RW Nail Yakupov - Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik, KHL

[um]

He will be better than Ovechkin going forward. Might take one, two or maybe even three years, but ya, I think he will be outproducing Ovechkin in the not too distant future.

well probably, ovechkin would be in his 30's by then

 

[McJC]

No hes not.

Yakupovs good but hes got nothing on the old Ovechkin, the current Ovechkin is a different story.

The old Ovechkin wasn't THAT good of a playmaker... I certainly think Yakupov will surpass him in that regard.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

No hes not.

Yakupovs good but hes got nothing on the old Ovechkin, the current Ovechkin is a different story.

He will be better than Ovechkin going forward. Might take one, two or maybe even three years, but ya, I think he will be outproducing Ovechkin in the not too distant future.

I kind of agree with both of these. The way the league is now he won't light it up like a rookie Ovi but in the end he could prove to be a better hockey player.

 

[The Perfect Human*]

The "increased scoring" in the KHL theory is a myth. The difference isn't that great

Ovechkin's team scored at 3 goals/game in the 2004-2005 season.
In the games that he played, Ovechkin had a point on about 24% of the goals his team scored, he scored 12% of them

Yakupov's team scores at around 3.2 goals/game this season. In the games he's played in, he's SCORED nearly 24-25% of them, while figuring into 33% of them.

There's not much of a difference there in terms of goals/game by his team, but Yakupov seems to be doing better in terms of production.
Ovechkin's 2004-2005 team featured some big names (Datsyuk, Afinogenov, etc) - I don't know how that contributes to his numbers. It could mean more sharing of offensive opportunities/PP time (disadvantage), or access to offensively dynamic linemates (advantage).

I think rather than looking at stats, we'd be better off looking at how well these players' games will translate into the NHL.

Physical Attributes
The advantage Ovy/Malkin had coming in is that they had the bodies of power forwards and the skills of a finesse player. It's allowed them to become 100+ point/year superstars. Nail is a different breed. He's not the "boy" Filatov was when he came out a few years ago, and he's not one to shy away from contact, but he's not going to power his way through most NHL defensemen the way Ovy/Malkin can with their bodies.

I compare Nail to a Bure-light in terms of his physical attributes. He's got a smaller frame (5'11) like Bure, but I think it's fairly filled out, and he'll put on more size in the next 1-2 years. He's got speed beyond any Russian in the game right now IMO, so that should work to his advantage.

Shot
In terms of his shot, I think we're looking at something in the Bure/Ovechkin range of accuracy/power - it's fearsome to see. He's got an incredible wrist-shot and slap-shot, and honestly at this point is probably a top-10 shooter in the league if he were to enter today. He'll shoot from everywhere, and shoot to score - it's very Ovechkian in that manner. With this speed at an Ovechkin circa-2006 level, he's going to have a ton of fun backing defenders off to open up his shot.

Dangling/Deking
His dangling ability is not Datsyukian - but above-average for a Russian (Malkin/Afinogenov/Bure range). He can beat players one-on-one with his speed and finesse stick-work, and isn't a Stamkos-like player in that his goals are almost all from long-range snipes. He likes to try to beat defenders one-on-one and deke out goaltenders when one-on-one on them. In this way his scoring is more "complete" - he can beat goaltenders in a variety of ways.

Passing
His passing ability hasn't translated into many assists at this level, but he's shown in the past that he's able to play the role of a playmaker (2012 WJHC, playing with Galchenyuk). I don't think Yakupov will ever be much of a play-maker in terms of his top attributes - but I think he's easily an average top-6 player in his passing ability. He's not going to be one to have an awkward ratio of goals:assists in any season (like the 40-20-60 season), but he's not going to have the 40-60-100 season either. Likely to have a 1:1 ratio if given decent linemates.

I think he's a pretty complete player in terms of offensive skills. He's not going to be the physical presence Ovechkin/Malkin are, but I think he's just as gifted in terms of hands/ability, while his speed will allow him to carve out his own niche.

