Injury Report: Is The Nuge Activated? (Will Play Monday According to Eakins)

[s7ark]

I agree.

Yak would get killed playing the toughs on the first line.

He is clueless without the puck and still a work in progress....2nd or 3rd line (whichever is getting the easier assignments) is the obvious place for him.

He had like 11 goals in the last month of the 2012/13 season on the first line. I didn't see him getting killed.

 

[Worraps]

I agree.

Yak would get killed playing the toughs on the first line.

He is clueless without the puck and still a work in progress....2nd or 3rd line (whichever is getting the easier assignments) is the obvious place for him.

He's a winger. His defensive assignment without the puck is cover one point and provide puck support.

He's doing it just as well as most of the other wingers in the NHL.

 

[PumpkinBombX]

He had like 11 goals in the last month of the 2012/13 season on the first line. I didn't see him getting killed.

I agree with you, there are so many people on these boards that talk about winger's defensive responsibilities, and have clearly never played high level hockey.

Yak back checks really hard, isn't scared of throwing a check, playing along the boards, and can take away passing lanes. As a winger that's your only defensive responsibility. He doesn't even leave his position when his D or center mess up their responsibilities. (Which you're not supposed to do, and Eberle does sometimes for example, and can lead to our players running around in our own end and everyone out of position). I would say he's pretty much the perfect winger.

(Believe it or not, the best defensive RW in the league is actually Pat Kane. If you don't believe me, watch him play. Chicago always breaks out on their RW to Patrick Kane, and he's the best player in the NHL on a breakout)


Anyway, this thread is completely off the rails. Back to Nuge.
I'm so excited to see him make magic out there. I love his under-rated shot; he can kill a team in so many ways. It's like watching Peyton Manning tear up a D.

 

[CupofOil]

Maybe Tak is playing on the third line because......he's still developing.

Boy, some posters are talking up Yak like he's a fully developed NHL winger at the moment.

Hate to break it to you, but he's not.

Gordon is a good fit for him at this point in time IMO.

Hope Nuge gets back soon! Gregor figures maybe Thursday. That would be nice.

Agreed.
Yakupov is still extremely raw, there are a lot of areas of his game that lack polish and i don't think it's hot streak at the end of last season means that he's ready for prime action against tough matchups. Let Hemsky do that while he's still here and Yakupov develop in a softer minutes role sheltered by a defensive center so that when Hemsky departs after this season that he's ready for a full time top 6 role.

Yakupov playing on the 3rd line last season really did a lot to aid his development so that he was ready later in the season for a promotion and i expect the same this season with the difference this season being that the 3rd line looks more offensively competent with Gordon and Joensuu so Yakupov will still get his looks offensively.

Anyway, it's great that RNH is ahead of schedule. It would be huge to get him back next week.
His presence alone will be big because it will move others a spot down the lineup and to a position where they will be more comfortable. I expect him to struggle a bit out of the gate but his presence will be huge.

 

[joestevens29]

He had like 11 goals in the last month of the 2012/13 season on the first line. I didn't see him getting killed.

I had the same debate a few weeks ago, some reason people keep making crap up about Yak. He was also +7 in April last year.

 

[bucks_oil]

Hemsky - Hall - Yakupov
Perron -RNH - Eberle
Smyth - Gordon - Joensuu
Gazdic - Acton - Brown

You KNOW Smyth is gonna be in there, so might as well just get rid of the career AHLer

I'm like you... I keep Hall at C until Gags is back... and I agree Smyth will still be in the lineup... but you have both Hemsky and Joensuu out of position. No need.

Joensuu Hall Yak
Perron RNH Eberle
Smyth Gordon Hemsky
Gazdic Acton Brown

I'm also ok with...
Perron Hall Eberle
Joensuu RNH Yak
... gives RNH someone larger to protect him a bit and allows Perron and Ebs to keep working together.

 

[ehhteen]

Hopefully by Monday!

 

[T-Funk]

I'm like you... I keep Hall at C until Gags is back... and I agree Smyth will still be in the lineup... but you have both Hemsky and Joensuu out of position. No need.

Joensuu Hall Yak
Perron RNH Eberle
Smyth Gordon Hemsky
Gazdic Acton Brown

I'm also ok with...
Perron Hall Eberle
Joensuu RNH Yak
... gives RNH someone larger to protect him a bit and allows Perron and Ebs to keep working together.

