Speculation: What Teams Would Claim Yakupov Off Waivers?

[ManofSteel55]

Were Yak and Hall good together in Edmonton?

Not really, or not consistently anyway. I wouldn't say that they were completely awful together either though, they really didn't play together. What Yak needs is a centre with some good offensive instincts. Derek Roy helped him a ton. So did McDavid. The issue is that he hasn't really earned that type of role over other guys on our team, and I think most others would feel the same.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Box of rocks for brains, can't play defense, and undersized. Not great combination for making it as an NHL winger. Even with 1st overall pedigree.

Sports history is full of players that excelled at lower levels due to their physical talents against junior opposition only to hit a ceiling at the highest level. Just look at the NBA draft.

 

[Draiskull]

if boston didnt have a feud with chiarelli... id like to see bruins gamble on yakupov and id be willing to trade live bodies

my proposed trade

jimmy hayes
adam mcquaid

for

nail yakupov
andrew ference

edmonton gets 2 useful players but also contracts

boston might not get useful players but also no contracts past this year

and theres a chance yakupov responds to a change in scenery

i like both teams alot... and think this deal serves the best interest of both teams

easy Yes for the Oilers if offered.

A more realistic deal would be Yakupov @ 50% to CHI for V.Pokka

Pokka is sent down once again but could be a fit on the Oilers.

 

[Mark Kandy]

Yakupov will play on a line with Draisaitl and Maroon tonight, prelude of his spot on the roster on opening night?

 

[McTrashBoat]

Yakupov will play on a line with Draisaitl and Maroon tonight, prelude of his spot on the roster on opening night?

source?

 

[OILSLICK94]

source?

Jack Michaels Verified account
‏@EdmontonJack

Draisaitl will play centre tonight between Maroon and Yakupov.

 

[McTrashBoat]

Jack Michaels Verified account
‏@EdmontonJack

Draisaitl will play centre tonight between Maroon and Yakupov.

sounds silly, seeing that Drai was practicing on the wing earlier today

 

[Jumptheshark]

Yakupov will play on a line with Draisaitl and Maroon tonight, prelude of his spot on the roster on opening night?

Leon d is doing the practice on a line with Maroon and RNH today

 

[tjs*]

this. Literally every team would.

Not at $2.5M they won't.

 

[AslanRH]

Convince Iginla to come play his final year closer to home with McDavid

 

[Blue Goose]

Yakupov is probably similar to Justin Schultz. He has no confidence right now and a change of scenery where he'd go to a team in a sheltered role would probably help resurrect his career. Oddly enough, Pittsburgh would make a lot of sense since Sprong isn't going to be playing with the Pens this year due to injuries. Yakupov would probably play on Malkin's RW as the 3rd line RW (2nd line is probably going to be HBK), if he can't work there, he can't work anywhere in the NHL.

Yeah, I agree. Pittsburgh would be the best place for him, if they could just figure out how to make the cap work.

I don't think it's quite that simple. I've always liked Yak, and I had hoped he would use this summer to come to camp in great shape and fight for a spot on the roster. Unfortunately he has been very underwhelming in pre-season. If Yak wasn't a 1OA pick he would have been cut from the roster already. I personally think someday he might become a 20/20/40 or even a 25/25/50 player. But sadly I don't think it will ever be with the Oilers. His confidence appears to be shot imo, and management seems to have lost patience in him, both in comments they have made and in his usage.

Oilers depth looks like:

Lucic-McDavid-Eberle
Pouliot-RNH-Versteeg
Maroon-Draisaitl-Caggiula/Puljujarvi
Hendricks/Pakarainen/Slepyshev-Letestu-Kassian/?Yakupov

Yakupov has shown time and time again he cannot play with 4th-line grinders. So who does he dislodge in the top 9? Maybe the team keeps him around for depth given that injuries are inevitable, but he would start the season as a healthy scratch.

I tend to believe that might be the best thing for him. Maybe watching the game from the press box will allow him to assess what he's doing wrong and how he could improve?

easy Yes for the Oilers if offered.

A more realistic deal would be Yakupov @ 50% to CHI for V.Pokka

Pokka is sent down once again but could be a fit on the Oilers.

I think Pokka went down because he was waiver-exempt. I'd imagine they'll hold onto him in case TVR gets picked in the expansion draft or something.

