News From Around the League, Part XLIV

[Richer's Ghost]

Igor Larionov is making Momma Neids, Carlos Gomez and JP Parise look like model citizens at this point.

I'd trade for Eberle before the Yak. No threat to flee to KHL at all, much better production at the same age (led the team as a rookie in scoring) and has improved each year with no issues about buying into a team system.

 

[Chessarmy]

I don't see why its such a ridiculous notion to be somewhat hesitant to sign Russian impact players at this point. After the Kovalchuk fiasco it is simply a fact that those type of players are more likely to jump ship to Russia.

I would never ever give up assets for a player like Yakupov who, among his other problems, could bolt to Russia at any second just like Kovy. We all know the KHL could offer him twice his NHL contract in a heartbeat, its not worth the risk.

If NJD could swing a trade with the Oilers for Yakupov without giving up much value (impossible), I'd obviously be all for the trade, but as it stands - NJD would have to give up way too much and for a player that could leave the league in a heartbeat, it simply isn't worth it.

 

[sbresistor]

If I were Edmonton, I trade one or two of these "superstars" while they have high value. Try to actually ice a competitive team for once in a blue moon

They should have to forfeit any top 5 pick, they've had so many and still suck

 

[Bleedred]

I'm really warming up to the idea of trading Larsson for a young comparable forward. Not Yakupov though. Could we get Eberle for Larsson straight up? I'm thinking no. At this point Eberle has to be worth more than Larsson. What else would we have to give up?

I'm really agreeing with posters like Staley who say we have no real first line talent. Sooner or later we're gonna need to find some. I'm not on the Larsson is a bust bandwagon, but I certainly don't consider him untouchable like many do here.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Let's see if these guys stay or not after the Olympics. The carrot of Sochi is enough to keep the other big-name Russians (who WERE talking about bolting during the lockout if you believe Larry Brooks) in line, since their GM's almost to a man would toll the contracts to prevent them leaving and being eligible for the Olympics.

What happens after the Olympics though?

I wonder if that increases talk of similar moves by other Russian-born players.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Eberle is tissue paper soft. He's skilled but he's not a New Jersey Devils type of player. Look at what the Edmonton fans say about the guy:

He's our 5th best forward right now.

1. Hall
2. Nuge
3. Perron
4. Gordon
5. Eberle

He's basically Hemsky-lite. Baby soft, perimeter forward.

Unfortunate for Eberle he embodies a lot of what this team has too much of. He is a skilled, small winger with little grit and questionable defensive abilities. He is arguably the most valuable asset the Oilers have who the team could afford to move.

This. Ebs is a good player but we need different players. He is comparable to Alex Tanguay, good but tradeable.

He looks like a young Hemsky out there in a bad way. Producing offensively but looking lazy and doing a lot of floating. I think trading him while his value is still high might be prudent.

Lazy, cheats for offense to pad his stats, zero physical presence, selfish play, horrific defensively.
Used to really like this guy, but this year my opinion has turned. He seems to play the game for himself rather than for the team. He should be on a list to be traded out of Edmonton before the perception of him around the league starts changing.

That's an insult to Hemsky, who actually battles hard along the boards and in the corners.

He's our leading scorer.

Having said that I think he learned well from our ex captain and mentor Shawn Horcoff. He is the offensive version of Horcoff right now.

he's so clutch guys! World Juniors like 4 years ago he was a beast!

how quickly things can change...

the very definition of a complimentary player...him, Hall and Nuge work good together but he'll never do it on his own

he's small, soft, not an ounce of grit and cheats on offence...there's a place on this team though IMO as long as he's put with another gritty winger
but it's gonna come down to him or Gagner cause both are small and soft and terrible defensively

and Gagner could be easier to move due to a better contract (like Ebs offence better too)

Sure except Yak's potential is infinitely higher whereas Eberle has likely already has his best season. Also Yak does all those things as a 20 year old. Eberle has played 4 years in the league and has (if anything) regressed from his rookie season in terms of his play without the puck.

I think thats a bit harsh. He tries and cares, but he just doesnt bring much. Like every dangler, he scored some beauty goals, had one good season, a cult following emerges and he gets overrated.