I don't like Parise comparisons for this guy, because Parise's game is routed more in hard work and grit than the pure physical gifts and skills Yakupov has. I'd say he's more of a throwback - compare him to Mogilny/Bure.

 

[JetsHomer]

I kind of agree with both of these. The way the league is now he won't light it up like a rookie Ovi but in the end he could prove to be a better hockey player.

When Yakupov has two Hart's and three Lindsay we can take about who's the better hockey player.

 

[Neatman]

The "increased scoring" in the KHL theory is a myth. The difference isn't that great

Ovechkin's team scored at 3 goals/game in the 2004-2005 season.
In the games that he played, Ovechkin had a point on about 24% of the goals his team scored, he scored 12% of them

Yakupov's team scores at around 3.2 goals/game this season. In the games he's played in, he's SCORED nearly 24-25% of them, while figuring into 33% of them.

There's not much of a difference there in terms of goals/game by his team, but Yakupov seems to be doing better in terms of production.
Ovechkin's 2004-2005 team featured some big names (Datsyuk, Afinogenov, etc) - I don't know how that contributes to his numbers. It could mean more sharing of offensive opportunities/PP time (disadvantage), or access to offensively dynamic linemates (advantage).

I think rather than looking at stats, we'd be better off looking at how well these players' games will translate into the NHL.

Physical Attributes
The advantage Ovy/Malkin had coming in is that they had the bodies of power forwards and the skills of a finesse player. It's allowed them to become 100+ point/year superstars. Nail is a different breed. He's not the "boy" Filatov was when he came out a few years ago, and he's not one to shy away from contact, but he's not going to power his way through most NHL defensemen the way Ovy/Malkin can with their bodies.

I compare Nail to a Bure-light in terms of his physical attributes. He's got a smaller frame (5'11) like Bure, but I think it's fairly filled out, and he'll put on more size in the next 1-2 years. He's got speed beyond any Russian in the game right now IMO, so that should work to his advantage.

Shot
In terms of his shot, I think we're looking at something in the Bure/Ovechkin range of accuracy/power - it's fearsome to see. He's got an incredible wrist-shot and slap-shot, and honestly at this point is probably a top-10 shooter in the league if he were to enter today. He'll shoot from everywhere, and shoot to score - it's very Ovechkian in that manner. With this speed at an Ovechkin circa-2006 level, he's going to have a ton of fun backing defenders off to open up his shot.

Dangling/Deking
His dangling ability is not Datsyukian - but above-average for a Russian (Malkin/Afinogenov/Bure range). He can beat players one-on-one with his speed and finesse stick-work, and isn't a Stamkos-like player in that his goals are almost all from long-range snipes. He likes to try to beat defenders one-on-one and deke out goaltenders when one-on-one on them. In this way his scoring is more "complete" - he can beat goaltenders in a variety of ways.

Passing
His passing ability hasn't translated into many assists at this level, but he's shown in the past that he's able to play the role of a playmaker (2012 WJHC, playing with Galchenyuk). I don't think Yakupov will ever be much of a play-maker in terms of his top attributes - but I think he's easily an average top-6 player in his passing ability. He's not going to be one to have an awkward ratio of goals:assists in any season (like the 40-20-60 season), but he's not going to have the 40-60-100 season either. Likely to have a 1:1 ratio if given decent linemates.

I think he's a pretty complete player in terms of offensive skills. He's not going to be the physical presence Ovechkin/Malkin are, but I think he's just as gifted in terms of hands/ability, while his speed will allow him to carve out his own niche.

I don't like Parise comparisons for this guy, because Parise's game is routed more in hard work and grit than the pure physical gifts and skills Yakupov has. I'd say he's more of a throwback - compare him to Mogilny/Bure.

This is actually a decent analysis of his skills, although I would say his passing is well beyond average for a top 6er. His offensive skillset is stunning. However, defensively, I havent noticed him being anything special, so that will certainly be a weakness for him entering the NHL. May be somewhat offset by how doggedly he pursues the puck.

People talk about him being small as a disadvantage, but he seems quite solid, is an excellent skater, and a fierce competitor. I think he will overcome being 5'11" easily, not to mention he will likely grow and inch or two.