 

[Batrous]

The oilers would try to trade him before he hit the waivers because he would end up being claimed by a team like the leafs, sabres or habs. Maybe a team like dallas that has an injury issue or a team looking to add depth wingers that would be one of the last teams to make a waiver claim. His cap hit makes any deal not all that attractive but you never know.

 

[Confucius]

Not at $2.5M they won't.

Agreed, I can't imagine Babcock would want any part of him. Afterall Kessel averaged almost 3 times the points yak does. And looking at it closer 4 times the goals. Leafs shipped Kessel out and retained salary.

 

[billybudd]

Maybe, maybe not. Jokinen, both times, was a more accomplished player than Yak currently is. He was a 50 point player in Dallas and still very young before getting moved to Tampa and being waived the 1st time. His salary was only $1.8M with 1 year remaining at the time. And In Carolina, he had a 30G, 65 point season followed by a couple ~50 point seasons before only struggling in the lock-out shortened season. His salary was only $3M at that time, again for only 1 year (pro-rated since it was a shortened season and most of the way through).

Granted, those were mid season moves so some teams had less flexibility, but still he was much more accomplished than Yak and his salary was comparable and yet he wasn't claimed either time.



I'm not saying the Oilers are at this spot, as I wouldn't know, but some times it's just time to cut ties with a guy, one way or another. In your scenario, how is that good asset management? Paying a guy $2.5M to sit in the press box doesn't help him, help the team, nor does it help his value. I'm sure if the Oilers want to move on, they'd like to get something of value for him and that would be the first choice, but if they can't, holding on to him and putting him in the press box won't help either.

Jokinen's the hockey equivalent of the "moneyball" parable of the pitcher who's overlooked because his girlfriend's ugly.

Quality player, but because he's sort of low energy and looks like a shlub who should be working at wikileaks instead of as a pro athlete, he's consistently underestimated, even though both the numbers and the versatility have always been there.

 

[The Head Crusher]

Convince Iginla to come play his final year closer to home with McDavid

If one of Caggiula, Puljujarvi, Versteeg doesn't stick I would consider it.

 

[Orca Whalers]

He's on his way out. Wish him the best he's a good kid, but he's getting beat out in camp. Caggiula, Versteeg, and Pulju are all taking spots ahead of him.

Granted I haven't been following the Oilers preseason I have a hard time believing Chris Versteeg is outplaying Yakupov

 

[McTrashBoat]

Granted I haven't been following the Oilers preseason I have a hard time believing Chris Versteeg is outplaying Yakupov

Oh he has

 

[Seanaconda]

Agreed, I can't imagine Babcock would want any part of him. Afterall Kessel averaged almost 3 times the points yak does. And looking at it closer 4 times the goals. Leafs shipped Kessel out and retained salary.

Kessel didn't really fit the timing for the full rebuild the leafs wanted to do / did. And they were using salary like crazy as an asset.

But anyways bad example because the leafs look like idiots for that one. Most of the time players are run out of town teams do Tho.

 

[TS Quint]

If it's before the season starts, that would be the Leafs. Yes I am pretty sure we would take him.

u
There is no way Babcock lets him play.

 

[Menzinger]

You really think Babcock would give this guy more than a handful of shifts before nailing him to the bench or asking Lou to waive him again? I don't.

I don't think Yak's as big of a diva as Oilers media make him out to be.

And if not as not as if the Leafs would have anything to lose by picking him up

 

[RC51]

lets all be real clear about Yak. One way or another, from the OIl to whatever team takes him on, it's LAST CHANCE GAS for Yak, He either turns his entire game around or he is off to the KHL forever.

 

[TS Quint]

This guy is having a hard time cracking the Oilers and people are thinking he would be on just about every other team? Come on people!

 

[hallhopkinseberle]

if we can get a #5/6 PPQB RHD for him I would do it.

 

[TLeafsFan]

Doubt it, yak should be worth at least a 2nd.

Yak couldn't even warrant a third, according to Dreger. Chiarelli tried at the deadline and this summer. Might only get a 4th at this stage if he's traded, or the equivalent.

 

[Menzinger]

This guy is having a hard time cracking the Oilers and people are thinking he would be on just about every other team? Come on people!

To be fair - lots of players have managed to rebound after getting away from the Oulers.

Ie Dubnyk, Marinčin