Speculation: Yakopov reminds me about Daigle

[TheSpecialist]

Eakins is a f**kin moron so if he's reading this, I suggest that he go back to his interview with the media and listen to what he just said.

I've never heard a coach contradict himself in one single interview as much I have with this guy. His way of sending players a message is so incoherent that it is obvious why the entire team is in a f**kin tale spin.

 

[Shizuka]

Yakupov's feet come to a standstill for noticeable periods, when he's in the D zone, when he's coming back to his own end i.e. zero backchecking effort, and when he doesn't have the puck. He is certainly guilty of puck watching, and though I don't necessarily think he's being lazy I can see why there's criticism of laziness in his game. I don't know if it's poor conditioning (the talking heads were saying how he came into camp in quite good shape -- but maybe it wasn't the right kind of shape) or what.

I also am one of those who thinks his game could do with some AHL time, where the pace is slower, where he will play significantly more minutes, put some serious work into polishing his defensive game (and come to the realization that he needs better endurance and yes, work ethic) and where he can rebuild some offensive confidence again. However, as Aerchon stated a few posts above, very astutely, it could be devastating for the strained relationship between him and this organization.

I'm not losing patience with the kid... yet. But it's getting to the point where he needs to mature and come to the understanding of just what he needs to do to stay and thrive in the NHL (all the young kids on this roster do, to be frank -- not just Yak, though he has become the primary target of it). I wish he'd accept that assignment to the farm, but with his attitude and his agent? Forget it.

 

[CorpseFX]

i think im done with this trash organization and hockey for a long while.

biggest flunkies ever over the past 8 seasons with boneheaded egomaniacs at every position of (unchecked) authority. it's embarrassing already how many grand mistakes they make - -time after time - - and keep feeding fans manure for dinner.

they expect fans to take on a form of quasi-religious "belief in the process" while they just smash themselves over the head with hammers.

no way.

the whole illusion of "loyalty to the culture of hockey" as some carrot on a stick can F-off too.

AND1 Atlanta Oilers with Insecure Macho Jock Coach and his like-master Kevin Lowe have to go before i waste any more time with this.

 

[CorpseFX]

He doesn't really make it clear what the agreement is.

I was kind of concerned with his outright, verbal refusal to talk about his defensive game.

-25 and DEAD last in the whole NHL is something to talk about.

yeah, because the team in general having 139 goals against for the worst defensive/goaltending in the league isnt costing them games just as much.

Sick 2-Way-Game-Hopkins-Junior-Senior-Mom-Dad: -9
Future #1 D-man Jeff Weakling: -10
Ancient Vet Hemsky: -11
Defensive Genius Boyd Gordon: -11
J. the Free 1st round Draft Stink Schultz: -13
Joenssu "A REAL MONSTER": -14
Bozo the Gagner: -15


the entire team is sad.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Summary for those of us on mobile?

Yak agrees to bend over and take it and Eakins agrees not to give a ****.

 

[thadd]

Since you're bringing up Stamkos, didn't the Lightning fire the coach that was screwing with him early in his career?

Yes, he was but that doesn't matter because there's no such thing as accountability in Edmonton.

 

[harpoon]

yeah, because the team in general having 139 goals against for the worst defensive/goaltending in the league isnt costing them games just as much.

Sick 2-Way-Game-Hopkins-Junior-Senior-Mom-Dad: -9
Future #1 D-man Jeff Weakling: -10
Ancient Vet Hemsky: -11
Defensive Genius Boyd Gordon: -11
J. the Free 1st round Draft Stink Schultz: -13
Joenssu "A REAL MONSTER": -14
Bozo the Gagner: -15


the entire team is sad.

What I can say is that since you've given up on the team till everyone (Lowe, MacT and Eakins) gets fired, its going to be a real pleasure not reading these posts for the next oh ten years or so.

 

[BobDobolina]

So when is he going to have the same talk with Gagner and Schultz?

