So Who Made the Yakupov Pick?

[nexttothemoon]

I wouldn't have even taken Murray in the top 5 in that draft.

I had Yakupov-Grigorenko-Galchenyuk-Rielly as my top 4 (and actually I would probably have taken taken Vasilevski at #4 if I really had the say in the pick ).

Murray was too much of a "safe" pick to go 1st overall. Decent talent but not one with the upside of several of the other top prospects in the draft that season.

Whomever made the choice to pick Yak was dead on... it was the prudent, obvious and logical choice.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

I wouldn't have even taken Murray in the top 5 in that draft.

I had Yakupov-Grigorenko-Galchenyuk-Rielly as my top 4 (and actually I would probably have taken taken Vasilevski at #4 if I really had the say in the pick ).

Murray was too much of a "safe" pick to go 1st overall. Decent talent but not one with the upside of several of the other top prospects in the draft that season.

Whomever made the choice to pick Yak was dead on... it was the prudent, obvious and logical choice.

You are smart that's why

 

[The Nuge]

You guys are underrating how good Murray is. He would've been a poor choice, but he's still a very talented prospect

 

[HotToddy]

Interesting though, that you dusted it off and dug it out of the closet right after Yak has a sub par game.

I wasn't able to watch the game outside of the final 10 minutes where Yak looked like one of the few decent Oilers to my eyes, so I'm not sure what you are implying, I'm a big Yak fan

My point isn't to start a Murray vs Yakupov debate (great job accomplishing that) my point is that it raises extreme red flags that a course of action chartered by the scouting staff could be overruled so close to draft day.

Who the @#@# is in charge of talent acquisition

We overdraft Oil Kings, we draft sons of current staff members and we overide our scouting staff on the most important decision possible

You have to question almost every move this dumpster fire called the Edmonton Oilers makes, you can never be sure if its analytical, thoughtful process that goes into their decisions or somebody stamping their feet saying "Mitch is a good kid".

That's the isue with the current Oilers, it's a terribly run organization at the top and the idea that switching coaches every 18 months or drafting a ew shiny object is ever going to solve the problem is ludicrous.

The Raiders made several sexy coaching hires and many high end draft picks

Dysfunctional is dysfunctional and we're all getting high on hope if we think this organization is pulling out of its tailspin while keeping the same captains

 

[Up the Irons]

I wasn't able to watch the game outside of the final 10 minutes where Yak looked like one of the few decent Oilers to my eyes, so I'm not sure what you are implying, I'm a big Yak fan

My point isn't to start a Murray vs Yakupov debate (great job accomplishing that) my point is that it raises extreme red flags that a course of action chartered by the scouting staff could be overruled so close to draft day.

Who the @#@# is in charge of talent acquisition

We overdraft Oil Kings, we draft sons of current staff members and we overide our scouting staff on the most important decision possible

You have to question almost every move this dumpster fire called the Edmonton Oilers makes, you can never be sure if its analytical, thoughtful process that goes into their decisions or somebody stamping their feet saying "Mitch is a good kid".

That's the isue with the current Oilers, it's a terribly run organization at the top and the idea that switching coaches every 18 months or drafting a ew shiny object is ever going to solve the problem is ludicrous.

The Raiders made several sexy coaching hires and many high end draft picks

Dysfunctional is dysfunctional and we're all getting high on hope if we think this organization is pulling out of its tailspin while keeping the same captains

this. this view is really starting to become undeniable.

 

[SeriousBusiness]

Some need to cut Yak a bit of slack. He's still basically in his first year of the NHL considering he only got 48 games in last year. He's played 50 total NHL games. He's had one full training camp.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

If the Oilers scouting staff wanted Murray over Yakupov, then we have much bigger problems than ownership strong-arming scouts...

What did they know that the rest of the professional scouting world didn't?

 

[Spawn]

If the Oilers scouting staff wanted Murray over Yakupov, then we have much bigger problems than ownership strong-arming scouts...

What did they know that the rest of the professional scouting world didn't?

Here's the thing though... if the majority wanted Murray I wouldn't be surprised if it was like 6 out of 10 you know? It was obviously a very close debate but we all knew that.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Isn't it fairly common for management to weigh in on high draft picks and guys they like?

I remember Stu saying he saw yak able to beat goalies everytime 1 on 1 and was a special player. (parsphrased)

 

[Spawn]

Isn't it fairly common for management to weigh in on high draft picks and guys they like?

I remember Stu saying he saw yak able to beat goalies everytime 1 on 1 and was a special player. (parsphrased)

It's even said in that Oil Change episode that someone posted last page. One of the scouts said that they make their list and they give it on to the management and it is up to them to make the pick.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Here's the thing though... if the majority wanted Murray I wouldn't be surprised if it was like 6 out of 10 you know? It was obviously a very close debate but we all knew that.

Yea maybe it was like that. And maybe they all had Yak #2 if they didn't have him at #1.

I just don't really get why the Yakupov pick would have been the one where there was dissent. All I can go off of is what the media and scouting sources openly publish. From my point of view, the Seguin/Hall and RNH/Landeskog debates were a lot closer than Yakupov/Murray.

