Game 8
Registered User
- Mar 8, 2003
- 2,196
- 125
I wish this thread wasn't like this. Makes me very sad
One of the few players with any hustle and making things happen out there!
I wish this thread wasn't like this. Makes me very sad
Being a rookie in a lockout year. I can't imagine a worse, more chaotic, and hard to predict situation for a kid. Not to mention only getting 48GP to figure it out in rookie season. Developmentally speaking its like the kid got half a rookie season and no proper TC to set up his game. Still, he played well towards the end of that season.
3pts in last 9GP but keep playing. Yak has been bad. Is it necessary to make things up?
Replacement is the one making logical statements in here the last couple pages.
He's not playing the way he should be. Correct.
He's the biggest problem on the team right now. Incorrect.
People are coming here to blame one kid for their woes because he was drafted too high. Jesus, get over it. Everyone keeps saying "i used to be optimistic, and I'm patient, but I'm not seeing improvement." Those same people say that after every single game Yak doesn't score. They're not waiting even a game or two to come back and say "i gave it time, he hasn't turned it around yet!"
Yeah, sorry, it's going to take all season to turn things around.
I used to think that as well, but I see absolutely nothing that shows that's true any more.
We simply cannot base Yak's career off of 2 seasons with Eakins. The one season he had a competent HC he was on pace for 30 goals.
There is a chance that Yak busts but it's not a problem with Yak but rather a problem with our team. If a team like Detroit got a hold of Yakupov, he'd be a star.
You mean the one half-season he had with a different coach he had an unreal shooting percentage and scored 17 goals. Just if we're being honest here.
Agreed, we can't base a whole career on 2.5 seasons. Never done that. Simply stated I am incredibly concerned with how badly he has played, and how poorly he has looked on the vast majority of nights. How his production is actually getting worse under Nelson, not better. How the Oilers are not in a position to keep a guy who doesn't produce, and also doesn't play like Boyd Gordon, on their roster. These are all legitimate concerns as far as I am concerned.
I also think it's very fair to point out when he has good games, which have been few and far between. Or when he has okay games, but produces nothing on the score sheet. Those happen a little more frequently. But the NHL doesn't pay someone to work hard but get no results. Those guys eventually become unemployed. I would say almost everyone on these forums is really cheering for the guy, but kind words about a player who is doing as close to nothing as you can do on an NHL team doesn't help anyone. It just ignores the reality of the situation.
Just my opinion. I guess though that there are those who watch him and are encouraged by little things that he does. The truth is that I am as well, but it's simply not enough. If he was a young guy who was drafted in the third round and was surrounded by defensively repsonsible, hardworking players - like say the LA Kings, then it wouldn't be such an issue. But he isn't. He is surrounded by a bunch of other guys who have their own warts. The problem for Yakupov is that he was drafted at #1 overall. It is what it is. It's his legacy. It's how he's going to be judged. Too bad for him, but that's life. Another problem is that some of the other guys who are struggling out there are at least contributing offensively. Yes, there are a lot of other players on the team who don't play well, but at the very least they chip in a few points here and there.
He has the same amount of points as Matt Hendricks and only 2 more than Boyd Gordon, and those guys contribute in other massive ways on the roster. Leon Draisaitl is still only 3 points behind him (in 13 less games no less), and arguably was a more effective player in most other areas of the ice as a rookie straight out the draft. And he wasn't good enough to even stick with team.
There are no words to really sum up how bad Yakupov has played since his rookie season, and it's not really getting much better. A little bit, in a few areas? Sure I'll give you that. He's actually doing worse offensively, despite the rope he's being given by Nelson.
He should be in the AHL. Send him down to gain some confidence and to try and figure out how to play the game again. He is not playing NHL level hockey right now in his role.
What would it take for the devils to acquire him? We have a glut of young defensemen with potential, but none is struggling quite as badly, so it is hard to really gauge a fair value.
What would it take for the devils to acquire him? We have a glut of young defensemen with potential, but none is struggling quite as badly, so it is hard to really gauge a fair value.
He's not waiver exempt.
You mean the one half-season he had with a different coach he had an unreal shooting percentage and scored 17 goals. Just if we're being honest here.
Agreed, we can't base a whole career on 2.5 seasons. Never done that. Simply stated I am incredibly concerned with how badly he has played, and how poorly he has looked on the vast majority of nights. How his production is actually getting worse under Nelson, not better. How the Oilers are not in a position to keep a guy who doesn't produce, and also doesn't play like Boyd Gordon, on their roster. These are all legitimate concerns as far as I am concerned.
