Line Combos: Is Yakupov a Left Winger?

[Tarus]

Scott Hartnell is 31 years old and has 5 years and 22.5 million dollars left on a contract with a 4.75 million cap hit, and is coming off a year that had him on the same 30 point pace as some other notorious disappointments around the NHL.

If he would cost much more than a 7th round pick and Philip Larsen, it must be because Holmgrem thinks the Flyers have 2 freebee buyouts each year under the new CBA.

Hartnell broke his foot and missed the first month of the season, and struggled a bit on a bad team coming back.

He's also in the age range of all the powerforwards on the market this year(Clowe - 30, Clarkson - 29), and will likely end up with the lowest cap hit of all three of them, he's also a superior player.

 

[Petes2424]

If the Oilers move Yakupov back to the LW after the success he had on the RW late in the season I'll be sorely disappointed. He is a RW and should be used there.

I've watchd Nail play a lot in Sarnia and it really doesn't matter but he has a comfort zone on the right side I wouldn't mess with. I think you're going to see a crazy jump from him this year in production.

 

[thadd]

Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
MPS-Gagner-Yakupov
???-Gordon- ???/Hemsky
Joensuu- ??? - Brown

Smid-Petry
Ference-Schultz
we have so many 3rd pairing d-men it's impossible to imagine

Dubby
Labarb... can't spell his name.

Lots of plugs filled today.

 

[iCanada]

Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
MPS-Gagner-Yakupov
???-Gordon- ???/Hemsky
Joensuu- ??? - Brown

Smid-Petry
Ference-Schultz
we have so many 3rd pairing d-men it's impossible to imagine

Dubby
Labarb... can't spell his name.

Lots of plugs filled today.

Imo move MPS to the third line, ideally. I think Joensuu is fighting Brown and Jones for 4th line RW, Lander/VandeVelde/Smithson/???? for Center, and then Eager/Petrell/Smyth on LW.

 

[McDavidMcCup]

This thread is the very reason I am glad today that Clarkson was not signed by Edmonton.

What in the world were we going to do with three RW? We already know that Yakupov and Eberle are franchise quality forwards. Was the plan to put Clarkson on the third line? At 6 mill? With Gordon?

It made absolutely no sense. Maybe after investing all that money into him they would try and convince him to play on his off wing (Eric Cole says hi). Usually not so effective.

Clarkson had no role here. At all.

Yakupov is minimally a second line RW at this stage of his career.

 

[Oil In My Veins]

In a perfect world, I'd like to see:

Hall - RNH - Yakupov
XXX - Gagner - Eberle
PRV - Gordon - XXX
Eager - XXX - Jones
Smyth
Brown

xxx - xxx
Smid - Petry
Ference - J. Schultz
Belov

Dubnyk
LaBarbara

 

[thadd]

So as of now we're looking ok on the right wing, but we need a left winger and a center.

Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
MPS-Gagner-Yakupov
____-Gordon-Jones
(Smyth/Finn Tank)-____-Brown
Smyth/Finn Tank

I really think that Mac-T must be trying to trade Hemsky and Nick Schultz to acquire either a center or a left winger. If we ate some salary in such a trade, I wonder which left wingers would be available.

I'd target Mikkel Boedker or Nikolai Kulemin if I were Mac-T. They've got a physical edge, a bit of offensive upside.

Make it happen, Mac-T!

 

[Mr Forever]

I'd rather have Hemsky in the top 6 than Paajarvi for now. Unless we can get a better winger, I'd slot Hemsky in on 2LW.

Hall-Gagner-Yakupov
Hemsky-RNH-Eberle
Paajarvi-Gordon-XXX

Hemsky in an offensive role is better than him in a checking role IMO. Unless we can get a better forward, like Stewart or Kulemin for example, Hemsky makes the most sense in the top 6.

 

[thadd]

I'd rather have Hemsky in the top 6 than Paajarvi for now. Unless we can get a better winger, I'd slot Hemsky in on 2LW.

Hall-Gagner-Yakupov
Hemsky-RNH-Eberle
Paajarvi-Gordon-XXX

Hemsky in an offensive role is better than him in a checking role IMO. Unless we can get a better forward, like Stewart or Kulemin for example, Hemsky makes the most sense in the top 6.

Hemsky is more likely to stay healthy playing 3rd line minutes and we need more size in our top six.