Very excited to see Yakupov in the NHL (hopefully this year...)

 

[nabob]

13 games is just too small a sample size to compare him to any established players.

The teams haven't learnt him yet. He hasn't faced any slumps or injuries. He hasn't been on a losing streak yet. There are still a lot of questions to be answered. Not to say that he can't deal with it- but he has to prove his consistency at the pro level over a longer stretch than just 13 beginning games.

I am very curious at what he will be able to do at this years Subway Super Series and the WJC (if the lock....). Will he replace the dominant Kuznetsov from last year? He still hasn't proven to be a leader for U20 team in any capacity.

When the pressure is on, is he a game changer? We'll see...

So people should continue to doubt him until there is a proven reason to doubt him?

 

[Aceboogie]

The "increased scoring" in the KHL theory is a myth. The difference isn't that great

Ovechkin's team scored at 3 goals/game in the 2004-2005 season.
In the games that he played, Ovechkin had a point on about 24% of the goals his team scored, he scored 12% of them

Yakupov's team scores at around 3.2 goals/game this season. In the games he's played in, he's SCORED nearly 24-25% of them, while figuring into 33% of them.

There's not much of a difference there in terms of goals/game by his team, but Yakupov seems to be doing better in terms of production.
Ovechkin's 2004-2005 team featured some big names (Datsyuk, Afinogenov, etc) - I don't know how that contributes to his numbers. It could mean more sharing of offensive opportunities/PP time (disadvantage), or access to offensively dynamic linemates (advantage).

I think rather than looking at stats, we'd be better off looking at how well these players' games will translate into the NHL.

Physical Attributes
The advantage Ovy/Malkin had coming in is that they had the bodies of power forwards and the skills of a finesse player. It's allowed them to become 100+ point/year superstars. Nail is a different breed. He's not the "boy" Filatov was when he came out a few years ago, and he's not one to shy away from contact, but he's not going to power his way through most NHL defensemen the way Ovy/Malkin can with their bodies.

I compare Nail to a Bure-light in terms of his physical attributes. He's got a smaller frame (5'11) like Bure, but I think it's fairly filled out, and he'll put on more size in the next 1-2 years. He's got speed beyond any Russian in the game right now IMO, so that should work to his advantage.

Shot
In terms of his shot, I think we're looking at something in the Bure/Ovechkin range of accuracy/power - it's fearsome to see. He's got an incredible wrist-shot and slap-shot, and honestly at this point is probably a top-10 shooter in the league if he were to enter today. He'll shoot from everywhere, and shoot to score - it's very Ovechkian in that manner. With this speed at an Ovechkin circa-2006 level, he's going to have a ton of fun backing defenders off to open up his shot.

Dangling/Deking
His dangling ability is not Datsyukian - but above-average for a Russian (Malkin/Afinogenov/Bure range). He can beat players one-on-one with his speed and finesse stick-work, and isn't a Stamkos-like player in that his goals are almost all from long-range snipes. He likes to try to beat defenders one-on-one and deke out goaltenders when one-on-one on them. In this way his scoring is more "complete" - he can beat goaltenders in a variety of ways.

Passing
His passing ability hasn't translated into many assists at this level, but he's shown in the past that he's able to play the role of a playmaker (2012 WJHC, playing with Galchenyuk). I don't think Yakupov will ever be much of a play-maker in terms of his top attributes - but I think he's easily an average top-6 player in his passing ability. He's not going to be one to have an awkward ratio of goals:assists in any season (like the 40-20-60 season), but he's not going to have the 40-60-100 season either. Likely to have a 1:1 ratio if given decent linemates.

I think he's a pretty complete player in terms of offensive skills. He's not going to be the physical presence Ovechkin/Malkin are, but I think he's just as gifted in terms of hands/ability, while his speed will allow him to carve out his own niche.

I don't like Parise comparisons for this guy, because Parise's game is routed more in hard work and grit than the pure physical gifts and skills Yakupov has. I'd say he's more of a throwback - compare him to Mogilny/Bure.

