Check out the most recent post-trade deadline Oilers speculation.
Could the Oilers try to trade Nail Yakupov in the offseason?
EDMONTON SUN: Following the recent NHL trade deadline, Terry Jones wondered why Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli didn’t ship out disappointing right wing Nail Yakupov. Jones notes the Oilers didn’t exactly showcase Yakupov during the game before deadline day, leaving him on the fourth line. He speculates Yakupov’s trade value was low, but wonders what the Oilers will do to improve his value in the offseason if he doesn’t get an opportunity to pad his stats by skating alongside Connor McDavid.
TSN 960 (VIA TODAY’S SLAPSHOT): Darren Dreger said he was told by by Chiarelli that Yakupov was in play. Dreger speculates that, like Eller, there wasn’t much interest in Yakupov. Dreger also clarified a report that emerged on deadline day claiming Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin told Lars Eller he wouldn’t be traded at the deadline. He said Bergevin told one of Eller’s agents that he wasn’t shopping the center but never said he wasn’t going to trade him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If there was an opportunity to swap Yakupov for a good return, of course Chiarelli would’ve done so. As Dreger points out, there simply wasn’t that much interest in the former first-overall draft pick. You can’t sell what no one wants to buy. So any talk of Yakupov-for Lars Eller or Alex Galchenyuk that sprang up before the trade deadline was nonsense.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jason Gregor believes the Oilers should pass on any opportunity to sign Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos this summer. He believes Chiarelli will be focused instead on acquiring one, perhaps two, experienced defenders in the offseason. He also cites the Oilers depth at center in McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as a reason to avoid Stamkos.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I have a hunch the Oilers won’t have to worry about the opportunity to sign Stamkos presenting itself to them. It’s not like top free-agent talent have been stampeding to Edmonton in recent years. That’s a dilemma that won’t be giving Chiarelli sleepless nights heading toward July 1.
a swap of two problems: Yakupov for Eller
MTL can move Galchenyuk back to center permanently, put his fellow countryman at RW with him
Eller can be put a shutdown role on the 3rd line for the Oilers behind MacDavid and Draisaitl, and RNH can be traded for a top 3 d-man
Galchenyuk is from the USA, while Yakupov is Russian.
Countryman? Galchenyuk was born in Milwaukee, WI.
Galchenyuk is an American. Born in Milwaukee, WI, USA. Just because his name ends in Yuk doesn’t make him Russian. Ha-ha! Although so far he has been pretty Yukky. Best season to date 20 goals & 46 points. That’s less than RNH’s 56 achieved twice.
All 3 of these players have played well over 200 NHL games; 304 for RNH, 235 for Yakupov, & 257 for Galchenyuk, my break through for forwards of this size. Are they part of the trend we were discussing the other day that it may even be taking longer now for players to break through in the new NHL or are they what they are? All have been around long enough & numerous times been given the opportunities to produce but for what ever reason it hasn’t happened.
striker your games played and crap doesn’t mean anything every player is different and gonna come into there own wen it happens! its like when boston traded seguin after a bit how did that work out for them? ha-ha!
Galchenyuk might have been born in the US, but he was born to soviet and belarusian parents. He moved back to Europe at the age of 4. grew up there until he was 15 and moved to NA to play junior. It’s also known he is good friends with Yakupov and played on the same team. Hate to admit it but MTL is the best place for Yakupov.
By percentages it creates norms & lends to odds of probability littlebear. If you took the time to actually do some research you might be surprised at what you discover.
Striker you’re in a no win situation. Stats dont mean a thing to some. Also with Drouin, you’ve already lost because despite what ever the deal is I can hear it now……….He would have got more if he traded him earlier.
It’s all good Yankee fan. I’ll keep banking my winnings & stick to what I know works. It’s constantly evolving as so is the game. Business issues never used to be a factor but are a significant factor today especially in trades. People like littlebear don’t want to look at the whole picture just the players involved. Business doesn’t work that way & the NHL is big business. Nor do they want to put anytime into justifying their opinion with facts or supporting their argument with anytime other than their opinion.
I used to deal with people like this everyday at work in the early years. Why do I need to pay you to tell me what’s going to happen, what I should do or solve my problems? The answer is simple. You don’t! But please don’t call me when you have lost millions & have lost all hope. Carving out a consulting business was a struggle getting out of university 25 years ago. Now I tell those people to call my competition as I have no interest in doing business with them or representing their interests. I even provide the phone # & email address.
I respect other peoples opinions especially when they provide a sound argument ideally supported with facts but not essentially. I respond repeatedly with I agree or makes sense, agree fully, what have you. People like littelbear & a few others here just blow hot air & troll essentially looking to create conflict. It’s all good I have strong skin & don’t take it personally.
