Igor Larionov to Edmonton (Re: Yakupov) - Part II

[CornKicker]

and no one has seen craig since, he probably got socked in the eye Bret Hart/Vince Mcmahon styles

 

[Jamin]

He needs to play with talented forwards, under a coach that won't force talented offensive players to dump the puck in all the time, then the other team just get it and carries it out of the zone in 20 seconds.

Re-watch the Penguins game, that's what our offensive players can do and what they're best at. I can understand Eakins wanting some defensive stability, but not at the expense of limiting our talent from doing what they do best.

If Eakins lets them carry the puck in and use speed and passing to create space, they'll score, it's as simple as that. Playing a perimeter game with our talent is a waste, we're just handing the opposition extra possessions.

No its really not. They would turn it over at the blue line trying 1 move too many, trying to get by one guy too many. Everyone talks about how skilled our players are but have you noticed how none of them can make a simple pass to save their lives? Watching other teams their 4th liners can string 3 passes together but our top 6 cant.

So in theory use speed and passing to gain the zone makes sense in practice it leads to not getting it in deep and lots of turn overs

 

[Replacement*]

Any Yak haters that want to delete their posts in this thread may as well start now.

Like I said, the comments people made about Yak in this and other threads this week they will quickly regret. As stated this will be the top goal scorer going forward among these players.

Yak now with 3 goals and counting in last 9GP.

I said he was coming on. Get him the puck, he's really feeling it and really looking good.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Any Yak haters that want to delete their posts in this thread may as well start now.

Like I said, the comments people made about Yak in this and other threads this week they will quickly regret. As stated this will be the top goal scorer going forward among these players.

Yak now with 3 goals and counting in last 9GP.

I said he was coming on. Get him the puck, he's really feeling it and really looking good.

As much as I hate Sam Gagner, I feel that he's worth keeping around for a little while longer to help develop Yak. While he's only 24, Gagner is already a 7th year NHL vet and has loads of experience and his own share of struggles to give Yak some advice. He's also one of the better playmakers on this team and his game seems to complement Yak well offensively. Of course what Yak wants most is a two-way playmaking RH center who can win puck battles, but we wont be getting that anytime soon.

 

[EpSoNiight]

You can feel yak just coming into his zone. Very well could have had 2 goals in the second. Hes playing with so much passion and emotion, something nobody else on our roster is exhibiting much of right now. Once he breaks out, eakins will have no choice but to utilize him on every powerplay chance we get

 

[tempest2i]

You can feel yak just coming into his zone. Very well could have had 2 goals in the second. Hes playing with so much passion and emotion, something nobody else on our roster is exhibiting much of right now. Once he breaks out, eakins will have no choice but to utilize him on every powerplay chance we get

The issue with this is Yakupov is best suited as a shooter on the PP. He shoots left handed and plays the same side as RNH and Hall. So if you want to run the 3 1st overalls on one PP, they all play the same side. Not only that, RNH and Yak appear to be lethal from the exact same spot on the ice. So if you're going to put him on the #1 PP, you're likely going to have to either remove RNH from the PP or put Yakupov on the point. It'll end up looking like these:

-----Net-----4 | -----Net-----4
-----57------- | ------57-------
14----------93 | 14-----------64
--------64---- | -------19------

I think it's quite obvious that Yak is best utilized as a goal scoring threat on the PP. Eakins will have to find new ways to utilize him on the PP. I would really like to see something like this:

-----Net------ | -----Net-------
14-----------4 | 83-----------93
------64------ | ------64--------
----------93-- | --19-------77--
---19---------

Where you put yakupov right in the middle of the slot, in the middle of the box and cause havoc from inside there. Banging in rebounds and letting off quick bombs from in close.

 

[I am the Liquor]

So you want our best shooter to be a net presence and bang in rebounds?

Good plan man.

 

[tempest2i]

So you want our best shooter to be a net presence and bang in rebounds?

Good plan man.

It's basically the same thing the Stars do with Benn. I wouldn't envision Yak as a net presence, more as a shooter higher in the slot.

 

[The Nuge]

It's basically the same thing the Stars do with Benn. I wouldn't envision Yak as a net presence, more as a shooter higher in the slot.

2 problems with that. Yak doesn't have Benn's size, and Yak's shot is on a whole nother level compared to Benn. That would be a really poor way to use him

 

[Beerfish]

Yakupov is not Benn. Yakupov is Stamkos like.

Give him the best set up center you have (RNH) and play them together ALL the time.

Tampa, being a bit smarter took st louis and have essentially paired him with stamkos over the last few years. Eberle and Hall, RNH and Yakupov together and shuffle the other winger all you like.