 

[oilers2k10]

What pisses me off is that this is likely the only time the Oilers have a chance to have a true sniper who could be one of the best in the game and the coach is ****ing with him..
I am also trying to like Eakins but he really sounds a little airheaded sometimes..maybe just isn't smart enough to coach at this level?

 

[Klimando Kostani]

The same people on here getting mad at a coach who is actually trying to coach and develop a player for more than a three game stretch in this organization are the ones who would demand that coach be fired if Yak had been struggling on the top two lines all year and left to the wolves.

 

[OiledUp]

I think Eakins sees himself as a great "players coach" and I think he sold himself pretty hard as exactly that to MacT. Well for a guy who sees himself as a great players coach he's greatly misread a lot of players so far.

I think he came in with the idea that Yak was a cocky, arrogant and lazy russian kid who needed to be put in place when in reality Yak to me seems to be a kinda sensitive guy who puts high demands on himself while still being fairly young at heart and most of all just wants to enjoy playing hockey, meaning he's not the kinda kid who answers well if you starts calling him out or needs a strict talking to everytime he makes a mistake. He needs a smother apporach. And by that I don't think he should be cuddled with, this is professional sports, he needs to pull his weight. But if you pride yourself at being a players coach you need to realize what works for certain players.

The interesting part is that his approach to other players has been much less blunt. Some players who might actually need a more tough approach. Who might actually answer well to being called out. But are better at pretending to be humble in interviews because they've been taught to do that from an early age.

I don't know but it sometimes seems like NA coaches(and media) have a hard time reading russian personalities. Not the first time a player is being labled completely differently to what my take on him is.

Edit: just like to add that I don't think there's anything really wrong with Eakins sitting Yak at this point, the kid is a complete mess and plays without any kind of confidence and clear idea of what he's supposed to do on the ice. My point is that it didn't have to come to this had Eakins been the great coach he obviously thinks that he is.

 

[OiledUp]

Ok, not just NA media that's making weird reads on russians, now swedish TV is drawing huge conclusions from a Grigorenko quote and him wanting a 2nd assist on a goal against Finland during WJC.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Edit: nvm

 

[Tarus]

Eakin's on Horak:

"We're trying to put him in a spot where he can have some success too, not try to throw him down on the fourth line." "....try to set him up for success".

I have no idea what's going on. Eakin's is blowing my mind right now.

Had to go watch his interview to see if he said those things, didn't expect so much unintended comedy.

Just an unbelievable hypocrite, who is apparently so completely lacking in self-awareness that he can completely contradict himself in a 5 minute interview without even seeing it.

Every time I think I couldn't like him any less, he somehow manages to surprise me.

 

[Oilfan2]

Had to go watch his interview to see if he said those things, didn't expect so much unintended comedy.

Just an unbelievable hypocrite, who is apparently so completely lacking in self-awareness that he can completely contradict himself in a 5 minute interview without even seeing it.

Every time I think I couldn't like him any less, he somehow manages to surprise me.

What the **** are you talking about?? If you're referring to Yak, he's been put on the first two lines numerous times, on the 3rd, on the 4th, on 1st line PP, 2nd line PP, etc. He's been given every opportunity to succeed and I think he will, eventually. They want Yak to be a great player, not just good, which is, supposedly, what they're trying to accomplish. We'll see how it works out..

This is Horak's first game with the team and Eakins thinks he's an offensive player so playing him on the top 2 lines makes sense. If it doesn't work, Horak goes back to the AHL.

Whatever you think of Eakins you should try and look at situations logically now and then..

 

[oilphan]

Eakins is seriously playing with fire here. Such a moron.

 

[Worraps]

Eakins is seriously playing with fire here. Such a moron.

 

[Meanashell11]

What the **** are you talking about?? If you're referring to Yak, he's been put on the first two lines numerous times, on the 3rd, on the 4th, on 1st line PP, 2nd line PP, etc. He's been given every opportunity to succeed and I think he will, eventually. They want Yak to be a great player, not just good, which is, supposedly, what they're trying to accomplish. We'll see how it works out..

