Confirmed Trade: Yakupov to STL Part II

[Bluesnatic27]

I'd have to disagree. As the player is now, even if Yakupov scores 20 goals there's a real good chance he's still doing more harm than good to your team. He's atrocious defensively, and his teammates have absolutely no idea what he's doing. There's a reason that statements like "chased by bees" and "squirrel on speed" keep following him around.

If Hitch can change his game to eliminate those things and then he scores 20 goals, well in that case I'd agree, it's a steal for the Blues.

I look at comments like these, and while I do agree with the premise, I never really feel like it's some terrible thing.

The one thing the Blues can do, besides breaking hearts, is play defense. So being put into an environment like that shouldn't really matter for someone who isn't good defensively. Yakupov can play the game he feels most comfortable with and let his teammates do most of the hard stuff. He's pretty much guaranteed to play with at least one of Steen, Stastny, Berglund, and Schwartz, all of whom are really good, or at least fine, defensively. Also, the system should provide him with a more rigid defensive structure to play in, so unless he just ignores everything, I think him not being good defensively isn't hugely concerning.

But then again, I don't follow Yak that closely, so I wouldn't know.

 

[sxvnert]

They're turning a 1st overall into, at best, a late second-round pick, which gives them like 1/3 shot of developing a player that develops into an NHL player.

They got some cap relief too, but spending 3 million on a guy who should be on the third-pair isn't really making the most use of it. They weren't really hurting for space even with Yakupov though, were they.

Maybe this really was the best possible outcome for Edmonton at this point, given everything that had taken place. Either way, tough pill to swallow.

They're turning a bust into a pick.

 

[BatVader]

Yak throws shade with Tom Timmermann and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

“Obviously I think it’s a good thing for me,” Yakupov said. “The last couple of days there have been rumors and I was expecting something. I was not expecting St. Louis. Now it’s happened and it’s a good move for me, to play in one of the best teams in the league. To play St. Louis was always hard. They’ve got some big bodies that are tough to play against. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I never had an opportunity to play on the best teams. This is the first time I’m going play in a really, really good team, that plays in playoffs pretty much every year. To feel that winning, I think it’s awesome. I don’t know what winning is, and I’d like to feel that and I think this is a team where I can feel it.”

 

[jw2]

Way less pressure on him now than before. Number 1 overall picks have crazy pressure, add to that he was in a hockey crazy Canadian city in Edmonton. He was always under pressure here. In St. Louis, they gave up basically nothing for him, he's on a 1 year deal, and he'd not even one of there top 5 forwards, and he not expected to be either. I think this fresh start is a great thing, it couldn't get any worse.

. Only thing that could be worse is if he got traded to a defensive minded coach that plays favorites...

 

[Oilers Super Fan]

I really thought the Oilers would hang on to him for one more season. And then try to convince Vegas to take him in the expansion draft.

 

[93LEAFS]

Yak throws shade with Tom Timmermann and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

“Obviously I think it’s a good thing for me,†Yakupov said. “The last couple of days there have been rumors and I was expecting something. I was not expecting St. Louis. Now it’s happened and it’s a good move for me, to play in one of the best teams in the league. To play St. Louis was always hard. They’ve got some big bodies that are tough to play against. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I never had an opportunity to play on the best teams. This is the first time I’m going play in a really, really good team, that plays in playoffs pretty much every year. To feel that winning, I think it’s awesome. I don’t know what winning is, and I’d like to feel that and I think this is a team where I can feel it.â€

I think he's just being honest, I don't know about in Russia but Sarnia was also pretty terrible when he was there. The only competitive team he has been a part of was the Russian WJC team.

 

[CaptainSexyPants]

I look at comments like these, and while I do agree with the premise, I never really feel like it's some terrible thing.

The one thing the Blues can do, besides breaking hearts, is play defense. So being put into an environment like that shouldn't really matter for someone who isn't good defensively. Yakupov can play the game he feels most comfortable with and let his teammates do most of the hard stuff. He's pretty much guaranteed to play with at least one of Steen, Stastny, Berglund, and Schwartz, all of whom are really good, or at least fine, defensively. Also, the system should provide him with a more rigid defensive structure to play in, so unless he just ignores everything, I think him not being good defensively isn't hugely concerning.

But then again, I don't follow Yak that closely, so I wouldn't know.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what he seems to do. Ignores everything. He's in a world of his own out there, it really is baffling to watch him. IMHO, this statement is bang on...

