Most Valuable Oiler #3

[J4M13M]

For me, it's now between Schultz, Eberle, and Perron. I chose Eberle because of the long-term contract. Schultz is high on potential. Even if he's only ever good at one thing, that one thing is extremely desirable. Perron, if he has another season like last year and signs an extension, will likely move to number 3 in my opinion.

 

[Zaddy]

I chose Eberle simply because he's more proven than everyone else remaining and he's signed up long-term. Hopefully, though, both Draisaitl and Nurse will surpass him and become cornerstones of this franchise. Especially Nurse if he can become that top pairing guy we've been missing forever.

 

[sepHF]

As much as I like Yakupov there's no question Eberle would bring back a bigger return in a trade right now.

 

[McDrai]

Right now in terms of actual league wide value I would say Eberle

 

[rockinghockey]

As of now Eberle then Perron in two seasons when we see how LD Yak Nurse Marincin Klefbom develop then we can add them in. If LD is that big legit centre man we are going to have a great team in 2 yrs

 

[OilerPensfan97]

Eberle by a long shot.

 

[Jamie]

I'm slightly surprised with the poll result. Eberle is the more proven player, but there's a reason Yak went 1st overall - it's his talent. Just like when Thornton had 7 points in his rookie season, knowledgable hockey fans didn't write him off - some HFers sure did though. These boards, online opinion in general, is overly focused on what the most recent incident is and that somehow rises above all other logic. In trade discussions, Yakupov would be discussed as potential franchise player, while Eberle would be discussed as a player that has exceeded expectations already and will be a very good complimentary player. I wouldn't be surprised if many NHL GM's thought that Yakupov will have the better 2014-15 season of the two. He has elite skill that Eberle simply does not possess, that most players in the league do not possess - he could just be our Brett Hull/Pavel Bure hybrid.

 

[GMofOilers]

I'm slightly surprised with the poll result. Eberle is the more proven player, but there's a reason Yak went 1st overall - it's his talent. Just like when Thornton had 7 points in his rookie season, knowledgable hockey fans didn't write him off - some HFers sure did though. These boards, online opinion in general, is overly focused on what the most recent incident is and that somehow rises above all other logic. In trade discussions, Yakupov would be discussed as potential franchise player, while Eberle would be discussed as a player that has exceeded expectations already and will be a very good complimentary player. I wouldn't be surprised if many NHL GM's thought that Yakupov will have the better 2014-15 season of the two. He has elite skill that Eberle simply does not possess, that most players in the league do not possess - he could just be our Brett Hull/Pavel Bure hybrid.

Whats his elite skill? Whats he got on Eberle now and in the future? I really dont think of anything and what really sets the 2 apart is Eberle's hockey IQ compared to Yaks.

 

[The Nuge]

Whats his elite skill? Whats he got on Eberle now and in the future? I really dont think of anything and what really sets the 2 apart is Eberle's hockey IQ compared to Yaks.

Grit, his shot, he's much more explosive...

 

[Aceboogie]

Whats his elite skill? Whats he got on Eberle now and in the future? I really dont think of anything and what really sets the 2 apart is Eberle's hockey IQ compared to Yaks.

Yakupov probaly has the best tools on the team. He is similar to Hall but with a better shot, agility, passing and hockey IQ with the puck. The only thing holding yak back is his decisions away from the puck and positioning. But when he has the puck he doesn't give it up as much as Hall

 

[GMofOilers]

Serious?

Yes Yak is TRENDING poorly right now but so are most the high picks from that draft class.

Rather than follow a trend I would put a lot more stock in his draft predictions since he only has 111 games under his belt and still has a respectable 28 goals in those games to date.

Softmore slumps are incredibly common and the odds of Yak bouncing back are astronomically high.

Anyone who actually believes Yak is a bust because of a bad softmore slump is a complete and utter moron.

The worst someone objective can possible say is that for a first overall he IS doing poorly. As a player with only 111 games played and is only 20 years old the future is still very bright indeed.

EDIT: The main boards and even some other organizations are now projecting negative biased towards the Oilers for tanking and getting 3 first overalls. People gotta hate. I don't really understand it actually. If all our players really were busts we should just be laughed at and pitied. But the open hostility suggests even tho we really suck now, we still technically "Should" end up being a fairly strong team down the road and that upsets people.

Softmore slumps? Really thats what you blame this one? The kid has looked so over whelmed the first 2 seasons in the league, other than 10 games to end his first season.

Lets look at the last 20 years for 1st overall picks. Only Daigle and RNH have went backwards in the 2nd year for point totals.

Lets really hope RNH and Yak dont follow the Daigle trend

 

[GMofOilers]

Yakupov probaly has the best tools on the team. He is similar to Hall but with a better shot, agility, passing and hockey IQ with the puck. The only thing holding yak back is his decisions away from the puck and positioning. But when he has the puck he doesn't give it up as much as Hall

Yak has been a turn over machine the last 2 years? What are you talking about?

