, they lost all their speed.” But it isn’t a surprise, since even the Management for Team Canada got caught up in recency bias and didn’t pick Zach Hyman. It is interesting how quickly people will overreact negatively, but when a player plays great or the team does, they don’t have the same over-the-top positive outlook.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
That they&#8217;re one of the best teams in the NHL and their forward group is one of the strongest in the league. They&#8217;re getting scoring from different areas and they&#8217;re grinding teams down with their strong possession. If the goaltending and defense keep up this current level, they should be able to track down Vegas for the top spot in the division.
Baggedmilk:
Sometimes you need to be patient with a team that just made and lost in the Stanley Cup Final. I know the Oilers have had two slow starts in a row now, but this year&#8217;s version felt different. It was like the boys need some time to get back in the swing of things and that no one was going to give them wins even though they were probably the better team on paper.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-158283" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Edmonton-Oilers-GM-Stan-Bowman-Press-Conference-1024x611.png" alt="Edmonton Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman" width="1024" height="611" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Edmonton-Oilers-GM-Stan-Bowman-Press-Conference-1024x611.png 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Edmonton-Oilers-GM-Stan-Bowman-Press-Conference-300x179.png 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Edmonton-Oilers-GM-Stan-Bowman-Press-Conference-768x458.png 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Edmonton-Oilers-GM-Stan-Bowman-Press-Conference-1536x917.png 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Edmonton-Oilers-GM-Stan-Bowman-Press-Conference.png 1598w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
5) James in Peterborough asks &#8211; There seems to be consensus that the Oilers will add a defender to play with Darnell Nurse on the second pairing? What qualities/attributes do you want to see in that player? Do you have anyone in mind, specifically, who might fit the bill?
Jason Gregor:
There aren’t many top-four RD available. Calgary isn’t trading Rasmus Andersson to Edmonton, just like they were never going to move Chris Tanev here last year. Nurse can carry the second pair, as he has shown this season. I don’t think his play is dependent on a specific type of player. But, he, like all players would benefit from a solid partner. A right-shooting Brett Kulak type would be great. Not many of those out there, especially at only $2.75m.
Edmonton might be best served to play Kulak with Nurse and go find a solid #5 left D-man. But if you are looking for options outside of Edmonton they include Ivan Provorov (shoots left, plays RD often), Jeff Petry, Wil Borgen, Cody Ceci and Jan Ruuta (although San Jose can’t retain salary on Ceci or Rutta, so they seem unlikely fits, even if EDM was interested). David Savard might be the best option among UFA RD.
Connor Murphy has this season plus one more at $4.4m. He’s someone I’d consider. I think he’d be the best fit.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I want a player who can skate well and move the puck effectively. They need to be good in their own end, but I don&#8217;t think the Oilers should go for a purely defense first player. I like Mike Matheson and Ivan Provorov.
Baggedmilk:
Is there another Brett Pesce out there somewhere? I know Pesce signed in New Jersey, but he&#8217;s the exact type of RHD that I would love Stan Bowman to find. Is that guy even out there? We&#8217;ll have to wait and see.
<h2>PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL</h2>
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Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to all of you. I've got a brand new 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 discussing Darnell Nurse's game, Leon Draisaitl's chance at the Rocket Richard, trade targets, and much more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at <a class="text-accent" href="mailto:baggedmilk@oilersnation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">baggedmilk@oilersnation.com</a> or on Twitter at <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jsbmbaggedmilk</a>, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.



[caption id="attachment_166047" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-166047" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24973722_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse" width="1024" height="683" /> Dec 12, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) falls into the net against the Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) in the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images[/caption]

1) Stephen asks - <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/12/09/the-redeployment-of-darnell-nurse-is-leading-to-some-of-his-best-hockey-for-the-oilers/">Darnell Nurse is playing some of his best hockey</a> right now. What do you see as differences in his game that have led to his resurgence?

Jason Gregor:

He is playing within himself. He isn’t reaching or jumping out of position and he’s not forcing any passes. The other big factor, and arguably the most important, is he is having fun. He is smiling more. He isn’t putting extra pressure on himself to be a perfect player he said.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

Every facet of his game has taken a big step forward. He's back to moving the puck out of his own end and down the ice like he did a few years ago, in the defensive zone he's not nearly as scramble even though he still has to cover for his partner a lot of the time, and in the offensive zone he's consistently making good decisions. He's a totally different player than we saw towards the end of last season.

Baggedmilk:

I think Nurse is keeping it simple and not trying to do too much. A big part of that is having a partner in Brett Kulak that he can trust, leaving him to play his game without worrying about whatever mistakes are being made on the other side of the ice. That's my guess, anyway. All I know for sure is that this is probably the best hockey he's ever played, and I'm hopeful he can keep it rolling because it's been a huge addition to the back end.

[caption id="attachment_166056" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-166056" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Edmonton-Oilers-Leon-Draisaitl-celebrates-goal-in-Minnesota-1024x682.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl celebrates goal in Minnesota" width="1024" height="682" /> Dec 12, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild in the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images[/caption]

2) Taylor asks - There's still a long way to go, but do you think Leon Draisaitl has a legitimate chance at winning the Rocket Richard Trophy? How many goals do you think he finishes with?