I will keep saying it until proven wrong: DANGLERS ARE NOT VALUABLE!!!!

I'd like to add once again that his contract blows which very much deflates his value.

Totally agree here. Soft, Complimentary player. He'll get ripped apart come playoff time, if it ever happens.

That's only the first page!

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1536871

Honestly sometimes the grass seems greener but it is not. Larsson is a Devils type of player. He's improving nightly and he's going to be an absolute stud I think. Eberle isn't the answer.

And on page 3 something pretty telling too:

I'd compare him to Alex Tanguay or Michael Ryder. good players, but very tradeable.

They are nearly in universal agreement about the guy.

 

[apice3*]

Did someone really say Boyd Gordon is better than Eberle?

 

[Richer's Ghost]

yeah cause Kovalchuk was such a NJ style player too - using that big frame to throw hits and battle in the corners with his superb defensive game already in place...

Yakupov is clearly the better choice.

Note where Yak appeared in that quote of yours

He's our 5th best forward right now.

1. Hall
2. Nuge
3. Perron
4. Gordon
5. Eberle

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Did someone really say Boyd Gordon is better than Eberle?

I don't want to criticize what they said here (I just learned about that new rule today). I honestly just wanted to point out to everyone advocating for Eberle that their fans aren't too happy with him.

 

[Uli Hiemer]

I'm really warming up to the idea of trading Larsson for a young comparable forward. Not Yakupov though. Could we get Eberle for Larsson straight up? I'm thinking no. At this point Eberle has to be worth more than Larsson. What else would we have to give up?

I'm really agreeing with posters like Staley who say we have no real first line talent. Sooner or later we're gonna need to find some. I'm not on the Larsson is a bust bandwagon, but I certainly don't consider him untouchable like many do here.

Schneider is probably the most tradeable and will get better assets than Larsson, but that's for next year to decide.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

yeah cause Kovalchuk was such a NJ style player too - using that big frame to throw hits and battle in the corners with his superb defensive game already in place...

Yakupov is clearly the better choice.

Note where Yak appeared in that quote of yours

I don't want either player to be honest. I'd take Eberle over Yak though, but my point was just to bring about the fan perspective of Eberle. Because some guys have brought up Larsson for Eberle and I think that's nuts.

That list is also one fan's opinion to be fair. The rest of the thread, though the universally agree Eberle is dispensable, is torn between who is better - Eberle/Yak.

Also Kovy is very much the exception and not the rule here. And he was one of the best in the world - if not arguably the best - at LW. So you expect a world class player like that to adjust. Kids though are a lot riskier.

 

[Tundra]

Absolutely not.

I can understand that Kovalchuk bolting to Russia was probably the equivalent of getting kicked in the balls while watching the same guy who stomped your grapes, walk away with your girlfriend.... but you have to get over it.

You're waiving the white flag on a 20 year old kid who played a whopping 65 games at the NHL level, right out of juniors.

Talk about premature comments right there

Wasn't Stamkos in the doghouse as well in his first season? Remember what the scouts said about Yakupov?

From NHL Central Scouting:

His first step and ability to control bouncing pucks, knock them down and make a play are the best of any of the guys in the draft, in my opinion. He really gets up to top speed very quickly and his hands are outstanding. Like Pavel Bure, Yakupov is dangerous every shift."

 

[apice3*]

I don't want to criticize what they said here (I just learned about that new rule today). I honestly just wanted to point out to everyone advocating for Eberle that their fans aren't too happy with him.

And a lot of fans here up until 3 days ago weren't happy with Zajac. That doesn't mean either one is a bad player.

IMO, Hall is their #1 and Eberle is their #2. Then there's a huge drop off before the #3 debate starts. RNH is barely ahead of Jonas Brodin for the most overhyped young player in the NHL right now, Yakupov hasn't done crap this year, and Perron and Gordon are role players on most teams.

If Boyd Gordon never did this, I would have probably not heard of him.

 

[Devilsfan92]

Schneider is probably the most tradeable and will get better assets than Larsson, but that's for next year to decide.