Game.Set.Match

 

[Chayos]

The "increased scoring" in the KHL theory is a myth. The difference isn't that great

Ovechkin's team scored at 3 goals/game in the 2004-2005 season.
In the games that he played, Ovechkin had a point on about 24% of the goals his team scored, he scored 12% of them

Yakupov's team scores at around 3.2 goals/game this season. In the games he's played in, he's SCORED nearly 24-25% of them, while figuring into 33% of them.

There's not much of a difference there in terms of goals/game by his team, but Yakupov seems to be doing better in terms of production.
Ovechkin's 2004-2005 team featured some big names (Datsyuk, Afinogenov, etc) - I don't know how that contributes to his numbers. It could mean more sharing of offensive opportunities/PP time (disadvantage), or access to offensively dynamic linemates (advantage).

I think rather than looking at stats, we'd be better off looking at how well these players' games will translate into the NHL.

Physical Attributes
The advantage Ovy/Malkin had coming in is that they had the bodies of power forwards and the skills of a finesse player. It's allowed them to become 100+ point/year superstars. Nail is a different breed. He's not the "boy" Filatov was when he came out a few years ago, and he's not one to shy away from contact, but he's not going to power his way through most NHL defensemen the way Ovy/Malkin can with their bodies.

I compare Nail to a Bure-light in terms of his physical attributes. He's got a smaller frame (5'11) like Bure, but I think it's fairly filled out, and he'll put on more size in the next 1-2 years. He's got speed beyond any Russian in the game right now IMO, so that should work to his advantage.

Shot
In terms of his shot, I think we're looking at something in the Bure/Ovechkin range of accuracy/power - it's fearsome to see. He's got an incredible wrist-shot and slap-shot, and honestly at this point is probably a top-10 shooter in the league if he were to enter today. He'll shoot from everywhere, and shoot to score - it's very Ovechkian in that manner. With this speed at an Ovechkin circa-2006 level, he's going to have a ton of fun backing defenders off to open up his shot.

Dangling/Deking
His dangling ability is not Datsyukian - but above-average for a Russian (Malkin/Afinogenov/Bure range). He can beat players one-on-one with his speed and finesse stick-work, and isn't a Stamkos-like player in that his goals are almost all from long-range snipes. He likes to try to beat defenders one-on-one and deke out goaltenders when one-on-one on them. In this way his scoring is more "complete" - he can beat goaltenders in a variety of ways.

Passing
His passing ability hasn't translated into many assists at this level, but he's shown in the past that he's able to play the role of a playmaker (2012 WJHC, playing with Galchenyuk). I don't think Yakupov will ever be much of a play-maker in terms of his top attributes - but I think he's easily an average top-6 player in his passing ability. He's not going to be one to have an awkward ratio of goals:assists in any season (like the 40-20-60 season), but he's not going to have the 40-60-100 season either. Likely to have a 1:1 ratio if given decent linemates.

I think he's a pretty complete player in terms of offensive skills. He's not going to be the physical presence Ovechkin/Malkin are, but I think he's just as gifted in terms of hands/ability, while his speed will allow him to carve out his own niche.

I don't like Parise comparisons for this guy, because Parise's game is routed more in hard work and grit than the pure physical gifts and skills Yakupov has. I'd say he's more of a throwback - compare him to Mogilny/Bure.

This is actually pretty accurate except for the playmaking part. The fact that he doesn't have many assist in the KHL would be symptom of lack of playing time more than anything else. He is afraid to give up the puck to anyone else because they will likely screw it up so he uses the little ice time they give him and puts teh puck in the net himself. I watch the WJC last year and he was magical with Kuznetsov, ending up with 0 goals and 10 assists. This leads me to believe he will have good passing skill if given quality linemates, which Edm has in spades.

 

[Lucky7]

The "increased scoring" in the KHL theory is a myth. The difference isn't that great

Ovechkin's team scored at 3 goals/game in the 2004-2005 season.
In the games that he played, Ovechkin had a point on about 24% of the goals his team scored, he scored 12% of them

Yakupov's team scores at around 3.2 goals/game this season. In the games he's played in, he's SCORED nearly 24-25% of them, while figuring into 33% of them.

