News Article: Yakupov on Roy "I was scared of him"
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Fourier
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I think people are under rating Letestu here. He is more than a #4C. He is a versatile guy who can play all over the line-up. In particular, he has enough offense in his game that in a pinch he can play in the top 6 and not look completely out of place. That won't be his role of course, but the guy is not some dime a dozen plug.
bucks_oil
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- Aug 25, 2005
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You don't think Ference counts?
I get that we can't rely on the Smyths, Horcoffs, Ferences and Hendricks' of the world to eat huge minutes for us. They aren't the players they once were. But they do have NHL professional experience and YEARS of wisdom to impart to the young guys.
You can't suck and blow at the same time. The fact that Ference is no longer to be relied upon ON ICE does not diminish the fact that he's still very valuable to a kid like McDavid OFF THE ICE.
Or is this just exaggeration for the dramatics of it all?
GMofOilers
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I thought McDavid looked like McDavid always does, calm and quietly spoken.
Sweating and nervous is a little overblown.
Sweating and nervous is a little overblown.
bucks_oil
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Also to add... your point earlier about the shuffling of deck chairs. It's not entirely true... unless you think Belanger is an equal 3rd/4th liner with similar heart and gumption as a Gordon or a Latestu?
Is Joensuu an equivalent grinder to Hendricks, or Korpikowski?
Is Belov capable of the same reliable minutes as Fayne?
I would never argue that there aren't still major holes in our lineup, but if you look at what needed to be replaced three years ago, it looked like this:
Hall Nuge Eberle
XXX XXX Yak
XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX
With the hopes that Lander might make it. That's it!
On D we had
XXX Petry
XXX Schultz
Ference XXX
XXX
XXX
Petry priced himself out... and we had still only hopes in: Klefbom, Nurse and at the time, Marincin.
The point is the line up was porous.
Fistric, Petrell, Belanger, Paajarvi, Whitney, Smyth, Smithson, N Schultz, Jones, Potter, Eager, Hordichuk, etc, etc... I mean with the exception of Gagner, Hemsky and Smid, most the XXX aren't in the NHL anymore. So no matter which way you slice it, these team was in HUGE need of NHL talent and depth and it was only going to come piece by piece (unless we traded one of the kids for depth... which I'm glad we didn't).
The vet pieces added (and yes, some lost) since then amount to:
Pouliot
Fayne
Sekera
Purcell
Letestu
Korpikoski
Klinkhammer
Hendricks
Gryba
Scrivens
Talbot
That's 11 of 13 xxx's or 11 of 16 xxx's (if you include the press box) that will be filled by vets and not rookies. Put it another way, in the last three years, we've recruited enough NHL caliber vets that there is only room for 5 rookies to have played their way onto the team during that three year period (McDavid, Klefbom, Nurse, Lander and Drai).
It was a monumental task that MacT (bless his heart) thought he could conclude much faster than I would argue was ever realistic.
Definitely more than the shuffling of deck chairs.
Is Joensuu an equivalent grinder to Hendricks, or Korpikowski?
Is Belov capable of the same reliable minutes as Fayne?
I would never argue that there aren't still major holes in our lineup, but if you look at what needed to be replaced three years ago, it looked like this:
Hall Nuge Eberle
XXX XXX Yak
XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX
With the hopes that Lander might make it. That's it!
On D we had
XXX Petry
XXX Schultz
Ference XXX
XXX
XXX
Petry priced himself out... and we had still only hopes in: Klefbom, Nurse and at the time, Marincin.
The point is the line up was porous.
Fistric, Petrell, Belanger, Paajarvi, Whitney, Smyth, Smithson, N Schultz, Jones, Potter, Eager, Hordichuk, etc, etc... I mean with the exception of Gagner, Hemsky and Smid, most the XXX aren't in the NHL anymore. So no matter which way you slice it, these team was in HUGE need of NHL talent and depth and it was only going to come piece by piece (unless we traded one of the kids for depth... which I'm glad we didn't).