“It’s so obvious now,†said a scout, who had cautioned against Yakupov’s hockey sense and foot speed. “Watch him away from the puck — he still doesn’t know where to go. His feet are moving 100 miles an hour, his stick is beating the hell out of the puck, and he doesn’t have a clue where he’s going and what he’s going to do with it.â€

Some of it might be that he's upset with how he's been handled in Edmonton and he just isn't buying in, but I don't think that's the main issue. The effort seems to be there- he loves hockey and its obvious he wants to get better, but he honestly just looks so spastic and lost all of the time.

 

[bleedblue1223]

But the pressure now is to prove that it was all because of being in Edmonton.
Prove that he can be an NHL player. That he can produce.
He has a lot to prove now and that is a lot of pressure.
I give him the first half of the season to acclimate and get his feet under him. Then, he needs to show sone things.

He doesn't really have much to prove or have much pressure. He's in a market that isn't like Edmonton's for pressure and he's on a team where he doesn't have to succeed and the team will still perform. If Yakupov fails, it likely doesn't affect our spot in the standings much. Management and fans won't have much pressure on him because we didn't give up much for him. Any perceived pressure won't exist in St. Louis.

He probably just wants to move on from Edmonton and play on a winner judging from his comments.

 

[pierre gagnon*]

Chia being chia, should have moved him last year or wait a bit, very poor return. He is going for some kind of record trading away the top picks.

 

[67Blues]

The worse that can come of it is that he fails and spends time with his other buddy MPS riding the press box. We took a flyer with MPS and it didn't work out. No risk, no reward. But, if he is good for say 40-45pts this year, then I think most people would be pretty satisfied with that.

 

[King King]

They're turning a bust into a pick.

Sure, that's one way of looking at it. But if he is a bust and doesn't play well in St. Louis, that 3rd round pick stays a 3rd round pick, and the odds of that pick making the NHL are fairly slim.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Yak throws shade with Tom Timmermann and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

“Obviously I think it’s a good thing for me,†Yakupov said. “The last couple of days there have been rumors and I was expecting something. I was not expecting St. Louis. Now it’s happened and it’s a good move for me, to play in one of the best teams in the league. To play St. Louis was always hard. They’ve got some big bodies that are tough to play against. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I never had an opportunity to play on the best teams. This is the first time I’m going play in a really, really good team, that plays in playoffs pretty much every year. To feel that winning, I think it’s awesome. I don’t know what winning is, and I’d like to feel that and I think this is a team where I can feel it.â€

he's not wrong tho

saw some stat last nite, or maybe a day ago, that discounting the lock out year, edmonton has had 40+ regulation losses every year since 2007

sounds to me more like he is just being honest and is excited to play for a good team than he is bashing his old one

 

[kimzey59]

. Only thing that could be worse is if he got traded to a defensive minded coach that plays favorites...

Everybody likes to say this about Hitch, but I have yet to see any real evidence of it. Yes he is defensive minded; but he's actually done a lot of good work with our younger players(Petro, Shattenkirk, Berglund, Oshie, Parayko, Schwartz, Tarasenko, Fabbri, Allen, etc...), rewarded those that earned it and really helped mature a few of them(Perron, Oshie, Shattenkirk).

Hitch isn't an easy coach to play for, but if a player is willing to put in the work to improve he is extremely fair with them. If the "rink rat" reputation Yakupov comes with is true, he'll get a fair shot with Hitch. The ball is truly in Yak's court as to how much ice he see's and what role he plays. With Hitch it's all about putting in the work and showing an effort.

 

[KCC]

Yak throws shade with Tom Timmermann and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

“Obviously I think it’s a good thing for me,†Yakupov said. “The last couple of days there have been rumors and I was expecting something. I was not expecting St. Louis. Now it’s happened and it’s a good move for me, to play in one of the best teams in the league. To play St. Louis was always hard. They’ve got some big bodies that are tough to play against. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I never had an opportunity to play on the best teams. This is the first time I’m going play in a really, really good team, that plays in playoffs pretty much every year. To feel that winning, I think it’s awesome. I don’t know what winning is, and I’d like to feel that and I think this is a team where I can feel it.â€

EDM has been brutal for a decade. All Oilers fans agree with Yak. This year could finally be the year they start trending in the right direction.

 

[Kerricthebig]

Sure, that's one way of looking at it. But if he is a bust and doesn't play well in St. Louis, that 3rd round pick stays a 3rd round pick, and the odds of that pick making the NHL are fairly slim.

3rd round pick has a better chance of being a good player than Nail at this point. Really like the kid, but he's just not going to see where he's been going about it wrong anytime soon.

