You have questions. We here at The Athletic would like to provide some answers.



Here is the first edition of what will hopefully be a regular feature here, the Mirtle Mailbag of Marvelous Messages, or the Mirtle Mailbag for short.



Let’s see what you want to know this week:



***



Do you think Connor Carrick is/will be good enough to be a top four NHL defenceman?



Do I think he is now? Probably not on a contender. Do I think he can get there? Yes.



Carrick has had some tough games lately. Babcock only gave him 11 minutes in Washington the other night for a reason. There has been some uncertainty in his game as he learns how to defend against better players than he has faced previously in his career.



But there are a ton of things I really like about both the player and his game.



When with Jake Gardiner this season, this is a 57 per cent possession pair. That is one of the highest marks for any D pairing in the...