OT: Nail Yakupov

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Honestly, if we manage to add a solid 2nd line C to solidify a second line, I'd be fine with Yak on as a bottom line offensive option. He seems to have a very positive effect on the team.

 

[These Are The Days]

Ironic this thread was made yesterday because before I went to bed I was thinking "How is Yakupov doing?"

My question is if he lacks IQ that much then how in God's name did he put up such huge numbers as an OHL player? I watch the film and he's got speed, a good shot, decent anticipation of scoring plays. The only thing that stands out to me is that he has a selfish playing style because he wants to do everything on his own although I sincerely doubt he is being selfish on purpose. If anything I think he's trying to imitate Bure too much

I am acutely aware that this can lead to issues translating into the NHL but I just don't get it. No offense to you guys but the Avs talent pool goes from (no pun intended) the top of Mount Everest with guys like MacKinnon and even Landeskog when he's in a groove and then it falls to the bottom of the Marianas Trench with guys like Bourque and Wilson.

Is Bednar legitimately giving Yakupov chances with these guys or is he stapling him to 3rd and 4th liners all night saying "go out there and do it kid"? I'm looking at his game log and the guy barely cracks 10 minutes a night anymore. Yakupov is the kind of guy who needs talent around him to succeed and when he had Galchenyuk he looked unstoppable at times.

As a Lightning fan I'm curious because I had wondered if he would be a fit with us

 

[The Abusement Park]

Ironic this thread was made yesterday because before I went to bed I was thinking "How is Yakupov doing?"

My question is if he lacks IQ that much then how in God's name did he put up such huge numbers as an OHL player? I watch the film and he's got speed, a good shot, decent anticipation of scoring plays. The only thing that stands out to me is that he has a selfish playing style because he wants to do everything on his own although I sincerely doubt he is being selfish on purpose. If anything I think he's trying to imitate Bure too much.

I’ll bet he was the kid that hit puberty at like 12 and was basically fully grown by the time he was 16-17 and could just physically dominate everyone. He was bigger and faster than everyone so it made him look better than he was. That’s my guess at least.

 

[benzino]

Ironic this thread was made yesterday because before I went to bed I was thinking "How is Yakupov doing?"

My question is if he lacks IQ that much then how in God's name did he put up such huge numbers as an OHL player? I watch the film and he's got speed, a good shot, decent anticipation of scoring plays. The only thing that stands out to me is that he has a selfish playing style because he wants to do everything on his own although I sincerely doubt he is being selfish on purpose. If anything I think he's trying to imitate Bure too much

I am acutely aware that this can lead to issues translating into the NHL but I just don't get it. No offense to you guys but the Avs talent pool goes from (no pun intended) the top of Mount Everest with guys like MacKinnon and even Landeskog when he's in a groove and then it falls to the bottom of the Marianas Trench with guys like Bourque and Wilson.

Is Bednar legitimately giving Yakupov chances with these guys or is he stapling him to 3rd and 4th liners all night saying "go out there and do it kid"? I'm looking at his game log and the guy barely cracks 10 minutes a night anymore. Yakupov is the kind of guy who needs talent around him to succeed and when he had Galchenyuk he looked unstoppable at times.

As a Lightning fan I'm curious because I had wondered if he would be a fit with us

Bednar did give him chances with the more talented guys early in the season and only guy he kinda clicked with was Duchene. Generally when he was put with the top 6 guys he killed the play and caused a turnover when the puck got to his stick but he mostly looked lost. Another problem for Yak is we have 2 set lines in the Mack and Söderberg lines and then a bunch of rookies and guys like Bourque and Wilson. He is not a grinder/shutdown player and Avs want the rookies to develop so there is no real place for him we can't keep him in the team to use on the second pp unit only to shoot the puck. I like the guy like the rest here but sadly it looks like KHL is his best option.

 

[Goulet17]

Ironic this thread was made yesterday because before I went to bed I was thinking "How is Yakupov doing?"