The vet pieces added (and yes, some lost) since then amount to:
Pouliot
Fayne
Sekera
Purcell
Letestu
Korpikoski
Klinkhammer
Hendricks
Gryba
Scrivens
Talbot
That's 11 of 13 xxx's or 11 of 16 xxx's (if you include the press box) that will be filled by vets and not rookies. Put it another way, in the last three years, we've recruited enough NHL caliber vets that there is only room for 5 rookies to have played their way onto the team during that three year period (McDavid, Klefbom, Nurse, Lander and Drai).
It was a monumental task that MacT (bless his heart) thought he could conclude much faster than I would argue was ever realistic.
Definitely more than the shuffling of deck chairs.
bucks_oil
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- Aug 25, 2005
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I disagree with this part... leaders lead. Look at Hendricks. It took him very little time to establish his role and leadership position within the group. From what I've watched and experienced personally, leadership roles emerge much, much faster than what you are describing.
It was great that Roy was a vet. Latestu is a vet who is a much better fit for the vacant position.
Do agree that it would have been nice to have Gordon too, but reserving judgment on Korpikowski, who himself has been known to play hard and produce (despite a poor season).
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No, very nervous, seemingly overwhelmed in the interview, a little down. So much so that his enunciation slowed, tone was very down, and even expressed seeming remorse about how quickly the summer went. Like any youth would do the day before school starts..
I think we easily forget that the kid is 18, by no means is the above a critique at all, just saying what I observed and that we are automatically expecting an 18yr old to resurrect a franchise, resurrect a downtown and entertainment district, get people humming and excited about paying more to get into the new arena. This is far and away several times the pressure Gretzky faced here and I think the enormity of that is dawning on McDavid. How couldn't it?
Its so strange as well that just after seeing how Yak has struggled with pressure of being a #1 pick that we forget that this can occur. As if we're shutting out that this could occur. Or that a top round high pick like Draisaitl could look shellshocked his whole stint here last year. This is a very tough team and situation to land in. Not at all a happy environment and only the positivity of Nelson, and before him Krueger, has stopped this situation from being far worse.
Finally, Edmonton is one of those rare places when it comes to hockey where absolutely everything is going to be within harsh glare of spotlights. Demands on McDavids time both within the City and country will be enormous. Free time will be harder to find, and it'll be a nonstop tour of madness each city he visits. This better not go sideways for the club because of this experience starts to occur within a negative milieu of a team again giving up (like this team has done for several seasons) than the gongshow is truly on and McDavid, 18, is feeling responsibility for that as well. Because this is kid is golden, and will try to take on everything and move mountains by himself. Which on a lot of nights will seem to be required.
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I have about as much faith in Korpikoski as I do in Purcell. Do we know Letestu is a dressing room leader? Is he reknowned for that? Has he worked out well with a lot of youth. Not everybody is like that. As you even acknowledge Roy was particularly like that and perhaps a coach in the making. We oddly let that KNOWN mentorship go without a 2nd a thought, without even a discussion, a consideration.
Lets not just think about McDavid here (in a Yak thread) lets look back at Yak. One of the first things he's saying this fall is how much he liked having Roy here, how different it was for him having Roy here, how much better it was for him having Roy here, and how much he was learning from this veteran. The Oilers have regarded Yaks opinion on this to the sum extent that they got rid of Roy without even thinking about any impact on their first pick young player. Presumably because we have so many of them they aren't even worried about checking out the thoughts and takes of each player.
Did they even do proper exit interviews with players last season. Did they regard the input. Chances are with all the change and turmoil and hiring new GM's new Mega Gm's new Popes, and a coach that if any of this did occur its in the wash now anyway. yet here is Yak and the first thing he's saying, the first thing he's thinking is how good it was with Roy and of course now he's not here and its back to feeling alone here.
in Regards to Yak I will state a disclaimer that what I am saying here has been spoken by either by Yak and/or his agent and reflects the arduous times he has had here with this franchise. So as soon he meaningfully connects with a player and his game is resurrected that is deemed not important to the team.
More hard love? Does Yak last the season here?
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Guidance in any org often comes with some position or role specific coworkers. The guy who inhabits a role much similar to your own is going to be able to offer more guidance, advice, knowledge on what to expect, and provide the utmost mentorship to help the kid in the role. As far as I can see from what we had here Gordon/Roy were most suited to this task. Again, apparently, this wasn't even a consideration of this club. So two guys that played admirably here were disregarded, what they did here and the roles they performed were disregarded, because this org fails to recognize players that have played well and contribured vs players that haven't.