There's not much of a difference there in terms of goals/game by his team, but Yakupov seems to be doing better in terms of production.
Ovechkin's 2004-2005 team featured some big names (Datsyuk, Afinogenov, etc) - I don't know how that contributes to his numbers. It could mean more sharing of offensive opportunities/PP time (disadvantage), or access to offensively dynamic linemates (advantage).

I think rather than looking at stats, we'd be better off looking at how well these players' games will translate into the NHL.

Physical Attributes
The advantage Ovy/Malkin had coming in is that they had the bodies of power forwards and the skills of a finesse player. It's allowed them to become 100+ point/year superstars. Nail is a different breed. He's not the "boy" Filatov was when he came out a few years ago, and he's not one to shy away from contact, but he's not going to power his way through most NHL defensemen the way Ovy/Malkin can with their bodies.

I compare Nail to a Bure-light in terms of his physical attributes. He's got a smaller frame (5'11) like Bure, but I think it's fairly filled out, and he'll put on more size in the next 1-2 years. He's got speed beyond any Russian in the game right now IMO, so that should work to his advantage.

Shot
In terms of his shot, I think we're looking at something in the Bure/Ovechkin range of accuracy/power - it's fearsome to see. He's got an incredible wrist-shot and slap-shot, and honestly at this point is probably a top-10 shooter in the league if he were to enter today. He'll shoot from everywhere, and shoot to score - it's very Ovechkian in that manner. With this speed at an Ovechkin circa-2006 level, he's going to have a ton of fun backing defenders off to open up his shot.

Dangling/Deking
His dangling ability is not Datsyukian - but above-average for a Russian (Malkin/Afinogenov/Bure range). He can beat players one-on-one with his speed and finesse stick-work, and isn't a Stamkos-like player in that his goals are almost all from long-range snipes. He likes to try to beat defenders one-on-one and deke out goaltenders when one-on-one on them. In this way his scoring is more "complete" - he can beat goaltenders in a variety of ways.

Passing
His passing ability hasn't translated into many assists at this level, but he's shown in the past that he's able to play the role of a playmaker (2012 WJHC, playing with Galchenyuk). I don't think Yakupov will ever be much of a play-maker in terms of his top attributes - but I think he's easily an average top-6 player in his passing ability. He's not going to be one to have an awkward ratio of goals:assists in any season (like the 40-20-60 season), but he's not going to have the 40-60-100 season either. Likely to have a 1:1 ratio if given decent linemates.

I think he's a pretty complete player in terms of offensive skills. He's not going to be the physical presence Ovechkin/Malkin are, but I think he's just as gifted in terms of hands/ability, while his speed will allow him to carve out his own niche.

I don't like Parise comparisons for this guy, because Parise's game is routed more in hard work and grit than the pure physical gifts and skills Yakupov has. I'd say he's more of a throwback - compare him to Mogilny/Bure.

Malkin dangling is more than just above-average... !!!

But excellent analyse !!! Can't wait to see him dominate in the NHL !

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Who are Yakupov's line-mates ?

 

[start winnin]

The "increased scoring" in the KHL theory is a myth. The difference isn't that great

Ovechkin's team scored at 3 goals/game in the 2004-2005 season.
In the games that he played, Ovechkin had a point on about 24% of the goals his team scored, he scored 12% of them

Yakupov's team scores at around 3.2 goals/game this season. In the games he's played in, he's SCORED nearly 24-25% of them, while figuring into 33% of them.

There's not much of a difference there in terms of goals/game by his team, but Yakupov seems to be doing better in terms of production.
Ovechkin's 2004-2005 team featured some big names (Datsyuk, Afinogenov, etc) - I don't know how that contributes to his numbers. It could mean more sharing of offensive opportunities/PP time (disadvantage), or access to offensively dynamic linemates (advantage).

I think rather than looking at stats, we'd be better off looking at how well these players' games will translate into the NHL.