My question is if he lacks IQ that much then how in God's name did he put up such huge numbers as an OHL player? I watch the film and he's got speed, a good shot, decent anticipation of scoring plays. The only thing that stands out to me is that he has a selfish playing style because he wants to do everything on his own although I sincerely doubt he is being selfish on purpose. If anything I think he's trying to imitate Bure too much

I am acutely aware that this can lead to issues translating into the NHL but I just don't get it. No offense to you guys but the Avs talent pool goes from (no pun intended) the top of Mount Everest with guys like MacKinnon and even Landeskog when he's in a groove and then it falls to the bottom of the Marianas Trench with guys like Bourque and Wilson.

Is Bednar legitimately giving Yakupov chances with these guys or is he stapling him to 3rd and 4th liners all night saying "go out there and do it kid"? I'm looking at his game log and the guy barely cracks 10 minutes a night anymore. Yakupov is the kind of guy who needs talent around him to succeed and when he had Galchenyuk he looked unstoppable at times.

As a Lightning fan I'm curious because I had wondered if he would be a fit with us

At this point in time, do you seriously believe that Yakupov's issues are related to usage in Colorado or a lack of talent in Colorado? Did you conveniently forget about his stints in Edmonton and St. Louis? Many Avs fans had the same thoughts about Yakupov when he joined the organization last summer, myself included. After watching him for a period of time, you start to understand that he is not going to suddenly turn it around in the NHL. Hope springs eternal I suppose.

 

[Freudian]

He hasn't earned anything with Avs. He just doesn't have NHL skills. Worth a gamble but there is a reason he's worn out his welcome with three different NHL teams in three years.

Rather have Toninato. Limited but at least you know what you get with him.

 

[These Are The Days]

I’ll bet he was the kid that hit puberty at like 12 and was basically fully grown by the time he was 16-17 and could just physically dominate everyone. He was bigger and faster than everyone so it made him look better than he was. That’s my guess at least.

That would make sense. Happens all the time

 

[These Are The Days]

At this point in time, do you seriously believe that Yakupov's issues are related to usage in Colorado or a lack of talent in Colorado? Did you conveniently forget about his stints in Edmonton and St. Louis? Many Avs fans had the same thoughts about Yakupov when he joined the organization last summer, myself included. After watching him for a period of time, you start to understand that he is not going to suddenly turn it around in the NHL. Hope springs eternal I suppose.

In for Edmonton he was fine his rookie year, got the worst coach in who knows how long in Eakins and it wrecked his confidence for a year and a half in his 2nd and 3rd year. He did great once Eakins was fired and then started the next season like gangbusters until he got hauled down by a linesman and missed a month and a half. By that point he was in his 4th season as an Oiler and that moment effectively ended his career in Edmonton and everyone knew it, especially Yakupov. That was a his last chance to redeem himself.

He wasn't used at all in St. Louis. Like not even a little. Hitchcock/Yeo hockey consists of nothing else than wasting time until the next power play or whatever meager even strength chance your team can produce. That was an entire season in purgatory and for the life of me I cannot understand why the Blues would ever have traded for him. I can only guess Edmonton called in a favor. Seriously you can't even count that. Yakupov never had a chance. I cannot recall a single Blues game I watched that year and seeing Yakupov out there with any kind of talent like Stastny or Tarasenko.

That's why I'm asking how he has been used with the Avs. If Bednar just throws him out there with Comeau or Compher every chance he gets then it's not a wonder the guy isn't doing anything. Yakupov has always been the kind of player who cannot succeed on his own. But give him some good teammates and that's an entirely different story. That doesn't make him bad. Steven Stamkos is the exact same way. Holy crap if he's not with Kucherov the man is beyond useless but people know him as a superstar because he can put up superstar numbers when surrounded with talent. Honest to God it baffles me that all the scouts in the world (not just Edmonton) had Yakupov pegged as the #1 pick for 2 years and could not see all of these supposed IQ and "has no idea how to play hockey" issues.

 

[ABasin]

What's really damning for Yakupov, is that his one useful skill is his shot and putting the puck towards/in the net. Which is precisely one of the Avs' main needs right now (scoring after that 1st line). And the dude can't even get into the lineup to do that.