I can assure you facts matter to NHL GM’s & organizations. All facts & most are now fully processing all new stats available as well as all old world reference points. The whole system is based on them.
You do like to pontificate don’t you Striker and you certainly do have an chest-thumping over-inflated sense of your own value. I prefer to look at stats along the lines of a much wiser man named Mark Twain spoke of them this way (although he attributed it to Benjamin Disraeli) – “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
As for not shying away from stating and reminding everyone of one’s self-importance, heed this little poem by Saxon White Kessinger:
Sometime when you’re feeling important;
Sometime when your ego ‘s in bloom;
Sometime when you take it for granted,
You’re the best qualified in the room:
Sometime when you feel that your going,
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions,
And see how they humble your soul.
Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining,
Is a measure of how much you’ll be missed.
You can splash all you wish when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore,
But stop, and you’ll find that in no time,
It looks quite the same as before.
yankee it was never about what they would receive for drouin it was about the whole yzerman not making his team better for a cup run because of his stubbordness all you do is troll me yankee I hope someone deletes your ip address! and for you side talker the only facts you have are the ones you make up you write a whole big comment that is totally meaningless talking about a player over 6’5″ takes 158 games to come into his own!! just stop
Nice poem George.
ok bigbear jell-o
signed
Yankee Fan/ Pudding / Shticky
atleast your finally being honest
littlebear.
Randomly give me 2 players from each NHL team with at least 6 years; which equates to over 400 games as a regular NHL player. 1 F & 1 D. Don’t think about it or research the names just spit them out, post them & I’ll run the 60 players for you & we can test my theory.
lol! lol!
My criteria for a break through is a player beating his best season to date by at least 25%.
littlebear.
Your thinking about it. I could have typed 60 names by now with 400 plus games of NHL experience for 30 teams at F & D. Of course I’m a freak though. I can name the 23 man rosters for all 30 teams at any given time & peg them by position & linemates far more than not & I don’t have a photographic memory.
I’ll check back later. Have some work to do but if you want to play, I’m all in & will run for you tonight, after the SJ game in Van, when finally back at the hotel if not to drunk, if so then in the AM. I do most of this from my phone. I’ll also run a few extra names for you of players who’s names you might recognize.
Strutting all the way, I’ll wager.
Oh god dont use the word wager, he is liable to go off on a tangent about pools again.
Oilers r in deep trouble with each passing year with no significant improvement. Top D r golden n the Oil do nothing to get them. Hanging on to assets is not the answer n time to bite the bullet. Does PC have the ballz to take a hit to get this rebuild on track?
Really what is Yakupov worth. A late first rounder-maybe a stretch…or maybe a 2nd rounder and a B prospect? Unless he is packaged with one of the 3 six Million dollar men, I cant see if returning much.
Is what appears to be a 3rd line winger who is a train wreck defensively worth a 2nd & a B grade prospect? Ryan Murray would sure look good as an Oiler now or Adam Larsson. With those 2 players instead of Yakupov & RNH Edm might actually be able to win games. Isn’t hindsight great.
Yak has played 235 games and will turn 23 this year – elite scoring forwards breakout at ~22. Very seldom do we see an elite scoring forward emerge at 24 or beyond. What you have seen is basically what you’re going to get from Yak.
In 43 games this year, he has only 15 points in 14:10 ATOI, with 90% of his zone starts in the offensive zone. 90% o-zone starts is what you would expect for John Scott, i.e. the coach believes he is a defensive liability.
So, in summary, what you have in Yakupov is a well established track record of being a weak offensive producer (3rd line type production) and a defensive liability. This isn’t worth a lot.
I agree fully. At what point are you what you are? Turris & Schenn are 2 examples of players outside the norm. Part of that 20% I talk about. Both have just kept getting better but very slowly advancing similar to Dman & the monster forwards I talk about. Can the get better? Sure, will they? I don’t have a clue as their exceptions to the rule.
A change of scenery could give these players that just haven’t become what most anticipated them to be a 2nd life & opportunity. Some do break through some don’t. There are exceptions to every rule. Just not be a very large percentage & the buck the odds significantly. It’s like a lottery. Someone has to win, but the vast majority lose.
talking out of both sides of your mouth again eh side talker!! now a change of scenery matters not the amount of games played? geeeezus
littlebear. Now you can’t read either? Basic skills you were supposed to learn in preschool. Exceptions to the rule. Part of the 20%. Still not talking out of both sides of my mouth just trying to help you see the light. Rest assured it’s obvious that’s not possible.
