Hmm, this seems to be following the apologist assumption that the Dion deal was somehow the only deal on the table, that his trade value was that bad, which I have never believed.

The lesson from the Dion deal, I think, is to tread lightly when trading good young players. And I think the Oilers should think this way too, rather than go the knee-jerk route.
- S Kaspar Rollins

According to Feaster and Mact this move was in the works for quite a while. Mact is taking flack but so far I like every move he has made except getting rid of Kruger. Anyone that thinks they are not trying their asses off to get an upgrade on d is delusional. But there just are no viable options right now.

That being said, I don't see how this team is worse this year. We've upgraded a number of positions and still aren't performing. That to me is coaching. Eakins is running out if time I think.

I saw a percentage of teams that are out by November X points have an almost zero chance of being in the big show. The West is waaaaaay to strong...
- geta02it

The loser point (frank)s with their chances too, NHL needs to get rid of it or make it 3 points for a regulation W if they want more entertaining playoff races.

Daigle was a legit BUST! How can anyone with half a brain call this kid a bust right now? Stupidity!

I saw a percentage of teams that are out by November X points have an almost zero chance of being in the big show. The West is waaaaaay to strong...
- geta02it

There was an absolutely unbelievable stat in Friedman's column a few weeks ago - since the 2005 lockout, teams 4 points or more out of the playoffs on November 1st have only made the playoffs THREE times.

According to Feaster and Mact this move was in the works for quite a while. Mact is taking flack but so far I like every move he has made except getting rid of Kruger. Anyone that thinks they are not trying their asses off to get an upgrade on d is delusional. But there just are no viable options right now.

That being said, I don't see how this team is worse this year. We've upgraded a number of positions and still aren't performing. That to me is coaching. Eakins is running out if time I think.
- Iggysbff

You may be right, but only 19 games in? Isn't Eakins the 3rd coach in as many seasons? I just don't think it all boils down to coaching. With all the talent this team as amassed over the past 4 or 5 off seasons, there has to be other issues that go beyond coaching at this point... Throwing the baby out with the bath water seems to be a knee jerk reaction.

Yeo is a prime example of allowing a coach to grow with his team. He's had the best player roster the Wild have ever seen and he's just now starting to figure things out in his 3rd season. I say give it a bit more time with Eakins. At least the season.

Daigle was a legit BUST! How can anyone with half a brain call this kid a bust right now? Stupidity!
- twpguy

i also like Ek's revisionist history on Daigle - now, I'm too young to know firsthand about Daigle, but I'm pretty sure he had more problems than just the "pressure" (which he didn't exactly discourage - remember his famous quote about how nobody would remember the #2 overall pick, who happened to be a guy named Chris Pronger).

You may be right, but only 19 games in? Isn't Eakins the 3rd coach in as many seasons? I just don't think it all boils down to coaching. With all the talent this team as amassed over the past 4 or 5 off seasons, there has to be other issues that go beyond coaching at this point... Throwing the baby out with the bath water seems to be a knee jerk reaction.

Yeo is a prime example of allowing a coach to grow with his team. He's had the best player roster the Wild have ever seen and he's just now starting to figure things out in his 3rd season. I say give it a bit more time with Eakins. At least the season.
- MnGump

I think he just meant they should of given more time to Kruger. There was no real reason for firing the guy and he seemed to be well liked. I mean other then MacT wanted to make a splash to kick off being the new GM.

There was an absolutely unbelievable stat in Friedman's column a few weeks ago - since the 2005 lockout, teams 4 points or more out of the playoffs on November 1st have only made the playoffs THREE times.
- S Kaspar Rollins

Crazy stat

I think he just meant they should of given more time to Kruger. There was no real reason for firing the guy and he seemed to be well liked. I mean other then MacT wanted to make a splash to kick off being the new GM.
- blizzzard

Thats completely understandable. But what's done is done at this point. I just think they need to find some stability and it has to start with the coach.

19 games is certainly an unfair time table for full assessment of Eakins. Mistake or not, I think he deserves a full chance at proving himself. But I guess if they are already second guessing the decsion, pull the plug now and go after Loviolette or some other established veteran coach.

Thats completely understandable. But what's done is done at this point. I just think they need to find some stability and it has to start with the coach.

19 games is certainly an unfair time table for full assessment of Eakins. Mistake or not, I think he deserves a full chance at proving himself. But I guess if they are already second guessing the decsion, pull the plug now and go after Loviolette or some other established veteran coach.
- MnGump

I wasnt a huge fan of Eakins but I agree at this point and the way the standings are might as well give him the season and see if the team picks it up at any point. If so great and if not wait till the off season to make the change.

You may be right, but only 19 games in? Isn't Eakins the 3rd coach in as many seasons? I just don't think it all boils down to coaching. With all the talent this team as amassed over the past 4 or 5 off seasons, there has to be other issues that go beyond coaching at this point... Throwing the baby out with the bath water seems to be a knee jerk reaction.