 

[Mr Forever]

You guys are underrating how good Murray is. He would've been a poor choice, but he's still a very talented prospect

I'd rather have Trouba than him. That's how I felt at the draft, and it's how I feel now. He's a decent prospect.

 

[Shanahanigans]

Yakupov is probably going to be the best forward from this draft, and at worse, 2nd after Galchenyuk. Murray is probably not going to be the best defenseman. At the draft, they were saying the Oilers should take him because he was the most NHL ready, but both Reilly and Trouba had more potential to be 2 way defenders than he did. Murray was a safe pick because all scouts were saying how he was ready to step into a top 6 role in the NHL, and potentially top 4.
The organization had to know that, and the fact that they nearly screwed this pick up is kind of scary to think about.

 

[The Perfect Human*]

How the ****ing **** is Yakupov ranked AFTER Galchenyuk and Huberdeau on the HF list of top prospects.

My mind is being blown.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

How the ****ing **** is Yakupov ranked AFTER Galchenyuk and Huberdeau on the HF list of top prospects.

My mind is being blown.

He plays in the West.

That is why MacKinnon is lower than he should be and why guys like Dougie Hamilton are much higher than they should be.

 

[Giggli G]

How the ****ing **** is Yakupov ranked AFTER Galchenyuk and Huberdeau on the HF list of top prospects.

My mind is being blown.

Galchenyuk is probably going to be better. Right now they are almost even.

I have high hopes for Yakupov but I don't see as complete a player in him.

Too bad Gally was injured in his draft year, would have been interesting.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

Galchenyuk is probably going to be better. Right now they are almost even.

I have high hopes for Yakupov but I don't see as complete a player in him.

Too bad Gally was injured in his draft year, would have been interesting.

These kind of posts make me laugh , last year Taresenko was going to win calder ainec after first week 2011 Seguin was going to be a superstar and the Oilers dropped the ball with Hall 1st 2 weeks of season , and lets not forget 2010 when Skinner was the right choice . 2 games into this season Galy starts quick and now we dropped the Ball on Yakupov. This place is all what have you done last game.

 

[Giggli G]

These kind of posts make me laugh , last year Taresenko was going to win calder ainec after first week 2011 Seguin was going to be a superstar and the Oilers dropped the ball with Hall 1st 2 weeks of season , and lets not forget 2010 when Skinner was the right choice . 2 games into this season Galy starts quick and now we dropped the Ball on Yakupov. This place is all what have you done last game.

Except that's not what I said at all. Galchenyuk had 4 less points than Yak last season, while being better defensively.

This year it's too early to know anything but Gally started well out of the gate. Regardless of that, Yak has and always has had serious defensive deficiencies. Hopefully he gets better with time. He also has problems playing a team game effectively at times. Granted, he is young.

It's not 'what have you done last game'. It's legitimately a significant possibility that Gally may end up better. If you deny that you are being a homer.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

Except that's not what I said at all. Galchenyuk had 4 less points than Yak last season, while being better defensively.

This year it's too early to know anything but Gally started well out of the gate. Regardless of that, Yak has and always has had serious defensive deficiencies. Hopefully he gets better with time.

It's not 'what have you done last game'. It's legitimately a significant possibility that Gally may end up better. If you deny that you are being a homer.

Has nothing to do with being a Homer Yakupov was tracking in junior better as well and as defensively being a Center in junior this is stressed with the position aka Nuge . We did not draft Yak to be a shutdown winger we drafted him to score big time goals and right now he is far superior to Galy in this capacity. I will save this post for the 60th game in . Defense can be learned offense can't.

 

[McArthur]

It takes more time for defense to develop. But, we've heard it since the start of the rebuild... Size AND skill are rare. Which means if your drafting first overall, and your drafting skill without size, you best have a team to back him up. But we didn't, and we still don't. And the "skill" without the size will be obvious in the playoffs. Unless that skill equals super skill, and that's not going to come straight out of junior. I wish we had a ray Whitney kind of mentor. Cause we aren't getting st. Louis. Smyth isn't enough, and who really knows with Hemsky

 

[HellasLEAF]

I'm confused.

Why isn't Yakupov playing. Is he in the coaches doghouse?

Has been poor? Seams like a bit player under Eakins.

 

[Ukgoalie]

Remember when everyone was moaning about ovi's one dimensional play and a lack of defensive zone play in his first season or 2? Sounds a lil familiar.

Give the kid a break he's only played half a season

 

[CornKicker]

Someone with a brain in their head. Makes me worry about the scouts if they had to be pulled off the ledge by somebody like Tambellini.

common sense made the pick. if someone overruled the scouting staff then someone was right. I hope they didnt just tell them who to pick. I hope they dropped off a folder with files on mikhinov, ninimakki, steve kelly etc etc eetc etc "BPA".

Yakupov was the BPA and there was no arguement about it imo. It was a huge relief to hear the pick and despite what the doomers think about the last 2 games yakupov will be more valuable than ryan murray every season since the draft.

 

[hockeywoot]

Yakupov was absolutely the right pick at number 1.
Whether he's the best fit long term...up to you.

Undoubtedly the BPA though.

 

[CornKicker]

add to the that Yakupov has elite compete and an elite shot. his time is coming and it wont be playing with arcobello.