In the end, they gave him a shot, he showed pretty much exactly what he showed at every other NHL stop he's made. He'll be in the KHL next season, is my guess.

 

[Ivan13]

To put Stamkos and Yakupov in the same light is, well interesting to say the least.

Scouts didn't see his lack of hockey IQ because his physical traits were to big of a draw for them and overshadowed his cons. Everyone saw Ovechkin 2.0 because they couldn't see past his skating and shot, even though he spent quite a bit of time chasing the play in Sarnia.

Also, he's not playing with Blake, and both him and JTC are 10 times the players Yakupov ever was or will be.

 

[Goulet17]

In for Edmonton he was fine his rookie year, got the worst coach in who knows how long in Eakins and it wrecked his confidence for a year and a half in his 2nd and 3rd year. He did great once Eakins was fired and then started the next season like gangbusters until he got hauled down by a linesman and missed a month and a half. By that point he was in his 4th season as an Oiler and that moment effectively ended his career in Edmonton and everyone knew it, especially Yakupov. That was a his last chance to redeem himself.

He wasn't used at all in St. Louis. Like not even a little. Hitchcock/Yeo hockey consists of nothing else than wasting time until the next power play or whatever meager even strength chance your team can produce. That was an entire season in purgatory and for the life of me I cannot understand why the Blues would ever have traded for him. I can only guess Edmonton called in a favor. Seriously you can't even count that. Yakupov never had a chance. I cannot recall a single Blues game I watched that year and seeing Yakupov out there with any kind of talent like Stastny or Tarasenko.

That's why I'm asking how he has been used with the Avs. If Bednar just throws him out there with Comeau or Compher every chance he gets then it's not a wonder the guy isn't doing anything. Yakupov has always been the kind of player who cannot succeed on his own. But give him some good teammates and that's an entirely different story. That doesn't make him bad. Steven Stamkos is the exact same way. Holy crap if he's not with Kucherov the man is beyond useless but people know him as a superstar because he can put up superstar numbers when surrounded with talent. Honest to God it baffles me that all the scouts in the world (not just Edmonton) had Yakupov pegged as the #1 pick for 2 years and could not see all of these supposed IQ and "has no idea how to play hockey" issues.

I've gone through the same analysis and had some of the same thoughts as you are expressing. In the end, it seems like the Edmonton and St. Louis fan bases were correct. I can't explain how he produced at the level that he did in juniors and how he looks in the NHL. Honestly, sometimes he looks like a puck hound, aggressive and finishing checks, and other times he looks like he is disinterested and is looking to cherry pick. At times his shot looks like a weapon, other times he just seems like he is unable to put himself in a position to use it. At times early on I thought he displayed good vision and some creative playmaking possibilities, indicative of a higher hockey IQ, then many times he looks like he has tunnel vision with the puck. He is also prone to turning the puck over far too often and the play seems to die on his stick.

He shows glimpses of the talent you would expect, but it is too far and few between IMO. For the most part, he is rarely noticeable on the ice. Many times in my mind, he is a detriment to the team because either he is disinterested in playing defense or he lacks any understanding of his defensive responsibilities on the ice. It is like the Avs are playing with 4 players rather than 5 on the ice.

You are getting drawn in to a low-risk, high reward pick up, but I don't see any reason to expect a different result. It is unfortunate, as I like Yakupov's personality and his skill set is something that the Avs could really use, if it translated into production.

 

[These Are The Days]

To put Stamkos and Yakupov in the same light is, well interesting to say the least.

Scouts didn't see his lack of hockey IQ because his physical traits were to big of a draw for them and overshadowed his cons. Everyone saw Ovechkin 2.0 because they couldn't see past his skating and shot, even though he spent quite a bit of time chasing the play in Sarnia.

Also, he's not playing with Blake, and both him and JTC are 10 times the players Yakupov ever was or will be.