I keep hearing he has elite skill, and best tools. Im still waiting to see this. After 2 years in the league we should of seen more than just the shot? No?

 

[GMofOilers]

Grit, his shot, he's much more explosive...

I would argue on the explosive part, Ill give Yak the slap shot but not the backhand or wrist shot from in close. Grit, come on now, you really think Yak is changing any games because of his grit? lol

 

[Tarus]

I would argue on the explosive part, Ill give Yak the slap shot but not the backhand or wrist shot from in close. Grit, come on now, you really think Yak is changing any games because of his grit? lol

Gritty players who can produce > soft players who can produce.

Yakupov has shown potential to be a gritty and aggressive forward when not under the heel of an idiot coach, while Eberle's effectiveness goes down considerably in closer checking games due to his unwillingness to battle for the puck in physical contests.

 

[GMofOilers]

Gritty players who can produce > soft players who can produce.

Yakupov has shown potential to be a gritty and aggressive forward when not under the heel of an idiot coach, while Eberle's effectiveness goes down considerably in closer checking games due to his unwillingness to battle for the puck in physical contests.

When has Yak produced? Eberle has won more one on one battles along the boards than Yak.

Hell Yak doesnt very often even know how to join the cycle.

Quit making things up.

 

[Aceboogie]

Yak has been a turn over machine the last 2 years? What are you talking about?

I keep hearing he has elite skill, and best tools. Im still waiting to see this. After 2 years in the league we should of seen more than just the shot? No?

Oh yeah for sure he had turnovers, but he plays a similar game to Hall but doesn't make all the failed toe drags and random passes to the D that get picked off. He is actually a very good and smart passer for a shooter.

Leading all rookies and the Oilers in scoring is something no? Maybe we watch different games but even this season around Jan he was our best player for a stretch of games and should elite potential.

Tyler Fellow did a feature on the oiler breakout that showed Yaks linemates (perron, gagner) routinely fled the zone when Yak was given the puck and he was often faced with a 3 on 1 near our blue line with no support. At this point he had to do his patented skate back into our zone to gain speed and break it out himself. So whoever designs the break out needs to rethink it.

It appears you have a irrational hate for Yak, so not sure how you can be partial to the discussion. But anyone who has watched yak knows his tools are elite and his deficnecies are due to poor coaching and lack of knowledge on positional play away from the puck.

If he became better than Hall I wouldn't be suprised at all

 

[GMofOilers]

Oh yeah for sure he had turnovers, but he plays a similar game to Hall but doesn't make all the failed toe drags and random passes to the D that get picked off. He is actually a very good and smart passer for a shooter.

Leading all rookies and the Oilers in scoring is something no? Maybe we watch different games but even this season around Jan he was our best player for a stretch of games and should elite potential.

Tyler Fellow did a feature on the oiler breakout that showed Yaks linemates (perron, gagner) routinely fled the zone when Yak was given the puck and he was often faced with a 3 on 1 near our blue line with no support. At this point he had to do his patented skate back into our zone to gain speed and break it out himself. So whoever designs the break out needs to rethink it.

It appears you have a irrational hate for Yak, so not sure how you can be partial to the discussion. But anyone who has watched yak knows his tools are elite and his deficnecies are due to poor coaching and lack of knowledge on positional play away from the puck.

If he became better than Hall I wouldn't be suprised at all

I dont think his game compares to hall at all. They both turn the puck over, and to say Hall makes bad passes and Yak doesnt is not fair at all.

The leading all rookies in scoring, sure, but he had stretches of that rookie season that were really bad, and looked even worse this year, which he shouldnt of.

Im not a big fan of the backskate, which hes been doing since he was 16 years old. I think Yak has to rethink that. If hes facing a 3-1 its a quick chip and we should be out numbering them? no?

I dont hate Yak, actually love the kid and have since hes been 16. I seen elite tools until he came to the NHL, since then it seems like he has went backwards. No lie. Does he turn that around in a different country? Im not sure.

Yak has a lot to learn about the game. Hopefully he grows out of the ME stage, and matures up and trys to learn the NHL game, or he will have to go back home and play the KHL game.

I would like to see what Yak has in the preseason, but if hes looking like last year, I really hope they send him to the AHL.

 

[Spawn]

Yakupov probaly has the best tools on the team. He is similar to Hall but with a better shot, agility, passing and hockey IQ with the puck. The only thing holding yak back is his decisions away from the puck and positioning. But when he has the puck he doesn't give it up as much as Hall

Sometimes I honestly wonder if people have watched the same player in an Oiler jersey as I have.