Yeo is a prime example of allowing a coach to grow with his team. He's had the best player roster the Wild have ever seen and he's just now starting to figure things out in his 3rd season. I say give it a bit more time with Eakins. At least the season.
- MnGump

He'll get more time. But he needs to adjust as well. Can't be very rigid with his systems and expect the players to do all the adjusting. We've had excellent special teams the past two years. This year he changed them and they are poop right now. Kruger got more out of what he had. Wish they had kept him on and brought eakins as associate like they talked about from the start.

that would be pretty good

guy doesn't even help his team at this point and his agent is telling management how to do their jobs
- flashfire

I agree with his agent. Yak is not being handled well. Yak started last season great and then was moved to the fourth line. Injuries brought him up and he went on a tear. This year he started the first game with 4 minutes. Essentially the lowest on an extremely lacking in depth team. Then the coach continued to play him the next two games with nobodies with little ice time and then publicly called him out for his lack of performance. Even benching him for trying to do to much with the puck and not passing enough (because he was not on a line of players that could keep up with him).

Finally they move him up and say to him that he is not being traded and he gets a PP goal in the last game but the coach is still not using him as a go to guy in offensive situations. The guy has proven to have talent and an amazing one timer. The type of player you develop and yet he is getting treated worse than Gagner got treated and Gagner had it hard.

Yak's agent is correct and Yak should welcome a trade. In fact any oiler should with the coaching and management currently running the team. However you don't say it publicly. You can say he is concerned about his ice time. Smyth did that last year and people don't even remember him doing it. You don't talk about leaving the team though.

He'll get more time. But he needs to adjust as well. Can't be very rigid with his systems and expect the players to do all the adjusting. We've had excellent special teams the past two years. This year he changed them and they are poop right now. Kruger got more out of what he had. Wish they had kept him on and brought eakins as associate like they talked about from the start.
- Iggysbff

I couldn't agree more. The grass looked greener and we ended up with a coach that can't seem to get anything going from these guys. He has no concept of developing dedicated PK specialists which allows our offensive guys like Yak to hit the ice the right after the penalty is over and their best guys are tired. EVERY other team in history seams to grasp that concept and yet some of the players are saying that they never even played the PK in Junior. He is hard to match lines against but it throws special teams out the window and that was the only way the Oilers were scoring last year. Their 5 on 5 was one of the worst in the league.

The loser point (frank)s with their chances too, NHL needs to get rid of it or make it 3 points for a regulation W if they want more entertaining playoff races.
- FinAddict

2 points for a regulation or OT win, 1 point for a shootout loss. I don't know why this has to be so complicated.

On another note, the GMs apparently want to expand OT to ten minutes to further marginalize the shootout, which I could not support more. Some also want it to become 3-on-3 after 5 minutes.

Stick a "For Sale" sign around the (frank)ers neck, and the best offer gets him.

isnt the russian daigle named yashin?

Amazing how different the same quotes and story are from different sites. Read tsn poop and Yakupov is spoiled and wants out?

Read NHL.com and you get a much different version...
http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=691168

Amazing how different the same quotes and story are from different sites. Read tsn poop and Yakupov is spoiled and wants out?

Read NHL.com and you get a much different version...
http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=691168
- Iggysbff

Bob Mckenzie is a saint !

How the (frank) did Hall survive that hit from Hamonic?

Amazing how different the same quotes and story are from different sites. Read tsn poop and Yakupov is spoiled and wants out?

Read NHL.com and you get a much different version...
http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=691168
- Iggysbff

I wouldn't take either story at face value. I'm not taking Mactavish at face value either - GMs almost always deny they're shopping players like this until the trade actually happens. I find it hard to believe he hasn't listened at all.

Bob Mckenzie is a saint !
- blizzzard

He's much better than most. At least when he is " speculating" he usually says so. The others just make up poop and most take it as fact.

He's much better than most. At least when he is " speculating" he usually says so. The others just make up poop and most take it as fact.
- Iggysbff

He is certainly a straight shooter he isnt into the other stuff like twitter followers and so on like a Dreger or Kipper.

Chicago, average age: 28.053. <-- Young kids.

Flyers, average age: 28.345. <-- Old (frank)ers.
- wolfhounds

Take out the two old age home candidates (Khabby & Zeuss) then what is the average age of the Hawks ?

I agree with his agent. Yak is not being handled well. Yak started last season great and then was moved to the fourth line. Injuries brought him up and he went on a tear. This year he started the first game with 4 minutes. Essentially the lowest on an extremely lacking in depth team. Then the coach continued to play him the next two games with nobodies with little ice time and then publicly called him out for his lack of performance. Even benching him for trying to do to much with the puck and not passing enough (because he was not on a line of players that could keep up with him).

Finally they move him up and say to him that he is not being traded and he gets a PP goal in the last game but the coach is still not using him as a go to guy in offensive situations. The guy has proven to have talent and an amazing one timer. The type of player you develop and yet he is getting treated worse than Gagner got treated and Gagner had it hard.

Yak's agent is correct and Yak should welcome a trade. In fact any oiler should with the coaching and management currently running the team. However you don't say it publicly. You can say he is concerned about his ice time. Smyth did that last year and people don't even remember him doing it. You don't talk about leaving the team though.
- ABFan918

Doesn't there stand to be reason behind all of that? If a player is playing/practicing well and not getting playing time that should raise eyebrows. It seems obvious that there is something amiss behind the scenes here.

Even the most tyranical of coaches would probably do whats in the best interests of the team first and foremost. Stands to be a pretty good reason why Yak is not getting the playing time he's demanding. It's most likely not anything skill related so there has to be some sort of coaching/organization and player conflict dictating his playing time or lack thereof.

I'm no genius, but that to me smells like problem player or malcontent.