Do yourself a favor, buy yourself the NHL official guide & record book. Look at top 2 rounds of the draft for the last 15 years. See how many of those players actually made it to the NHL, for how long & how many games. Then look at all players in the register listed alphabetically. Look at their games played by season from the time they entered the NHL, to becoming NHL regulars, to the time they had their break through, to their best point seasons & how long they produced at that level. When done get back to me with your #’s. Track the data quantitatively, extrapolate in some spread sheet; I used excel, or by hand if that’s beyond your abilities.
Oh wait. That would require you do do some research; significant research, which I’m sure requires reading. Ha-ha!
make up your mind ( or take your bi-polar pills) do the number of games matter or a change of scenery?
Yak is a bust n worth a $1m contract.
At the time he was drafted the Oil dropped
the ball keeping the pick.
Agreed on all counts George other than possibly the salary. Even most border line NHL players get at least a million in today’s NHL.
Must be getting to you, LOL. That was Gordie’s observation.
Oiler sign Stamkos? For Jason Gregor to suggest it as a professional journalist seems irresponsible or ignorant to the upcoming “Cap days of reckoning” the Oil will soon face with the re-up of so many of their on the job trainee early drafted forwards.
Peter Chiarelli is going to have find a team WHO ACTUALLY IS WILLLING TO TRADE A TOP THREE DEFENDER (not a top four pretender) for an overpayment of players the oilers have selected early in past drafts. (Yakupov AND RN Hopkins)
Bill Placzek-Calm down! All Gregor said the Oilers should pass on Stamkos.
This may be the best UFA D market in years. Edmonton will have a few options available that will cost nothing more than cash to acquire. The issue is will any of them be willing to sign there. What possible motivation can there be unless simply offered more money than anyone else is willing to pay them.
If this is the best UFA D market in years then it doesn’t speak much about the recent years because I don’t think this market is overly great, IMO. There are choice few that are really difference makers and are in a good are window to be signed, otherwise the vast majority of the rest are either middle 30’s + and on their back 9 and the others are middle 20’s and have been nothing more than #4 – #7 defenseman on anyones team. Some of that free agent class will also resign with their respective clubs, and I think you’ll see the group become much smaller. Quincy and Yandle are some interesting names but both will likely get heavy contracts from whoever signs them.
I do though agree with you on the point about willing to sign in Edmonton, unless Chiarelli begins some enormous overhaul where they bring in some veteran talent and show they’re serious… not sure a veteran defenseman is looking to sign their unless as you mentioned they overpay, and we both know Chiarelli lol.
Goligoski, Demers, Russell, Yandle, Hamhuis, Gunnarson, Polak, Grossman, Liles, K. Miller, Rozsival, Ehrhoff, Benn, Quincey, Gryba, Campbell, Mitchell, Schenn, McBain, Gilbert, Schlemko, Zidlicky, Strait, Boyle, Medvedev, Lovejoy, Bartowski, Weber, Weber, Clitsome.
By Christmas all these D will be playing in the NHL next year. Zidlicky, Boyle might retire but I think they both sign some where eventaully. They’ll go out kicking & screaming like Gomez.
We should also have 6 to 10 solid KHL Dman coming over as the KHL is on the verge of Bankruptcy & when it does go bankrupt far more.
There are just not enough solid NHL Dman for every team to have 6 never mind that almost all unless having serous cap constraints carry 8. No harder position to play in the NHL well. You need so many skills to be a good Dman. As we tell kids coming into hockey Dman learn the game; they have to think at all times & process data, forwards play the game. I can teach any forward to fore check & back check & mental abilities are a factor in success but not as important as for Dman.
It’s not processing the data, we can all process the data it’s processing it faster than everyone else. What separates Sidney Crosby from most other really good players? It’s not that he’s a better passer, skater, or shooter than a ton of NHL players it’s his ability to make decisions in nano seconds that takes others seconds to process. The speed of the NHL game doesn’t allow for that time.
Joe Thornton is a fabulous example. Not a great skater, a below average shooter but an amazing passer who thinks the game faster than almost anyone but a select few & already has a multitude of options processed as the play evolves. Really their not even thinking about it it just happens.
Not sure why a principal Yakupov for Drouin couldn’t happen. Add what is ever necessary to get it done.
This was explained earlier : Yak is a busy, Drouin is not. Or not yet anyway
Here is another year the Oilers are getting a pass for being terrible. Hall, Eberle and RNH all need to be moved out IMO. I don’t see any hope of this team turning it around unless they are prepared to restart the rebuild.
Well the Oilers never really had a healthy roster.
I don’t see how the Oilers are getting a pass though?