Hemsky is hanging out on the left side constantly anyways and in addition to Hemsky's chemistry with Hall, Yakupov would have two skilled guys getting him the puck for the one timer. Having players in the correct position helps too, but you'll have to convince our coaches and GMs of that one

 

[guymez]

Agreed.
Yakupov is still extremely raw, there are a lot of areas of his game that lack polish and i don't think it's hot streak at the end of last season means that he's ready for prime action against tough matchups. Let Hemsky do that while he's still here and Yakupov develop in a softer minutes role sheltered by a defensive center so that when Hemsky departs after this season that he's ready for a full time top 6 role.

Yakupov playing on the 3rd line last season really did a lot to aid his development so that he was ready later in the season for a promotion and i expect the same this season with the difference this season being that the 3rd line looks more offensively competent with Gordon and Joensuu so Yakupov will still get his looks offensively.

Completely agree. This notion that wingers dont have defensive responsibilities and therefore Yak can play anywhere is without merit. Watching Yak's uncertainty whether to cover the damn up high or not usually puts him in no mans land.

Luckily Eakins isn't daft enough to play Yak on the top line.

Anyway, it's great that RNH is ahead of schedule. It would be huge to get him back next week.
His presence alone will be big because it will move others a spot down the lineup and to a position where they will be more comfortable. I expect him to struggle a bit out of the gate but his presence will be huge.

Yeah...giving RNH weaker assignments to start would be a good idea. He is such a smart player though and his conditioning by all reports is quite high so I expect he gets up to speed in a hurry.

 

[guymez]

He had like 11 goals in the last month of the 2012/13 season on the first line. I didn't see him getting killed.

Thats assuming he was playing the toughs...Kruger did some wacky things so I guess its possible.
Interesting coincidence that the wheels fell of the team in the last month as well.

 

[guymez]

He's a winger. His defensive assignment without the puck is cover one point and provide puck support.

He's doing it just as well as most of the other wingers in the NHL.

Clearly you havent spent a lot of time watching Yak in the dzone.

 

[guymez]

Jonathan Willis made the point last season regarding Yak. No shame for a young player to learn about the game before getting more responsibility....I think JW summed it up quite nicely...

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/02/18/the-edmonton-oilers-are-best-served-by-nail-yakupov-playing-outside-the-top-six/

Additionally, moving Yakupov down to the third line might help add some offensive spark to a bottom-six desperately in need of it. While Yakupov isn’t a two-way player, there’s no question he can generate offence, and if he isn’t already the best pure shooter on the team he’s close to it. Plus, playing with defensively responsible linemates against the other team’s lesser lights, Yakupov’s miscues likely wouldn’t be as costly. He would also still be getting significant minutes on the power play, where he’s been very effective. As a bonus, he’d also be able to play right wing, the position he’s been in for most of his career.

It might sound outlandish to drop a player like Yakupov to the third line, but it’s hardly unprecedented – in St. Louis, for example, stellar rookie Vladimir Tarasenko has been placed in just that role, playing third-line minutes at even-strength and getting regular time on the power play. He has 11 points in 14 games and sits second in rookie scoring.

The Oilers need better two-way play from their second line, and more scoring from their bottom six. Failing a trade, elevating Smyth and moving Yakupov down the depth chart seems like a reasonable way to address those needs.

 

[McOilers4cup]

Hopefully by Monday!

@EdmontonOilers: Coach Eakins says @RNH_93 will return to action on Monday when the #Oilers host the New Jersey Devils.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Back on Monday.

https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/386192463041265664

 

[Turrican*]

So he will only miss 2 games.

WONDERFUL!!

 

[GMofOilers]

And the Nuge is playing Monday!!!!! confirmed by Eakins

 

[McDrai]

So he will only miss 2 games.

WONDERFUL!!

Make that 1 game

 

[McDNicks17]

Now the question is...does this mean the end of Arcobello or is Hall going back to LW?

 

[Turrican*]

Make that 1 game

Eh?

How so?

He missed the Jet game and the Vancouver game too, no?

 

[guymez]

Back on Monday.

https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/386192463041265664

That is the best news this team could possibly have.

 

[McDrai]

Eh?

How so?

He missed the Jet game and the Vancouver game too, no?

Oh my bad. I thought you meant miss the next 2 games

 

[Conkanen*]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[McOilers4cup]

One roster spot down already so my guess Hall back to LW

 

[McRpro]

Hallelujah!

 

[McJadeddog]

Now the question is...does this mean the end of Arcobello or is Hall going back to LW?

please move hall back to LW, please move hall back to LW, please move hall back to LW

not only is he better at LW, but it pushes smyth out of the top-6

hall/RNH/yakupov
perron/arcobello/eberle
joensuu/gordon/hemsky
smyth/acton/brown or gazdic