If he can get his **** together and turns into an NHL threat, I'll be happy for him. That doesn't seem to be in the cards, but there is a slim possibility.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

3rd round pick has a better chance of being a good player than Nail at this point. Really like the kid, but he's just not going to see where he's been going about it wrong anytime soon.

If he can get his **** together and turns into an NHL threat, I'll be happy for him. That doesn't seem to be in the cards, but there is a slim possibility.

nah, thats not true. a 3rd round player is not likely going to be able to score at the pace Yakupov did even in his 18 year old year, and even if Yakupov never rounds out his game, his offensive potential is at least his rookie year.

 

[BVicious]

I've watched a lot of Edmonton games and I honestly think most of their players would suceed playing in other markets. I think Yak will bounce back this season. Hall will suceed in NJ.

Drafting McDavid was year one of rebuilding the rebuild. It was a failed rebuild, with a failed philosophy. Edmonton fans will excuse this failure as their ticket to McDavid, but it's totally unacceptable. Traded two 1st overall picks in the last few months that would have been more value as a traded pick rather than the traded player. Hindsight is 20/20, but I still think the Oilers are 2-3 years from competing for the playoffs. McDavid is great, but he is still surrounded by losing players with the exception of Lucic.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Chia being chia, should have moved him last year or wait a bit, very poor return. He is going for some kind of record trading away the top picks.

as an oiler fan I say this argument is going around in circles

Yaks value last year was crap and he was not becoming a distraction on a team that is trying to get rid of distractions. Many people are saying put Yak with McDavid and push Eberle, Leon D and the joker down the roster

Eberle and Leon D have shown a lot more then Yak. I am a Yak fan--but he needed a change.

a top line of

McDavid-Lucic-Eberle
Nuge-Pouliot-Leon D/Joker

is not that bad

by trading Yak that freed up money to sign Russell for a year and the oilers needed another d-man more then waiting and hoping Yak comes around

 

[Measles]

I've watched a lot of Edmonton games and I honestly think most of their players would suceed playing in other markets. I think Yak will bounce back this season. Hall will suceed in NJ.

Drafting McDavid was year one of rebuilding the rebuild. It was a failed rebuild, with a failed philosophy. Edmonton fans will excuse this failure as their ticket to McDavid, but it's totally unacceptable. Traded two 1st overall picks in the last few months that would have been more value as a traded pick rather than the traded player. Hindsight is 20/20, but I still think the Oilers are 2-3 years from competing for the playoffs. McDavid is great, but he is still surrounded by losing players with the exception of Lucic.

Hall didn't succeed in Edm? He is near a career-PPG and one of the top 5 LW in the entire league.

 

[sxvnert]

Sure, that's one way of looking at it. But if he is a bust and doesn't play well in St. Louis, that 3rd round pick stays a 3rd round pick, and the odds of that pick making the NHL are fairly slim.

Slim is better than 0%. Which is exactly the likelihood Yak succeeds under Hitch.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Slim is better than 0%. Which is exactly the likelihood Yak succeeds under Hitch.

Define succeeds. Yakupov can definitely do what Chris Stewart did, and while he isn't truly exceling, that's better than most 3rd round picks.

 

[Confucius]

Define succeeds. Yakupov can definitely do what Chris Stewart did, and while he isn't truly exceling, that's better than most 3rd round picks.

Maybe he can but in a salary cap world he is way overpaid to do it, thus he has negative value.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Yak throws shade with Tom Timmermann and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

“Obviously I think it’s a good thing for me,†Yakupov said. “The last couple of days there have been rumors and I was expecting something. I was not expecting St. Louis. Now it’s happened and it’s a good move for me, to play in one of the best teams in the league. To play St. Louis was always hard. They’ve got some big bodies that are tough to play against. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I never had an opportunity to play on the best teams. This is the first time I’m going play in a really, really good team, that plays in playoffs pretty much every year. To feel that winning, I think it’s awesome. I don’t know what winning is, and I’d like to feel that and I think this is a team where I can feel it.â€

Hes not "thowing shade" at all. He's speaking the truth. He actually never said anything bad about the oilers at all.

 

[McShogun99]

Pietriangelo,Payarko, Jaybo and Shatty. That's why Yak will look much better in STL.

 

[BVicious]

Hall didn't succeed in Edm? He is near a career-PPG and one of the top 5 LW in the entire league.

He was and is a great point producer, that wasn't my point. Success is winning. Being a PPG player on a perennial losing team is not success. Being a top 5 LW in the NHL on the worst team for a decade, is not success.