Keep in mind Comeau and Compher were just examples of linemates. And trust me about Stamkos, he is one of the most pampered superstars in the NHL. Put him with Killorn again along with Miller and see how long until he scores a goal at even strength.

As for scouts not being able to see past physical intangibles then well shit we need to really revamp how scouting is done then.

Oh well best of luck to Yak

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

He hasn't earned anything with Avs.

Guess he earned at least half a million dollars

 

[These Are The Days]

I've gone through the same analysis and had some of the same thoughts as you are expressing. In the end, it seems like the Edmonton and St. Louis fan bases were correct. I can't explain how he produced at the level that he did in juniors and how he looks in the NHL. Honestly, sometimes he looks like a puck hound, aggressive and finishing checks, and other times he looks like he is disinterested and is looking to cherry pick. At times his shot looks like a weapon, other times he just seems like he is unable to put himself in a position to use it. At times early on I thought he displayed good vision and some creative playmaking possibilities, indicative of a higher hockey IQ, then many times he looks like he has tunnel vision with the puck. He is also prone to turning the puck over far too often and the play seems to die on his stick.

He shows glimpses of the talent you would expect, but it is too far and few between IMO. For the most part, he is rarely noticeable on the ice. Many times in my mind, he is a detriment to the team because either he is disinterested in playing defense or he lacks any understanding of his defensive responsibilities on the ice. It is like the Avs are playing with 4 players rather than 5 on the ice.

You are getting drawn in to a low-risk, high reward pick up, but I don't see any reason to expect a different result. It is unfortunate, as I like Yakupov's personality and his skill set is something that the Avs could really use, if it translated into production.

Sounds like your feast or famine winger mixed with "enigmatic Russian" but instead this is the kind of guy you'd tell to quiet down. Makes me wonder if he has ADD. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. But thanks for the rundown. Yeah it sounds like his days are done and he simply cannot put it together for longer than a few games at a time. Sounds like he is what he is now and he'll never be a superstar unless he goes back to Russia.

I can't help but wonder how badly these traits were exacerbated in Edmonton

 

[cgf]

Ironic this thread was made yesterday because before I went to bed I was thinking "How is Yakupov doing?"

My question is if he lacks IQ that much then how in God's name did he put up such huge numbers as an OHL player? I watch the film and he's got speed, a good shot, decent anticipation of scoring plays. The only thing that stands out to me is that he has a selfish playing style because he wants to do everything on his own although I sincerely doubt he is being selfish on purpose. If anything I think he's trying to imitate Bure too much

I am acutely aware that this can lead to issues translating into the NHL but I just don't get it. No offense to you guys but the Avs talent pool goes from (no pun intended) the top of Mount Everest with guys like MacKinnon and even Landeskog when he's in a groove and then it falls to the bottom of the Marianas Trench with guys like Bourque and Wilson.

Is Bednar legitimately giving Yakupov chances with these guys or is he stapling him to 3rd and 4th liners all night saying "go out there and do it kid"? I'm looking at his game log and the guy barely cracks 10 minutes a night anymore. Yakupov is the kind of guy who needs talent around him to succeed and when he had Galchenyuk he looked unstoppable at times.

As a Lightning fan I'm curious because I had wondered if he would be a fit with us

He was just so much more athletically gifted and his shot alone almost makes him an NHLer by itself. I still struggle to believe how hard he can hammer the puck and how accurately he could guide that cannon on net when he was playing well. Against kids he didn't really need to know how to play hockey to fly into position to bury pucks into the net. I also think he's regressed in the NHL after his bad habits got cemented instead of being hammered out off him in those crucial 18-22 years.

Bednar started him with Kerfoot and Duchene and playing with Dutchy it looked like maybe it was finally clicking for him, he was making smart passes and his chaotic energy was having a positive benefit. But he's so chaotic and unpredictable that even his linemates don't know what he's going to do, which can work for little chunks of time but not in the long run. So when Dutchy left Yak played his way down to being a bottom 6er/PP specialist until finally he got pushed out of the lineup by guys who could forecheck coherently & PK.

