Yes or no... Adam Larsson for Nail Yakupov?

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Like others have said, I'd pull the trigger for Eberle, not Yakupov. I'm sorry, but I am just so turned off by entitled Russian players.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

nah he's a good kid, flight risk? I guess you could say that with every Russian

Idk what this baggage stuff is your talking about, unless your talking about his final year in the ohl when Hockey Canada tried to screw him over

A 20 year old kid who's at his 2nd season in the NHL, while leading his team in goals as a rookie over guys like Taylor Hall, wouldn't be a solid pickup because he has "baggage"?

I'm on your side here, what kind of "baggage" can a 20 year old rookie really have

“I’m going to play my game,†he said. “I’m not going to change but maybe play better without the puck, or forecheck more, but I love playing with the puck. I really don’t like skating all the time, and forechecking, and hitting somebody every shift. I don’t think it’s my game.â€

Maybe baggage was the wrong term, but he's stubborn and selfish. A guy who isn't willing to adjust his game a little for the better of the team has no place on a team like the Devils. We don't need that kind of kiddie drama here.

 

[MountainGoat]

it's silly to think Larsson will turn into a #1 dman after Pete is fired

he has to be able to improve some aspects of his game on his own, the problem is he hasn't really shown any of those natural flashes that #1 defensemen have

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Maybe not baggage yet, but he's folding his underwear.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/spor...ov+fumes+under+coach+rules/9033031/story.html

“I’m going to play my game,” he said. “I’m not going to change but maybe play better without the puck, or forecheck more, but I love playing with the puck. I really don’t like skating all the time, and forechecking, and hitting somebody every shift. I don’t think it’s my game.”

Then coach says

“The kids’ passion is to score and he was just going to take it all on himself to do that,” said Eakins. “I don’t care how good you are, you can’t produce by yourself in this league. You have to use your linemates, so it was more of a reset button for him. He can come in fresh with a new perspective.

Between that article and what he said about the Devils in the pregame - I like Eakins a lot.

 

[Colin226]

Maybe baggage was the wrong term, but he's stubborn and selfish. A guy who isn't willing to adjust his game a little for the better of the team has no place on a team like the Devils. We don't need that kind of kiddie drama here.

Wow yeah definitely don't want him here.. Would be a disaster.. But I'd still like to get something for Larsson if he doesn't turn it around in the next 10 games or so

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Maybe baggage was the wrong term, but he's stubborn and selfish. A guy who isn't willing to adjust his game a little for the better of the team has no place on a team like the Devils. We don't need that kind of kiddie drama here.

The kid racked up close to a PPG as a rookie on a brutal team. Getting banished to the 3rd line with AHL chumps isn't what he was expecting from his new head coach when he's been the go-to-guy everywhere he's been.

Let's not forget he's still 20 years of age and has all the tools you can ask for in a premier goal scorer. He plays hard each and every shift and just needs some guidance, that's all.

I do agree with Yakupov that playing like a 3rd/4th line checker isn't his role and isn't the reason he went #1 overall. He does however need to learn to play without the puck and that's something that can be learned pretty easily.

Anyways, I just find it funny that all of a sudden, Yakupov is the next version of Radulov because he doesn't want to play the same type of game Mike Brown plays.

 

[MountainGoat]

Maybe baggage was the wrong term, but he's stubborn and selfish. A guy who isn't willing to adjust his game a little for the better of the team has no place on a team like the Devils. We don't need that kind of kiddie drama here.

Sarnia and the OHL tried to cash in on him towards the end of his stay here, that was selfish

he needs the puck on his stick to be effective so maybe that's why people think he's selfish?

Edmonton is terrible at everything, they'll probably develop Yaku into a one dimensional player just like Atlanta did with Kovy before he was a Devil

 

[New Jersey Devils]

The kid racked up close to a PPG as a rookie on a brutal team. Getting banished to the 3rd line with AHL chumps isn't what he was expecting from his new head coach when he's been the go-to-guy everywhere he's been.

Let's not forget he's still 20 years of age and has all the tools you can ask for in a premier goal scorer. He plays hard each and every shift and just needs some guidance, that's all.

I do agree with Yakupov that playing like a 3rd/4th line checker isn't his role and isn't the reason he went #1 overall. He does however need to learn to play without the puck and that's something that can be learned pretty easily.

Anyways, I just find it funny that all of a sudden, Yakupov is the next version of Radulov because he doesn't want to play the same type of game Mike Brown plays.

Larsson is also 20 years of age, but yet people here are willing to give up on him.

 

[MountainGoat]

if we can turn a cherry picking Kovy into the best penalty killer in the nhl then I don't think we would have any problems with Yaku

 

[Just Win]

The kid racked up close to a PPG as a rookie on a brutal team. Getting banished to the 3rd line with AHL chumps isn't what he was expecting from his new head coach when he's been the go-to-guy everywhere he's been.