Ironic you mention Ference in this regard because he would the poster player for being useless here. Yet he continues to occupy a captaincy (the height of irony) while being completely inept on the ice. tbh I don't want this veteran to be mentoring a McDavid even if he could.
I would suspect theres multiple players on this club that would wonder at times why Ference is even on a pro hockey team at this point. Of course I wonder about it on a day to day basis so projection is possible.
GMofOilers
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I see things totally different. Every interview McDavid does his tone is way down.
Im not going to comment on the Yak at 18 comparision to McDavid, because really McDavid today is so far ahead of Yak today nevermind Yak at 18.
Raoul Duke
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- Feb 21, 2010
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I don't have time to watch this but I can only assume, if it's accurate, it's a video of an old man yelling "Get off my lawn, you kids!!!"
McDavid was also granted exceptional status so he played one year extra in the OHL then most all 18 year Olds do before their draft. Its more comparable to a 19 year old coming out of the ohl cause that's what he is other then the name
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Saw a much more effervescent McDavid in past interviews. Really if you're being honest if the latest interviews had occurred around draft time some people might be questioning, considering, whether the rumors McDavid was disappointed with landing here had any legs. Because as this day has arrived it looks more like he was headed to the dentist for a root canal than being happy about being here for the season.
Again no criticism. I wouldn't want to be landing in this nightmarish org.
GMofOilers
Registered User
Replacement!!! You drive me dam crazy sometimes lol
Hes excited to be able to play in the NHL thats his dream. He wants to get this camp under way and prove to everyone including himself he can play this year. He wants nothing for granted.
bucks_oil
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- Aug 25, 2005
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Lots of speculation in this post. Do you honestly believe the bolded? You think Roy's name hasn't even come up in Chiarelli's assessment of what is needed?
Or did it come up, and Chiarelli had other ideas? That doing his job meant parting with Roy for something he felt, in his Stanley Cup team assembling wisdom, was a better fit?
And by the way... a google search of Latestu and leadership comes up with a number of good hits, including a classy exit interview from Columbus.
Nobody wants to see Yak thrown to the wolves again, but the presence or absence of Roy isn't the sole determinant in that.
bucks_oil
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New POHO
New GM
New Coach
All of whom had a role (presumably, since it is their job) in the personnel changes this summer.
And here you are, devoid of facts, conjecturing that there was zero consideration/diligence made in the decision making...
Because if fits your hard-luck-woe-is-us narrative?
I really just don't get it.
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A google search spelling the name correctly may come up with more.
What I believe is the Oilers, having landed McDavid now don't care about Yak not that they did during any of Eakins tenure here either.
I think the occams razor deduction here is that Chia knew very little about the Oilers, the team dynamics, knew next to nothing about Roys mentoring of Yak and role in his resurrection and nobody bothered to tell him. Yak is done here, that's my read.
Now this part of course is speculation. Eakins was MacT's guy. No player on this club made it more clear than Yak, in words and in actions, that he had issues with Eakins and how he was being treated. Yak was really the only player to come out with anything resembling discontent during that tenure and actually with him and his agent calling out some things. With NO support from teammates, org (who forced him in front of a Microphone and made him answer any and all questions from hostile pressers. At the time, do we already forget, the Oilers postured that Yak had been petulant, way out of line, and the conjecture at the time was that the presser was a consequence. For Yak to answer to what he had done. Not what the team had done in hiring the incompetent bozo Eakins.
Now this part is not speculation. The team eventually came to a realization that Eakins was not an NHL coach, the team was not playing for him, but came to this realization a whole 14mths after Yakupov did. I wonder if much of anything has been said about that. I wonder if anybody has ever approached the kid and said. "You know what, you were right all along"
No, this org, with Mact and Lowe still in it, takes licence plate numbers and looks for the next opportunity to throw someone under the bus when it has the chance.
Yak is continuing to push the envelope I imagine, is still unclear about if he fits on this org and I think his timely comments about Yak are interesting. You'll remember it was also Yak who most bemoaned that the org was not bringing Krueger back and had hired idiot Eakins instead.
