Can We Now Call Yakupov the Worst Forward Ever Drafted First Overall?

[The Winter Soldier]

I think Yakupov is a victim of his draft position and draft year. Really, not that he does not deserve criticism.

But look at the top 5 picks of that draft. Would any of these players be looked at as good #1 OA picks?

Yakupov
Murray
Gally
Reinhart
Rielly

 

[Rosalie73]

In my view, Alexandre Daigle is the worst forward drafted overall.

 

[HockeyGuy007]

I hope Yak signs with Vegas. It'll definitely be hard for him to go anywhere else at this point. I think there he can reinvent himself along with the team.

 

[voxel]

I think Yakupov is a victim of his draft position and draft year. Really, not that he does not deserve criticism.

But look at the top 5 picks of that draft. Would any of these players be looked at as good #1 OA picks?

Yakupov
Murray
Gally
Reinhart
Rielly

Hampus Lindholm or [URL='http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=142620']Filip Forsberg are my choice for No. 1[/URL]

What a gross draft.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

In my view, Alexandre Daigle is the worst forward drafted overall.

He had a better career than Yakupov

 

[Ace of Hades]

Patrik stefan has him beat.

 

[Cup or Bust]

Yakupov is easily the worst I have ever seen, even Stefan and Daigle were at least fundamentally good hockey players, Yakupov is simply a lousy hockey player. He makes me think of a guy who grew up skating and shooting a puck his whole life but has no idea how to play hockey.

 

[CraigBillington]

Patrik stefan has him beat.

Nah Stefan at least was a safe, capable third liner who only *almost* cost his team one game

Yakupov is one of those rare players who peaks at 19.

 

[895]

Nah Stefan at least was a safe, capable third liner who only cost his team one game

Yakupov is one of those rare players who peaks at 19.

Dallas won that game so not even.

 

[CraigBillington]

Dallas won that game so not even.

Well I love when that happens. I totally thought Edmonton won in overtime, haha.

 

[ZJuice]

Can we call this this the worst thread title ever?

Dipietro ended up bringing negative value to his team due to that horrendous contact. Stefan, Daigle, Lawton... There have been lots of awful #1 overall picks through the years.

But Dipietro had the best body in the NHL

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

Yeah, but Yakupov is only 23, by 2004, Daigle was already 10-11 years into his career. Yakupov could easily outdo him yet.

Also, Daigle didn't have to deal with all the social media with fans able to spit out their displeasure with extreme speed. I think there is far more pressure now than in '94.

Yakupov will be lucky to have a career as long as Daigle had.

 

[PAZ]

It's so easy to root for Yakupov, but he just can't figure out how to mature and take the next step.

I think some time in the KHL could do him good, perhaps comeback in a few years after lighting up the KHL.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

There's a caveat...

1. He was drafted by the Oilers.
2. The Oilers are an absolutely horrendous team at development for the players that severely require it.
3. He was rushed to the NHL
4. When it was clear he needed more development time, the damage was already showing.
5. He, himself, was never a terrible pick, the circumstances in which turned him into one, was.

 

[Stive Morgan]

People always seem to forget Daigle put up multiple 50+ point seasons and Stefan was a 30-40 point guy.

Yakupov has surpassed 24 points only twice.

 

[LeafsNation75]

There's a caveat...

1. He was drafted by the Oilers.
2. The Oilers are an absolutely horrendous team at development for the players that severely require it.
3. He was rushed to the NHL
4. When it was clear he needed more development time, the damage was already showing.
5. He, himself, was never a terrible pick, the circumstances in which turned him into one, was.

At that time it was said the Oilers needed help on defense a lot more and I heard their scouts wanted Ryan Murray at 1st overall. However Darryl Katz overruled them and wanted Yakupov. So he should get a lot of blame for wanting Yakupov to start with.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

Puljujarvi was considered a steal at the time, as Columbus was supposed to be taking him and passed on him for Dubois.

Yes he was but as a buddy pointed out to me at the time when a GM from Finland passes on a highly ranked Finnish elite league player alarm bells should have rung loud.

So far he looks right as Dubois had a fantastic first season.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

At that time it was said the Oilers needed help on defense a lot more and I heard their scouts wanted Ryan Murray at 1st overall. However Darryl Katz overruled them and wanted Yakupov. So he should get a lot of blame for wanting Yakupov to start with.

And again, it's really not Yakupov's fault he was never a good pick. As you mentioned, based on needs, the Oilers failed on what they actually needed and Yakupov is hardly alone in his failure of being drafted high by the Oilers, that list is long and sadly not distinguished thanks to them being inept for a couple of decades now.

The guy could have been a solid player, the Oilers were crap, they had no reason to rush the guy except to put butts in seats to make money off of a new shiny today that they later destroyed, didn't move when they should, then when they did, the damage was so beyond done that we have threads like these.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Yes he was but as a buddy pointed out to me at the time when a GM from Finland passes on a highly ranked Finnish elite league player alarm bells should have rung loud.

So far he looks right as Dubois had a fantastic first season.

You mean a GM took a Center instead of a fellow countryman that is a right winger and ignoring his team needs for his own personal crap about some hometown kid?

PREPOSTEROUS!

I know that craps all over your narrative, except PruneJuiceParty is likely doomed until he's finally traded, hopefully this summer, and can salvage his career asap with a team that actually knows how to handle prospects. The Oilers developmental system is so comically bad, I actually feel sorry for that kid.

 

[Damisoph]

Something people don't seem to acknowledge was how much easier it was to score in the mid 80s. Lawton's #s are not impressive at all.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Something people don't seem to acknowledge was how much easier it was to score in the mid 80s. Lawton's #s are not impressive at all.

He was such a let down. Our younger members weren't privy to all the hype surrounding him.

He was considered by many to be of the Bobby Carpenter level.

Can't quote the sources; we didn't have Internet back then! THN largely though.. lol

 

[tucker3434]

Worst is probably fair. I would disagree with most disappointing. It was a bad year. He would’ve gone between 3 and 5 in most drafts, and nobody really cares when those guys bust.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Considering who was drafted after him, hard to choose anyone besides Lawton, IMO.

Daigle is up there as well.

 

[rent free]

No. Diagle is worse.

 

[Seanaconda]

...Or does he get one last chance?

People have been hopeful he'll turn it around for years. I wish him well, but at this point, it looks like he just doesn't have it.

People say Daigle was a bigger bust because he was more hyped. He was certainly a better player than Yakupov, though. He wasn't any good defensively either (at least until late in his NHL career), but he was a lot better offensively.

Stefan, Wickenheiser and Lawton were mediocre-esque players who could play in a team's top six or nine without causing damage. None of them was ever close to being a top player, but they were all far from the worst players around as well.

Yakupov is basically one of the worst forwards in the NHL.

If he can produce in COL, maybe he'll manage to prolong his career. Perhaps a team like Vegas will pick him up and he can score 45 points for the Knights while they look for better players...

As of now, Yakupov has never scored 20 goals or 40 points in a season.

He probably has chances to get ahead of Stefan until his nhl career is over