I'll give you a better shot than Hall (although Hall is way better at being in a spot to actually use his shot). But better agility, passing and hockey IQ with the puck? Yakupov has not shown any of that. Particularly hockey IQ. With or without the puck it has been abysmal.

It's like... yeah I get it. His rookie totals were good. But he wasn't even an NHLer his next 65 games.

Taylor Hall is a superstar in this league. Back to back ppg+ top 10 scoring finishes. Yakupov has about 50 miles to go before he gets to Eberle's level. Another 50 on top of that before he reaches Hall.

 

[ManofSteel55]

As of today, it's Eberle. In the future, Drasaitl and Yakupov should pass them, and hopefully a couple of blueliners as well.

 

[GMofOilers]

Sometimes I honestly wonder if people have watched the same player in an Oiler jersey as I have.

I'll give you a better shot than Hall (although Hall is way better at being in a spot to actually use his shot). But better agility, passing and hockey IQ with the puck? Yakupov has not shown any of that. Particularly hockey IQ. With or without the puck it has been abysmal.

It's like... yeah I get it. His rookie totals were good. But he wasn't even an NHLer his next 65 games.

Taylor Hall is a superstar in this league. Back to back ppg+ top 10 scoring finishes. Yakupov has about 50 miles to go before he gets to Eberle's level. Another 50 on top of that before he reaches Hall.

Thank god im not the only one that seeing this.

Edit
I was starting to think I was being delusional lol

 

[Aceboogie]

Sometimes I honestly wonder if people have watched the same player in an Oiler jersey as I have.

I'll give you a better shot than Hall (although Hall is way better at being in a spot to actually use his shot). But better agility, passing and hockey IQ with the puck? Yakupov has not shown any of that. Particularly hockey IQ. With or without the puck it has been abysmal.

It's like... yeah I get it. His rookie totals were good. But he wasn't even an NHLer his next 65 games.

Taylor Hall is a superstar in this league. Back to back ppg+ top 10 scoring finishes. Yakupov has about 50 miles to go before he gets to Eberle's level. Another 50 on top of that before he reaches Hall.

Maybe we disagree on how much hockey IQ Hall has with the puck. He's been getting better, but early on he'd either make the wrong decision ( cross ice passes every time) or identify the right play but the pass was off. Every time I watch Yak he makes the right decision more often than Hall and his passes are way more accurate. Particularly in his first year his decisions upon entering the zone were better than Halls in the same year. Unfortunately he looked to often for the pass to Horcoff and not to use the shot. His hockey IQ off the puck has been atrocious, with the puck he's been actually decent. The times he's looked bad is because he's literally had no outlet support

As far as not being an NHLer, sure he was bad, but it doesn't help that his punishment was playing on the worst bottom 6 in the NHL, and reward was playing with Gagner, who was horrible till mid Feb. Not really ideal. Most other top rookies had much better linemates

 

[Tarus]

When has Yak produced? Eberle has won more one on one battles along the boards than Yak.

Hell Yak doesnt very often even know how to join the cycle.

Quit making things up.

I was referring to his first season when he played on a team that had some semblance of coaching and structure on the team.

Everyone on the team struggled last year, not sure why you'd hold that season against anyone on the team when not even the coaches could work together.

 

[GMofOilers]

I was referring to his first season when he played on a team that had some semblance of coaching and structure on the team.

Everyone on the team struggled last year, not sure why you'd hold that season against anyone on the team when not even the coaches could work together.

Im so sick of people blaming Yaks season on the coaching. People forget how bad Yak looked the first season, other than scoring some goals the last few games.

 

[OttawaOilers]

I'm voting for Draisaitl.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Whats his elite skill? Whats he got on Eberle now and in the future? I really dont think of anything and what really sets the 2 apart is Eberle's hockey IQ compared to Yaks.

Do you even watch hockey? Yakupov's shot, physicality, compete, speed, and agility all blow Eberle's out of the water. Hockey IQ and stickhandling are the only things Eberle has on Yakupov, with stickhandling being a minimal difference at best.

Im so sick of people blaming Yaks season on the coaching. People forget how bad Yak looked the first season, other than scoring some goals the last few games.

Even if you take out the last few games of the year where he scored 5 goals, he still has more goals and assists last season than he did this year. Coaching was absolutely a factor. Yakupov was misused by Eakins. At even strength he was constantly put on lines with Gordon, Joensuu, Gazdic, Hendricks who did not fit his playstyle. He was forced onto a line with Joensuu and Gordon since day 1 of training camp despite having earned a spot in the top 6 the previous season. On the power play, Eakins did everything in his power to keep him away from the right hand circle where he can make the most of his shot and put him on the point where his defensive deficiencies could be most magnified.

Thank god im not the only one that seeing this.

Edit
I was starting to think I was being delusional lol

Yes you are.