Yak is like a canary in a coal mine not sticking to suggested pad answers. He's talked about Roy multiple times already this fall. Interesting.
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Jesus christ.
That added a lot to the dialog which I'm containing in one thread so as not to trouble the board with this. If you want to participate in this discussion then do so, if not don't.
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But other than *winning* McDavid has anything really changed? Katz's close friends MacT, and Lowe are still employed by the org in active roles and have the most personal relationship, the strongest connections with the big guy. Is it conjecture to state they still have influence. I'd be far from alone in suggesting it.
That these two haven't been fired outright to me is suggestion that something else is at work. That somebody said no. Because both have been incompetent in their roles with MacT even stating in his own words that he "will live and die with the Eakins hire"
Short memories all round? MacT has amnesia about stating that?
I take all this stuff in. I don't disregard it. MacT is still here. Despite his own promise. This is the same org where Katz convinced Lowe not to step down. Maybe you don't attend to these things when they occur and denote them. With this org by now I have a tendency to file these bits of information for future reference.
Raoul Duke
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- Feb 21, 2010
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Well, this I can agree with, somewhat.
MacT, at the very least, should have been fired outright.
When I saw him at the draft table I sighed and rolled my eyes. My hope is that they filled the position with him because he was under contract and knows the organization. I don't think Chiarelli would have taken the job without autonomy.
It's hard to argue these suspicions, given the organization's history, but it's not fact and it is conjecture.
On the surface changes were made and many of us like to believe they were real. I, for one, am tired of being enveloped in negativity every time I think about the oilers. I want to cheer for my team again.
Time will tell if that's naive or if the alternative is pessimism.
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i'll take a moment and apologize for my actions yesterday that were out of line. Going through some stuff right now and no excuses, but I was being an ahole.
sorry
Back to the topic this org conditions negativity. As fans we have that as an unfortunate common bond. Which makes for strange times and reactions all around.
My real take. Nelson was more of a free spirit and more averse to following company line than anybody we have hired in coaching or management since. Kreuger was as well. Is that meaningful? perhaps.
With Chia theres suspicion he wasn't his own man in Boston. With Mclellan its known he sided with management over players and was handstrung there as well.
I fear that neither are automatically their own men, in any org run by the quite powerful Daryl Katz. The same Katz who had Bettman on his speed dial getting an arena deal worked through here.
I really think its illusory to think that there really are "bosses" here other than Katz. Ultimately this org answers to Katz and exists for Katz. Its his plaything. A lot of other leadership is window dressing I fear, as its always been during Katz tenure. Nicholsons role to me was figurehead. Almost here for the point of a positivity campaign. Smile a lot, promise a new way of doing business, hire several more people on board, retain incompetents, and act like everything is flushed out and ready to go. Nicholson to me is a positivity yes man. Which concerns me somewhat.
just my take, perhaps deluded.
Raoul Duke
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- Feb 21, 2010
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No worries. It's a message board.
Obviously, I can't say your take is wrong. The past decade gives cause to feel that way.
An alternate view would be that Chiarell and McLellan would be hesitant to enter a situation where they were pawns again. Maybe the empty seats resonated with Katz and Nicholson is cleaning up the hierarchy. Maybe Katz doesn't want the gong show to continue in his new building.
Or it's just a way to hang out with his glory years buddies.
Who knows
McLellan left San Jose because he didn't side with management but his hand was literally forced.
Chia was forced to move good players because Neely is insane as well.
On the Roy thing. Chia in an interview said that Roy was being considered for the team. He also had a multiple hour meeting with Nelson which I have no doubt of had player discussion in it. So if you think Chia came in blind then that's made to fit a narrative.
Nicholson was here for all of it and I guarantee he had notes on team dynamic, dame with MacT.
Chia saw what having a good center and good coaching with Yak did and Lander and McDavid or even RNH can provide that. He just doesn't see the aging Roy as that guy.
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Forced? nobody truly gets forced, its succumbing to undue influences and allowing yourself to be controlled. Which is one reason why I question that either of these guys are the alpha guys they are made out to be.
Some hands are more easily forced, just saying. Its a battle of will, in the end both Chia and Mclellan lost. Lets not forget either this is until recently an NHL outpost. Not the first spot a person would want to land Pre McDavid.
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