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The Russian Alexandre Daigle? Trade Winds Rush in Western Canada. |
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Trade winds continue out West in the Great White North and I will get to that below...
but first...
What do you think of Nail Yakupov? He is one of my favorite players to enter the NHL in years and let me be totally upfront and a bit apologetic to Alexandre Daigle...Daigle was also one of my favorite players to come into the NHL as well. I loved watching Daigle play and skate and any game I would attend where Daigle was in the line-up you knew for sure...something fantastic could happen at any moment.
But the pressure of being a number 1 pick, especially one touted as the next this or the next that is where I believe Daigle and Yakupov comparables are noticeable. And not in the typical negative sense.
Yesterday Igor Larionov came out and made a statement that he didn't like the way Nail was being handled and that they would welcome a trade. Knowing NHL GMs and coach's the way we do, making such statements is absolutely ridiculous and does nothing to help the player at all. Yakupov is a Russian kid who is adjusting to the NHL and adjusting to being down the depth chart...both are very foreign to him. He will be a star however and while his value right now may appear limited, there are plenty of NHL people who can look beyond his current production and see the franchise player he will become.
But Larionov didn't help that point. Asking to be traded or blaming the team for your performance is not sitting well throughout the NHL. And it shouldn't.
TRADE WINDS.
The Canucks are now not only talking to the Rangers but you can add the Habs and the Hurricanes to that group. There are some players the Canucks are definitely targeting in their attempt to get faster and a bit younger.
The Oilers and Flyers, and Devils and Rangers talks have only been put temporarliy aside As is typical of a weekness, first you take the temperature, then you assess, then you medicate. We appear to be nearing the end of the assessment period.
The Flames have had discussions with Florida regarding Boyes and could still move a D-man to Washington should the Caps decide to look that way. The groundwork is all there.
More to come.
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