Only way he's traded is if he asks for one or hints he'll walk. - I doubt either happens.

I wouldn't oppose a Larsson trade, it would need to be a damn good return though. Young blue chip forward. Not a big Yakupov fan, Eberle or Hall would be ideal.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Eberle vs. Yakupov is okay to discuss in a vacuum where they would cost equal assets. But in reality, Eberle would cost a lot more than Yakupov (more than the Devils can afford). There were rumors that the Rangers would give Del Zotto and Kreider for him. I don't see how the Devils could come up with a package like that without crippling their roster.

 

[tycobb]

Igor Larionov is making Momma Neids, Carlos Gomez and JP Parise look like model citizens at this point.

I'd trade for Eberle before the Yak. No threat to flee to KHL at all, much better production at the same age (led the team as a rookie in scoring) and has improved each year with no issues about buying into a team system.

And because of that Eberle would demand much more in return than Yak.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

I'm not trading Schneider or Larsson for anything, to be honest. Were building something pretty solid from the back end out right now, very similar to what happened in the early/mid 90's. I'm not jeopardizing any of that.

 

[Devils Trap]

I'm not trading Schneider or Larsson for anything, to be honest. Were building something pretty solid from the back end out right now, very similar to what happened in the early/mid 90's. I'm not jeopardizing any of that.

Agreed man. Agreed

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Agreed man. Agreed

I mean, as far as Larsson goes, if a few young forwards became available (E.Kane), I'd probably think about doing that kind of swap but in the end I don't see how you can move Larsson when hes about to enter his prime and is already showing signs of what people thought he would. There are other ways to get forwards.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I don't want to touch our defense or goaltending right now. Even Volchenkov may play himself back into the point where it's worth playing him the last two years just for the purpose of soaking up PK minutes and being a veteran role model. If he keeps up his recent improved play, of course.

What we need is a young stud forward to build around. I don't think Eberle is that guy. He's one-dimensional and I personally think he's already peaked offensively. He reminds me of Mogilny in that he's the guy you add to an already good team, not a guy you use as your franchise cornerstone.

What we need is a guy like Landeskog, Galchenyuk, Seguin, one of those types.

I'd kill to get Logan Couture on this team.

 

[Bleedred]

Would definitely commit criminal acts for Couture to be on this team.

 

[glenwo2]

Would definitely commit criminal acts for Couture to be on this team.

You can't say "kill" anymore in this PC world, right?

 

[billingtons ghost]

I don't want to touch our defense or goaltending right now. Even Volchenkov may play himself back into the point where it's worth playing him the last two years just for the purpose of soaking up PK minutes and being a veteran role model. If he keeps up his recent improved play, of course.

What we need is a young stud forward to build around. I don't think Eberle is that guy. He's one-dimensional and I personally think he's already peaked offensively. He reminds me of Mogilny in that he's the guy you add to an already good team, not a guy you use as your franchise cornerstone.

What we need is a guy like Landeskog, Galchenyuk, Seguin, one of those types.

I'd kill to get Logan Couture on this team.

I agree... don't know if Galchenyuk or Seguin are the guys either, but the forward core needs a new cornerstone.

Thought Travis was it... maybe Henrique might be.

The 'ifs' around JJ, Tedi and Lokti are just too much right now.

That said, I refuse to send Larsson or Schneider anywhere for anything.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

I'm not trading Schneider or Larsson for anything, to be honest. Were building something pretty solid from the back end out right now, very similar to what happened in the early/mid 90's. I'm not jeopardizing any of that.

I'd trade Schneider in a flash for a up and coming forward. Goaltenders are easy to find and we'd benefit way more going forward with a young stud forward and a ok netminder then the other way around IMO.

Just look at what Andersen is doing in Anaheim. He was drafted by the Canes in the 7th round and was re-drafted by the ducks 2 years later. He's a great story and it doesn't happen every year but there's more goaltenders that do turn out like Andersen then there are forwards.

 

[apice3*]

Would definitely commit criminal acts for Couture to be on this team.

Him and Duchene are the two most underrated superstars in this league, IMO. Duchene is getting some attention this year, but both players are incredible.