I'm never going to stop cheering for him to become the next Grabner, but I don't have much hope of it happening. I'm cool with keeping him around if he's content battling for a spot in camp because we can have a more offensive 4th line given the heavy lifting that the Soderberg line does. But if we intend to be good next season he shouldn't be able to win a spot in our healthy lineup...

*sigh* and now I'm sad, cause he might be the most easy to root for person in the league, and how s***ily they treated him in Edmonton still pisses me off.

Sounds like your feast or famine winger mixed with "enigmatic Russian" but instead this is the kind of guy you'd tell to quiet down. Makes me wonder if he has ADD. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. But thanks for the rundown. Yeah it sounds like his days are done and he simply cannot put it together for longer than a few games at a time. Sounds like he is what he is now and he'll never be a superstar unless he goes back to Russia.

I can't help but wonder how badly these traits were exacerbated in Edmonton

As someone who has ADD myself, I'm willing to bet serious money that he does. He doesn't just play like he has really bad ADHD, but his inability to process coaching (even on simple shit like keeping both hands on his stick) and his personality off the ice scream it as well.

 

[These Are The Days]

He was just so much more athletically gifted and his shot alone almost makes him an NHLer by itself. I still struggle to believe how hard he can hammer the puck and how accurately he could guide that cannon on net when he was playing well. Against kids he didn't really need to know how to play hockey to fly into position to bury pucks into the net. I also think he's regressed in the NHL after his bad habits got cemented instead of being hammered out off him in those crucial 18-22 years.

Bednar started him with Kerfoot and Duchene and playing with Dutchy it looked like maybe it was finally clicking for him, he was making smart passes and his chaotic energy was having a positive benefit. But he's so chaotic and unpredictable that even his linemates don't know what he's going to do, which can work for little chunks of time but not in the long run. So when Dutchy left Yak played his way down to being a bottom 6er/PP specialist until finally he got pushed out of the lineup by guys who could forecheck coherently & PK.

I'm never going to stop cheering for him to become the next Grabner, but I don't have much hope of it happening. I'm cool with keeping him around if he's content battling for a spot in camp because we can have a more offensive 4th line given the heavy lifting that the Soderberg line does. But if we intend to be good next season he shouldn't be able to win a spot in our healthy lineup...

*sigh* and now I'm sad, cause he might be the most easy to root for person in the league, and how s***ily they treated him in Edmonton still pisses me off.


As someone who has ADD myself, I'm willing to bet serious money that he does. He doesn't just play like he has really bad ADHD, but his inability to process coaching (even on simple **** like keeping both hands on his stick) and his personality off the ice scream it as well.

He clicked with Duchene and he got traded? Color me unsurprised. The more you explain it the more it sounds like he's just not gonna be a high level player. For what it's worth I have ADD too and I see the photo of Yak hugging the guy in the no contact jersey and all I can think is "Oh dear God he's touching the one guy who is no touch rule. Man that's like something only I could think of" and that's what sparked the idea.

Best of luck to Yak. Hopefully he's not shut down for the year

 

[cgf]

He clicked with Duchene and he got traded? Color me unsurprised. The more you explain it the more it sounds like he's just not gonna be a high level player. For what it's worth I have ADD too and I see the photo of Yak hugging the guy in the no contact jersey and all I can think is "Oh dear God he's touching the one guy who is no touch rule. TMan that feels like something only I could think of" and that's what sparked the idea.

Best of luck to Yak. Hopefully he's not shut down for the year

When I've joked in our GDTs that someone needs to start slipping adderall into his water before games, I was only half-joking...and that half only about the mechanism of getting it into his system...

I really wonder what he could've been if he had been diagnosed in junior and got competent coaching through those key developmental years. *sigh* I'd love for him to stick around for another year as our 13th forward / semi-official team mascot & PP-specialist; but he's going to have to give up on his NHL dream someday. And I hope they don't try to crush his personality & charisma whenever he does go back to russia. The KHL let Radu be himself, but Radu was a great player with a personality, not a great personality that played hockey.

As for the bolded, I know exactly what you mean