This is Horak's first game with the team and Eakins thinks he's an offensive player so playing him on the top 2 lines makes sense. If it doesn't work, Horak goes back to the AHL.

Whatever you think of Eakins you should try and look at situations logically now and then..

In the past week Eakins has said, and I paraphrase, "Yak has earned more time on the power play and he's going to get it", Yak has to earn his playing time so he is scratched against Phoenix". The guy can't help but make **** up, as said above, no wonder none of the players other than our Captain, seem to have any clue what he is talking about and I personally think Ference fakes it. He certainly should spend some time in the PB to figure out how to play D.

 

[Tarus]

What the **** are you talking about?? If you're referring to Yak, he's been put on the first two lines numerous times, on the 3rd, on the 4th, on 1st line PP, 2nd line PP, etc. He's been given every opportunity to succeed and I think he will, eventually. They want Yak to be a great player, not just good, which is, supposedly, what they're trying to accomplish. We'll see how it works out..

This is Horak's first game with the team and Eakins thinks he's an offensive player so playing him on the top 2 lines makes sense. If it doesn't work, Horak goes back to the AHL.

Whatever you think of Eakins you should try and look at situations logically now and then..

Yak put in a position to succeed, what a laughable suggestion.

Consistently played out of position, scapegoated for defensive deficiencies the entire roster suffers from, and benched for the slightest mistake - all while the team collapses under the direction of the worst coaching staff in the NHL. When the communication gets so bad and the agent had to be called in, he gets thrown to the wolves in one of the more vindictive moves I've ever seen from an NHL coach, but things have calmed down so it's back to benching and scratching him again.

Haven't seen an Oiler player yanked around this badly by a coaching staff since Mact ran the bench.

Oh but the new guy, we want to see what he has, putting him on the 4th line wouldn't be putting him in a position to succeed and there is no need to earn that ice time like Yakupov, just move straight up the roster to play with the other untouchables .

It's blatantly obvious that they have nothing invested in turning Yakupov into a good player anymore, he's being driven right out of the organization. The only question left is if it'll be in the offseason with transparent excuses for some mediocre trade they'll try to sell to the fanbase, or if it'll be a messy divorce where Yak demands a trade while playing in the KHL after the team tries to demote him to the AHL.

 

[Broilers]

i think im done with this trash organization and hockey for a long while.

biggest flunkies ever over the past 8 seasons with boneheaded egomaniacs at every position of (unchecked) authority. it's embarrassing already how many grand mistakes they make - -time after time - - and keep feeding fans manure for dinner.

they expect fans to take on a form of quasi-religious "belief in the process" while they just smash themselves over the head with hammers.

no way.

the whole illusion of "loyalty to the culture of hockey" as some carrot on a stick can F-off too.

AND1 Atlanta Oilers with Insecure Macho Jock Coach and his like-master Kevin Lowe have to go before i waste any more time with this.

Me too. I will invest money and time to education. I will start upgrade my undergraduate degree to graduate degree in January. Which means no show ups at Rexall Place and diminished activity here.

 

[CupofOil]

Eakin's on Horak:

"We're trying to put him in a spot where he can have some success too, not try to throw him down on the fourth line." "....try to set him up for success".

I don't have the pitchforks out for Eakins like a lot of you do and am willing to give him more time but this comment just boggles the mind especially only days after he put Yakupov in a position to fail by playing him with plugs with no PP time to boot.
I didn't mind having Yak on the 4th line but after having a good game, he should have gotten at shot with some skilled players or at least some PP time.

 

[Gretter]

sucks how we wasted 2 more draft picks (yakimov and slepyshev) on top of Yak to make things uglier. they will never be Oilers and yak won't be for long

 

[oobga]

The agreeement is that if Yak bends over willingly Eakins will use lube

 

[bleed_oil]

The Oilers should send eakins back to the ahl, the only place he's ever been successful

 

[Lacaar]

Does anyone ever become a better hockey player that plays for us?

It seems no one gets any better once they arrive on the big club.