Let's not forget he's still 20 years of age and has all the tools you can ask for in a premier goal scorer. He plays hard each and every shift and just needs some guidance, that's all.

I do agree with Yakupov that playing like a 3rd/4th line checker isn't his role and isn't the reason he went #1 overall. He does however need to learn to play without the puck and that's something that can be learned pretty easily.

Anyways, I just find it funny that all of a sudden, Yakupov is the next version of Radulov because he doesn't want to play the same type of game Mike Brown plays.

How old is Larsson again?

 

[Just Win]

if we can turn a cherry picking Kovy into the best penalty killer in the nhl then I don't think we would have any problems with Yaku

Best penalty killer my ass. Scoring on the PK does not equal being a great penalty killer which Kovy never was.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

if we can turn a cherry picking Kovy into the best penalty killer in the nhl then I don't think we would have any problems with Yaku

You can't be serious

 

[tycobb]

I won't trade Larsson and I don't expect him to be a sud defenseman in the next two years. It looks like it is going to take time, but he has the highest ceiling I have seen on this team in a very long time.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

if we can turn a cherry picking Kovy into the best penalty killer in the nhl then I don't think we would have any problems with Yaku

 

[Richer's Ghost]

the cherry picking qualifier still applies to the 2nd half of that description lol

 

[tycobb]

Best penalty killer my ass. Scoring on the PK does not equal being a great penalty killer which Kovy never was.

You understand that Kovy was a + one season for us on the PK. He was amazing for us.


He was on for 5 goals (gave up 4) on the PK.

 

[MountainGoat]

Best penalty killer my ass. Scoring on the PK does not equal being a great penalty killer which Kovy never was.

wtf hell yea it does, teams had to change their PP and play safe because of how aggressive we use to be on the PK

that Henrique/Kovy combo was ****ing unstoppable

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

You understand that Kovy was a + one season for us on the PK. He was amazing for us.

um what? do you have stats to back that up?

 

[tycobb]

um what? do you have stats to back that up?

Yea I added it.

 

[MountainGoat]

the cherry picking qualifier still applies to the 2nd half of that description lol

his positioning was awkward on the pk but some how it worked lol

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Larsson is also 20 years of age, but yet people here are willing to give up on him.

How old is Larsson again?

Giving up isn't the proper word but I can see both of your points.

I do agree that Larsson is still young and it takes more time for a d-man to figure out how to play at the NHL level then it is for a forward but I just don't see it from Larsson, sorry.

He can make a very solid breakout pass, I'll give him that but outside of that, there isn't anything I've seen that screams "top pairing d-man" for years to come. He's not a fast skater, doesn't throw his weight around, doesn't have a hard shot from the point and those are all qualities you see right away from certain prospects who are entering the league as rookies who do have "top pairing" potential.

I hope Larsson will make me regret posting what I'm posting today, so Apice3 can dig up my quotes and throw them back in my face sarcasm but he's been in the league for 3 years now and I haven't seen any sign of progression since.

Is it the organisation who rushed him too early, coaching staff for not grooming him properly or just the player that isn't living up to the hype... I don't know but I do know that he isn't taking that "next step" we're all expecting out of him.

 

[MountainGoat]

Madden would get a ton of breakways on the PK as well but he couldn't score for ****

Madden/Pando
Kovy/Henrique

 

[Holtz My Bahls]

Larsson is 20 years old... Thank god none of you wanting to trade him are GM's.

 

[MountainGoat]

Yaku is 20

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Giving up isn't the proper word but I can see both of your points.

I do agree that Larsson is still young and it takes more time for a d-man to figure out how to play at the NHL level then it is for a forward but I just don't see it from Larsson, sorry.

He can make a very solid breakout pass, I'll give him that but outside of that, there isn't anything I've seen that screams "top pairing d-man" for years to come. He's not a fast skater, doesn't throw his weight around, doesn't have a hard shot from the point and those are all qualities you see right away from certain prospects who are entering the league as rookies.

I hope Larsson will make me regret posting what I'm posting today, so Apice3 can dig up my quotes and throw them back in my face sarcasm but he's been in the league for 3 years now and I haven't seen any sign of progression since.

Is it the organisation who rushed him too early, coaching staff for not grooming him properly or just the player that isn't living up to the hype... I don't know but I do know that he isn't taking that "next step" we're all expecting out of him.

Fair enough, I do agree that his speed is something that needs to be worked on, but I feel like that is something he can fix throughout the season and off-season with workouts. Regarding his shot, I truly believe he has a big shot, but for some reason he's afraid to use it. Perhaps it's not that accurate and wants to make the safe play by making sure it gets on net. He's 7th on the team with 8 SOG, one more than our "offensive" d-man Zidlicky, who's on the first PP unit. Doesn't make any sense that Harrold gets PP time over Adam.