Jason Gregor:

Of course he does. He has finished 2nd in goals in 2019 and 2022 and fourth in 2020, 2021 and 2023. From the start of 2018-19 season until now he has the second most goals in the NHL with 294. He is currently on pace for 60. I think he will finish with 58.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

Absolutely. If he starts shooting the puck more and the powerplay heats up, he has a legitimate shot at 60+ goals and if he does that, the Rocket Richard should be within reach.

Baggedmilk:

Not only does he have a chance to win it, I think the Hockey Gords actually want him to win. How else would you explain some of the goals he's scoring that aren't necessarily shots on goal, but rather Leon finding a way to put the puck in the net with his mind. It's happening, friends.

[caption id="attachment_165953" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-165953" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24697652-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Travis Dermott" width="1024" height="683" /> Oct 31, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Travis Dermott (24) warms up before a game against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.[/caption]

3) Blake asks - Are there any concerns about organizational depth after the <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/12/13/wild-claim-oilers-defenceman-travis-dermott-on-waivers/">Minnesota Wild claimed Travis Dermott</a> off waivers? By my count, there aren't many LHDs left beyond the guys playing at the NHL level right now.

Jason Gregor:

Fair question since the only left D-man in Bakersfield is Cam Dineen. I’m not sure there is a big difference between Dineen and Dermott though. Dermott barely played for the Oilers, and luckily Edmonton’s three LD are very durable. If LD gets injured they can move Stecher to the left side. It is interesting how for such a long time the organization had so RD, and now all their closest NHL-ready D_men in the AHL, Brown, Wanner, Kemp and <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/12/14/diving-into-what-alec-regula-will-bring-to-the-oilers/">Regula</a> (still in EDM) shoot right. I could see them adding a depth LD defenceman before the deadline, but only after they’ve made bigger moves.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

I'm not super concerned about it, but I could see Stan Bowman scouring the trade market for a LHD to add to the system. It wouldn't be a bad idea, but at the same time I'm not overly concerned.

Baggedmilk:

I don't know that losing Dermott is a massive loss for the Oilers, but it's certainly a ding on the ol' depth chart. Dermott lost his minutes to Troy Stecher over the last few weeks, and I was actually surprised that the Wild felt the need to claim him even with the injuries they're battling right now because it's not like he was playing out of his mind or anything. That said, we've also seen Stan Bowman claim a pair of players already this season, so I wouldn't be surprised if Dermott ended up back in Edmonton at some point when the Wild inevitably waive him once they start getting healthy.

[caption id="attachment_165893" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-165893" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/USATSI_24885098_168383996_lowres-1024x689.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers celebrate goal on the road" width="1024" height="689" /> Nov 30, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen (42) celebrates his goal with defenseman Evan Bouchard (2) and defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images[/caption]

4) Nathan asks - What have you learned about this team through the first two months of <a href="https://oilersnation.com/schedule">the season</a>?

Jason Gregor:

That the emotion of sports is still as high and volatile as ever. Many fans were freaking out after a few weeks. “You will never win with Skinner.” “This team is too slow, they lost all their speed.” But it isn’t a surprise, since even the Management for Team Canada got caught up in recency bias and didn’t pick Zach Hyman. It is interesting how quickly people will overreact negatively, but when a player plays great or the team does, they don’t have the same over-the-top positive outlook.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

That they're one of the best teams in the NHL and their forward group is one of the strongest in the league. They're getting scoring from different areas and they're grinding teams down with their strong possession. If the goaltending and defense keep up this current level, they should be able to track down Vegas for the top spot in the division.

Baggedmilk:

Sometimes you need to be patient with a team that just made and lost in the Stanley Cup Final. I know the Oilers have had two slow starts in a row now, but this year's version felt different. It was like the boys need some time to get back in the swing of things and that no one was going to give them wins even though they were probably the better team on paper.

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-158283" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Edmonton-Oilers-GM-Stan-Bowman-Press-Conference-1024x611.png" alt="Edmonton Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman" width="1024" height="611" />

5) James in Peterborough asks - There seems to be consensus that the Oilers will add a defender to play with Darnell Nurse on the second pairing? What qualities/attributes do you want to see in that player? Do you have anyone in mind, specifically, who might fit the bill?

Jason Gregor:

There aren’t many top-four RD available. Calgary isn’t trading Rasmus Andersson to Edmonton, just like they were never going to move Chris Tanev here last year. Nurse can carry the second pair, as he has shown this season. I don’t think his play is dependent on a specific type of player. But, he, like all players would benefit from a solid partner. A right-shooting Brett Kulak type would be great. Not many of those out there, especially at only $2.75m.

Edmonton might be best served to play Kulak with Nurse and go find a solid #5 left D-man. But if you are looking for options outside of Edmonton they include Ivan Provorov (shoots left, plays RD often), Jeff Petry, Wil Borgen, Cody Ceci and Jan Ruuta (although San Jose can’t retain salary on Ceci or Rutta, so they seem unlikely fits, even if EDM was interested). David Savard might be the best option among UFA RD.

Connor Murphy has this season plus one more at $4.4m. He’s someone I’d consider. I think he’d be the best fit.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

I want a player who can skate well and move the puck effectively. They need to be good in their own end, but I don't think the Oilers should go for a purely defense first player. I like Mike Matheson and Ivan Provorov.

Baggedmilk:

Is there another Brett Pesce out there somewhere? I know Pesce signed in New Jersey, but he's the exact type of RHD that I would love Stan Bowman to find. Is that guy even out there? We'll have to wait and see.
<h2>PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL</h2>
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