Physical Attributes
The advantage Ovy/Malkin had coming in is that they had the bodies of power forwards and the skills of a finesse player. It's allowed them to become 100+ point/year superstars. Nail is a different breed. He's not the "boy" Filatov was when he came out a few years ago, and he's not one to shy away from contact, but he's not going to power his way through most NHL defensemen the way Ovy/Malkin can with their bodies.

I compare Nail to a Bure-light in terms of his physical attributes. He's got a smaller frame (5'11) like Bure, but I think it's fairly filled out, and he'll put on more size in the next 1-2 years. He's got speed beyond any Russian in the game right now IMO, so that should work to his advantage.

Shot
In terms of his shot, I think we're looking at something in the Bure/Ovechkin range of accuracy/power - it's fearsome to see. He's got an incredible wrist-shot and slap-shot, and honestly at this point is probably a top-10 shooter in the league if he were to enter today. He'll shoot from everywhere, and shoot to score - it's very Ovechkian in that manner. With this speed at an Ovechkin circa-2006 level, he's going to have a ton of fun backing defenders off to open up his shot.

Dangling/Deking
His dangling ability is not Datsyukian - but above-average for a Russian (Malkin/Afinogenov/Bure range). He can beat players one-on-one with his speed and finesse stick-work, and isn't a Stamkos-like player in that his goals are almost all from long-range snipes. He likes to try to beat defenders one-on-one and deke out goaltenders when one-on-one on them. In this way his scoring is more "complete" - he can beat goaltenders in a variety of ways.

Passing
His passing ability hasn't translated into many assists at this level, but he's shown in the past that he's able to play the role of a playmaker (2012 WJHC, playing with Galchenyuk). I don't think Yakupov will ever be much of a play-maker in terms of his top attributes - but I think he's easily an average top-6 player in his passing ability. He's not going to be one to have an awkward ratio of goals:assists in any season (like the 40-20-60 season), but he's not going to have the 40-60-100 season either. Likely to have a 1:1 ratio if given decent linemates.

I think he's a pretty complete player in terms of offensive skills. He's not going to be the physical presence Ovechkin/Malkin are, but I think he's just as gifted in terms of hands/ability, while his speed will allow him to carve out his own niche.

I don't like Parise comparisons for this guy, because Parise's game is routed more in hard work and grit than the pure physical gifts and skills Yakupov has. I'd say he's more of a throwback - compare him to Mogilny/Bure.

Good post, except for where you say most of Stamko's goals come from long range snipes when it's actually the complete opposite.

I hope Yakupov turns into an old Ovechkin type player, man that was exciting. Now Ovie is so boring.

 

[Turrican*]

Who are Yakupov's line-mates ?

In the KHL?

http://en.khl.ru/clubs/neftekhimik

Pick 2 random forwards from that roster. Those are his linemates.

 

[Aceboogie]

Good post, except for where you say most of Stamko's goals come from long range snipes when it's actually the complete opposite.

I hope Yakupov turns into an old Ovechkin type player, man that was exciting. Now Ovie is so boring.

Yakupov is gunna get so much heat for his cellys when he comes into the league, but I love them and his intensity, NHL could use an injection of exictement

 

[Flynn84]

Who are Yakupov's line-mates ?

He's playing in line with
Koukal - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=22763
Netik - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=17905
And D
Mamashev - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=13644
Seluyanov - http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=19122

 

[InjuredChoker]

The "increased scoring" in the KHL theory is a myth. The difference isn't that great

Ovechkin's team scored at 3 goals/game in the 2004-2005 season.
In the games that he played, Ovechkin had a point on about 24% of the goals his team scored, he scored 12% of them

Yakupov's team scores at around 3.2 goals/game this season. In the games he's played in, he's SCORED nearly 24-25% of them, while figuring into 33% of them.

There's not much of a difference there in terms of goals/game by his team, but Yakupov seems to be doing better in terms of production.
Ovechkin's 2004-2005 team featured some big names (Datsyuk, Afinogenov, etc) - I don't know how that contributes to his numbers. It could mean more sharing of offensive opportunities/PP time (disadvantage), or access to offensively dynamic linemates (advantage).