Apparently Yakupov is worth nothing. I disagree but apparently I am wrong. Time will tell if I am right in my thoughts and Yak blossoms into a top 6 forward. Yet at this present point in time I concede he has little value.
The consensus seems to be for the oilers to move out RNH. Yet he is injured. How do you expect them to move him. Does not waiting till the summer make more sense? Because the Oilers were unable to move a injured player or a player of no value this means they get a pass? Should they have traded Hall or Eberle simply because those two are healthy at this time, despite their value to the team?
Edmonton can trade a top forward (not name MacDavid or Hall) for Brodin/Dumba, then trade their 1st pick for Lindholm/Fowlers (1st overall might get you an additional player, prospect or picks) add Efblom and Nurse, looks like a pretty good top 4.
I can see the 2nd part of that speculation working (trading the 1st rd pick) but I can’t see the 1st part working. Who is Edmonton moving for Brodin or Dumba (if Minnesota is even interested in moving Brodin)?
I think that teams are not looking at Yakupov as a player to help them get into the playoffs or help for a long playoff run. Teams will be looking at him with more interest in the offseason when they can work with him more closely from the start of training camp and get his confidence back up.
Is anyone else sick of Edmonton’s uncanny ability to continually finish dead last and get the first overall pick? Even when they don’t finish dead last they get Connor McDavid. They keep getting gifted these young talented players and what happens? They continue to finish dead last. They need to trade some of these young assets for experienced vets to really turn this tide around for them.
They finished “dead last” twice. The most recent time was five years ago.
I think what you mean to say is how they have an uncanny way of ending up with the #1 overall pick, regardless of where they finish. They’ve had 4 first overall picks since 2010.
We all accept that Edmonton is preordained to win the lottery again aren’t we. Ha-ha!
I sure hope not. I would really like to see Arizona win just for the effect Matthew’s might have in potentially selling tickets & possibly helping to solve the business issues in the desert. I love being able to see games in Arizona & would hate to have to see them leave eventually but sooner or later something has to give. They can’t keep losing this much money for ever.
Yes. I honestly expected to see Edmonton at least improve as a team this season defensively & hang in the playoff race until some time around the 50 game mark & then slip down the standings but still finish with in 8 points of playoff spot.
It’s shocking they are still this bad & can’t find a way to start winning more games. Something substantial has to happen it starts with moving RNH but that’s in & of it’s self won’t be enough to transform this team into a playoff team.
It’s going to get better eventually it just looks to be a few years away still. Moving RNH & Eberle for at least 1 solid #2 2 way Dman & a solid 2 way 2nd or 3rd line winger plus adding in the UFA market with some character players would be a start.
Striker,
I think the problem you’ll find with Chiarelli and moving Eberlle and RNH is both are signed to term and to $6m per each. I think that ultimately limits you on the places they can be moved to for a solid #2 defenseman. I know a lot of people have talked about St. Louis, Minnesota, Anaheim and their defenseman depth, ect. Those teams can find a way to fit that in and make it work but those 3 teams already have a lot of money tied up in their top 6 and with younger defenseman coming up and wanting contracts. It can work just think it’ll be difficult for Chiarelli and not sure he’s the best swingman in terms of trades.
Chad.
I agree fully. Their cap hits & term are problematic for numerous teams that might have the asset Edmonton needs. Less so for Eberle but RNH is making about 1.5 more than he should be & should have been bridged. Most players should be with a few exceptions. The real studs. Tarasenko, Geadreau etc. & even then it makes more long term sense to me to do so as you retain their rights longer. When you start throwing money & term at these kids that may not be what you hope they will be that’s just not smart in today’s cap world & in the blink of an eye the marketplace has changed significantly. We went from run away increases to stagnant overnight.
I keep listening to the less informed slam numerous GM’s for the cap issues facing them today. Most of these players were signed 3, 4 even 5 years ago in a completely different market place. Why the NHL didn’t perceive this issue long term is concerning but all contenders with the exception of Anaheim are essentially facing the same issue or will be until expansion reshuffles the deck & gets their mistakes off their rosters. Hopefully they learn from their mistakes as this isn’t the 1st time we have had as serous market correction forced on NHL teams 1 way or the other.
I am not sick of the oilers getting the top spot. Yet I am aware the oiler fan base is sick of picking early in the draft and want their team to do better. It is beyond my understanding as to why a fan of another team would be sick of the Oilers getting the top pick all the time.
Let’s review this and see if I can understand why you are sick of Edmonton finishing dead last and getting first over all.
2015 – Yep they pick MacDavid 1rst over all. Winning the lottery after not finishing dead last. They were 3rd worst. But heck they get lucky one year. Eichel not a bad 2nd pick for the runner up.