Using the fing blender 3 times a game with no results is stupid. Make some pairs and stick with them so they can actually get some chemistry.

 

[tempest2i]

2 problems with that. Yak doesn't have Benn's size, and Yak's shot is on a whole nother level compared to Benn. That would be a really poor way to use him

*shrug* I think he would be lethal there. Incredibly hard for goalies to stop anything he lets go from that part of the ice and we know he has the skill to pick spots from that far as well. If he gets cross-checked and hit while in there, it's only going to wake him up and make him angry.

 

[OilerFan4Life]

The issue with this is Yakupov is best suited as a shooter on the PP. He shoots left handed and plays the same side as RNH and Hall. So if you want to run the 3 1st overalls on one PP, they all play the same side. Not only that, RNH and Yak appear to be lethal from the exact same spot on the ice. So if you're going to put him on the #1 PP, you're likely going to have to either remove RNH from the PP or put Yakupov on the point. It'll end up looking like these:

-----Net-----4 | -----Net-----4
-----57------- | ------57-------
14----------93 | 14-----------64
--------64---- | -------19------

I think it's quite obvious that Yak is best utilized as a goal scoring threat on the PP. Eakins will have to find new ways to utilize him on the PP. I would really like to see something like this:

-----Net------ | -----Net-------
14-----------4 | 83-----------93
------64------ | ------64--------
----------93-- | --19-------77--
---19---------

Where you put yakupov right in the middle of the slot, in the middle of the box and cause havoc from inside there. Banging in rebounds and letting off quick bombs from in close.

Nuge not on the first unit? He's our best player...

 

[tempest2i]

Yakupov is not Benn. Yakupov is Stamkos like.

Give him the best set up center you have (RNH) and play them together ALL the time.

Tampa, being a bit smarter took st louis and have essentially paired him with stamkos over the last few years. Eberle and Hall, RNH and Yakupov together and shuffle the other winger all you like.

Using the fing blender 3 times a game with no results is stupid. Make some pairs and stick with them so they can actually get some chemistry.

RNH and Yakupov both shoot left handed. It's tough to find a good spot to put RNH where he can feed Yak passes for a one timer.

Ideally you'd want a right shooting RNH on the right side of the ice that can feed saucer passes to Yak. Gagner and Hemsky shoot right, they are probably the guys you have to choose from for that role.

 

[CornKicker]

the stat tsn put up last night about rookies in their first 66 games last night was all we really need to see about yakupov. He is struggling to put up points and is still only behind sidney crosby in terms of most point in their first 66 games.
or maybe it was tavares he was one point behind.

if yak is struggling 50% less he blows those other guys out of the water. he is going to be special

 

[nexttothemoon]

Yak is honestly one of the least important things I'm worried about.

He's a rookie yet (until he plays at least 80 games I'm going to keep calling him a rookie).

He of course needs to learn to play D better and basically learn that he can't just stand there getting ready for one-timers which he does sometimes too often.

He's a green rookie though and they all have a learning curve to go through to learn defense/systems and generally where they should and shouldn't be on the ice in high/low risk situations. Where to pass to... where not to etc. I don't think there's any shortcut but more minutes and more games before he "gets it".


I'm much more concerned about the "vets" on this team.. guys several years to many years older... the blueline squad, the goalies, the PP and PK, the coaching and the GM plus the general lack of decent call-up talent down in OKC.

There's literally dozens of other aspects of this team that concern me a lot more than Yak and his rookie "struggles". He'll come around... not so sure about the rest of the gaggle of problems this team has though.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

Yak will still lead this team in Goals this season book it.

 

[sepHF]

the stat tsn put up last night about rookies in their first 66 games last night was all we really need to see about yakupov. He is struggling to put up points and is still only behind sidney crosby in terms of most point in their first 66 games.
or maybe it was tavares he was one point behind.

if yak is struggling 50% less he blows those other guys out of the water. he is going to be special

It was Tavares. That list didn't include players like Crosby, Ovechkin and Patrick Kane who put up gaudy numbers in their first seasons.

 

[Replacement*]

the stat tsn put up last night about rookies in their first 66 games last night was all we really need to see about yakupov. He is struggling to put up points and is still only behind sidney crosby in terms of most point in their first 66 games.
or maybe it was tavares he was one point behind.

if yak is struggling 50% less he blows those other guys out of the water. he is going to be special

He's a goal scorer. Pt totals is always going to be pretty irrelevant. We need his finish on this club obviously.

 

[Replacement*]

Yak will still lead this team in Goals this season book it.

I'm leaning this way as well. I figure either Perron, Yak, maybe Hall if he gets in a groove.

But if I'm betting on one its Yak again.