I think rather than looking at stats, we'd be better off looking at how well these players' games will translate into the NHL.

Physical Attributes
The advantage Ovy/Malkin had coming in is that they had the bodies of power forwards and the skills of a finesse player. It's allowed them to become 100+ point/year superstars. Nail is a different breed. He's not the "boy" Filatov was when he came out a few years ago, and he's not one to shy away from contact, but he's not going to power his way through most NHL defensemen the way Ovy/Malkin can with their bodies.

I compare Nail to a Bure-light in terms of his physical attributes. He's got a smaller frame (5'11) like Bure, but I think it's fairly filled out, and he'll put on more size in the next 1-2 years. He's got speed beyond any Russian in the game right now IMO, so that should work to his advantage.

Shot
In terms of his shot, I think we're looking at something in the Bure/Ovechkin range of accuracy/power - it's fearsome to see. He's got an incredible wrist-shot and slap-shot, and honestly at this point is probably a top-10 shooter in the league if he were to enter today. He'll shoot from everywhere, and shoot to score - it's very Ovechkian in that manner. With this speed at an Ovechkin circa-2006 level, he's going to have a ton of fun backing defenders off to open up his shot.

Dangling/Deking
His dangling ability is not Datsyukian - but above-average for a Russian (Malkin/Afinogenov/Bure range). He can beat players one-on-one with his speed and finesse stick-work, and isn't a Stamkos-like player in that his goals are almost all from long-range snipes. He likes to try to beat defenders one-on-one and deke out goaltenders when one-on-one on them. In this way his scoring is more "complete" - he can beat goaltenders in a variety of ways.

Passing
His passing ability hasn't translated into many assists at this level, but he's shown in the past that he's able to play the role of a playmaker (2012 WJHC, playing with Galchenyuk). I don't think Yakupov will ever be much of a play-maker in terms of his top attributes - but I think he's easily an average top-6 player in his passing ability. He's not going to be one to have an awkward ratio of goals:assists in any season (like the 40-20-60 season), but he's not going to have the 40-60-100 season either. Likely to have a 1:1 ratio if given decent linemates.

I think he's a pretty complete player in terms of offensive skills. He's not going to be the physical presence Ovechkin/Malkin are, but I think he's just as gifted in terms of hands/ability, while his speed will allow him to carve out his own niche.

I don't like Parise comparisons for this guy, because Parise's game is routed more in hard work and grit than the pure physical gifts and skills Yakupov has. I'd say he's more of a throwback - compare him to Mogilny/Bure.

Good post except for the bold. Stamkos isn't Stamkos-like player then . He changed he's game for this season when other teams started to figure him out. He scores all different ways. Slappers, snappers, onetimers, scrambles, deflections, right in front of the net, every way.



edit, well there was a lot of bolded text already but whatever

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

In the KHL?

http://en.khl.ru/clubs/neftekhimik

Pick 2 random forwards from that roster. Those are his linemates.

So basically he carries his team ?

 

[YEGJuniorFan]

So basically he carries his team ?

From my understanding its a pretty weak team aside from Yakupov.

 

[Turrican*]

The stat lines of his linemates

20 7 10 17
7 2 2 4

Make of it what you will.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

The stat lines of his linemates

20 7 10 17
7 2 2 4

Make of it what you will.

Not bad, mind you they get a ton of icetime..

 

[Turrican*]

Yup. Both of them get more icetime than Nail.
No one is carrying him to these points, the kid is super talented.

 

[Fulcrum]

The team was doing well before he came. Their top line, all 3 leaders are/were injured and are missing best players. I think one of them is out for the season.

Regardless, it's a middle of the pack team. And Yakupov helped Big time. His timing couldn't be better considering the injuries.

 

[Kshahdoo]

From my understanding its a pretty weak team aside from Yakupov.

Mamashev was the 1st in scoring amongst all defenders in KHL before today. I mean PPG for defenseman isn't that bad

 

[Zine]

Team captain Maxim Pestushko has been injured all year. I think he'll be back next month. He's a really good player.