2014 – Wait a second. Only two years ago they picked 3rd. They also finished 3rd last. That means the last two years they weren’t deadlast? Nor did they pick 1rst on both years. weird. I thought we were suppose to be sick of that. They took Driastle. A good pick. Ekblad went first and Bennett right after the oilers pick.
2013 – Now I am even more confused. The Oilers picked 7th and finished 7th. Took Nurse. Makinnon, Barkov, Drouin, Jones, Lindholm and Monahan all went before the oilers picked. Yeah how sick is it to see this happen each year. Oh wait it didn’t and your sick of them being Dead last. HMMM?
2012 – Ah here we see them 2nd to dead last picking first. Oh wait, they picked Yakupov. Man I wish my team finished close to dead last last and won the lottery for Yak. I’m so sick of the oilers drafted stellar players by finishing last just like you.
2011 – A here we go. Dead last and picking 1rst. Back to back. Perhaps this is where you sikness lies as you are thinking back 3 – 4 years ago when it actually happened. They took RNH. Sucks to be the runner up who took Landeskog. So sick of the oilers always taking the top guy.
2010 – Oh here it happened again. So this must be when you grew sick of it and for some reason you couldn’t recover. The Oilers took Hall here. To bad all they left for the next guy was Seguin. Sucks out loud that the Oilers always get 1rst pick. Man I wish I had Hall and not had to pick Seguin.
2009 – Oh wait, the Oilers are down picking 10th. Parjarvi. Imagine if they got 1rst and took Tavares how sick that would make us. Hedman goes to the runner up. Poor poor runner. up.
2008 – hold on a second. The oilers picked Eberle at 22nd. Now now that can’t be. surely he is a 1rst pick star. How dare the oilers make us sick picking this guy #22 and not #1 Oh wait STamkos and Doughty went 1 – 2.
I just don’t get why people care if a team picks 1rst all the time. The runner up getting the 2nd 3rd and even 4th pick can often get the better guy.
What if the Oilers decided to trade Hall for a #1 dman (ie OEL or Weber), then replace Hall with Stamkos. Stamkos on McDavid’s wing would be a deadly combo.
1) I don’t think Stamkos will want to go to Edmonton. 2) Stamkos hates playing wing. He wants to be center.
Hall isn’t getting you either of those Dman no slight to Hall who is great player & legitamate superstar LWer. Teams don’t trade #1 Dman until they are at the end of the line. Those types of Dman are foundation players. Their contributions in the win loss column are far greater than almost any forward with a few minor exceptions.
What number to you consider Jones to be?
Wings don’t fetch stud D. Sorry
Well I must agree here. A Centre can do it. If perhaps the Oilers offered up McDavid or Draistl.
In Calgary they are saying gouderue will be getting 7-8 million /per year
Galchenyuk was born in USA but his parents are from Russia and he also speaks russian. As for his best season of 46 pts, he’s been sheltered in ice time and pp time over his first 3 nhl season by Therrien, if he got to play on a more offensive team at his natural position he could of done better, so for offensive talent i say Galchenyuk has more then RNH but RNH is a more complete player.
Galchenyuk was born in USA but his parents are from Russia and he also speaks russian. As for his best season of 46 pts, he’s been sheltered in ice time and pp time over his first 3 nhl season by Therrien, if he got to play on a more offensive team at his natural position he could of done better, so for offensive talent i say Galchenyuk has more then RNH but RNH is a more complete player.
There is more bitching between a small group of commenters on here than there is actual hockey discussion. I assume you 3 or 4 people are between ages 8-12.
you got that right intials G and J N ottawa can do nothing wrong now they say phanuef should be in the world cup of hockey
LOL
Hey John, I am happy to have Phaneuf on the team. But that can’t be a serious claim. The serious Claim is we are playoff bound now that Gomez is on the team. I’m going ot to buy my Gomez sweater as we speak. Hahaha. Chester I spell like an 8-12 year old so I guess you’re right.
Don’t know which “G” you’re talking about John – but for the record it isn’t me. If you say it is, show me where I EVER said Phaneuf should in the world cup tournament.
I’m wondering who looks to be the top UFAs this summer? Everybody has heard talk of Stamkos, but is there anybody else to watch for?
As for the World Cup….about as interesting as a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game.. Pure exhibition is what it feels like. Not a lot of meaning, or real bragging rights.
I agree – the NHL managed to ruin it like everything else they touch. Such a bush league yet we love the game
World Cup will be best hockey we watch all year and Bruins sending a pile of stars Bergeron being the best.