I also think it's very fair to point out when he has good games, which have been few and far between. Or when he has okay games, but produces nothing on the score sheet. Those happen a little more frequently. But the NHL doesn't pay someone to work hard but get no results. Those guys eventually become unemployed. I would say almost everyone on these forums is really cheering for the guy, but kind words about a player who is doing as close to nothing as you can do on an NHL team doesn't help anyone. It just ignores the reality of the situation.
Just my opinion. I guess though that there are those who watch him and are encouraged by little things that he does. The truth is that I am as well, but it's simply not enough. If he was a young guy who was drafted in the third round and was surrounded by defensively repsonsible, hardworking players - like say the LA Kings, then it wouldn't be such an issue. But he isn't. He is surrounded by a bunch of other guys who have their own warts. The problem for Yakupov is that he was drafted at #1 overall. It is what it is. It's his legacy. It's how he's going to be judged. Too bad for him, but that's life. Another problem is that some of the other guys who are struggling out there are at least contributing offensively. Yes, there are a lot of other players on the team who don't play well, but at the very least they chip in a few points here and there.
He has the same amount of points as Matt Hendricks and only 2 more than Boyd Gordon, and those guys contribute in other massive ways on the roster. Leon Draisaitl is still only 3 points behind him (in 13 less games no less), and arguably was a more effective player in most other areas of the ice as a rookie straight out the draft. And he wasn't good enough to even stick with team.
There are no words to really sum up how bad Yakupov has played since his rookie season, and it's not really getting much better. A little bit, in a few areas? Sure I'll give you that. He's actually doing worse offensively, despite the rope he's being given by Nelson.
He should be in the AHL. Send him down to gain some confidence and to try and figure out how to play the game again. He is not playing NHL level hockey right now in his role.
He's not waiver exempt.
If Yakupov has any value left then they need to trade him this off season. If his value is as bad as the fans think it is then they should sign him to a 2 year, show me contract and give him every opportunity to succeed next year. Either he starts playing to his potential and we have a valuable member of the team or trade chip or he becomes Stefan 2.0.
No. If he busts, he busts. But you need to give him more than a game at a time between major complaints about the same things, even when a loss had nothing to do with him.
Next season, if he hasn't turned a corner, I have absolutely no issue trading him. I'm also a lot more clinical about management- you need to know more about a player before you trade him. He's in a transition right now. New coach, new linemates (though, he could sure use Pouliot back, and not being forced to play left wing). He'll either succeed or he won't, and that's when you make a decision on a guy.
Next year's trade deadline or at the end of next season, if Yak hasn't succeeded in producing- he should be traded. I don't have the emotional attachment with him a lot of you assume everyone defending him has. You just aren't thinking clearly about asset management. He needs all season before you judge whether the coaching and line changes have helped.
When a guy with zero confidence is struggling heavily with his game, and his potential is high, you MUST pay attention to the little things he does right and wrong, and why he's making those decisions/plays. A turnover that results in a goal doesn't necessarily mean a guy is playing poorly. Making mistakes are how you learn. If he goes out and skates the puck in front of his net again a couple times, whether it's turned over or not, you know he's not getting it. If he makes a completely different error...you can't group all errors together.
Sometimes a play that doesn't get turned over is worse than one who does.
And it pisses me off when a lot of you sit here and ***** about the kid for things that weren't his fault, or weren't that big of a deal, or not even giving him time to improve before slamming him again.
Those of us watching objectively, who aren't clouded by where he was drafted, are seeing two steps forward, one step back. That's not ideal, but it's not worth crucifying a guy. He's been snake-bitten, which makes the sheep far more vocal about not liking him, but if he was playing terribly and scoring a goal every other game due to lucky bounces or expert play by others, most of you wouldn't be posting here. And that is why I can't take most of the *****ing seriously.
Larsson is doing pretty super duper right now and although it may work out in the long run, he and severson would probably be the two to require an overpayment right now to acquire. Zajac I would have no problem moving though, since I am hoping we draft a real 1st line center this year. If the oilers want both players, would something like zajac Larsson and a second for yak and draisaitl work?
That's fine. Larsson has really matured into a steady, physical presence and I don't see that changing. Whether his somewhat surprising offense can be sustained is another matter entirely, but I feel trading him straight up for yakupov is too big a risk. Would the oilers entertain a prospect like Jacobs and a pick for him instead?
Lets all just step back and try to keep in mind that...
A. He's 21 years old
B. Has only played 2.5 seasons on the worst team in the NHL the last 3 seasons
C. Has never really had a good veteran center to play with
D. Forget the fact that he's a first overall pick. It was a terrible draft and the faster we
stop expecting him to be stamkos lite the better it will be for all involved.
E. The Sedins didn't start producing till they were in their mid 20's.