Cap wise aside I was talking about. I maybe should have said "a guy like" Nash. Horcoff vs Nash ? Come on. 5M off the books, and add a guy like Nash that scored 40+ couple of times, for 2M more, without great playmakers on his line ? Think about him aside Eberle and Hall... Ouch ! Scary as hell. I understand the cap thing, and it would cost a long time reflection about the cap management, but hockey wise admit it would be nice to see.

Let's talk about a guy you know : Eric Cole. One of the best (if not THE best) on Montreal line-up this year. He's not near at all to Nash's abilities. Would I trade Cole for Nash straight up (forgetting the cap management) ? Anytime !!!

Anyway, I think Edmonton need a scoring big size vet on the first 2 lines. That's it. Yakupov isn't.
- MightyPee

Doesn't matter hockey wise. Cap wise it would kill us. The Horcoff thing was sort of a joke. If we got rid of Horc...meh, even still, Nashs term is the real killer.

Agree with a bigger, scoring, bruising forward. Problem is, everyone wants those. Not easy to find.
Having Yakupov on our team will be anything but a problem. Despite what many seem to think, he really is the consensus and clear cut #1.

Gardiner and Schenn are both overrated. Gunnarsson plays top pairing minutes against the other team's top players. I'd take him over both.

Gardiner and Schenn are both overrated. Gunnarsson plays top pairing minutes against the other team's top players. I'd take him over both.
- Jack-artist

Hopefully not in a deal for Yakupov?

Doesn't matter hockey wise. Cap wise it would kill us. The Horcoff thing was sort of a joke. If we got rid of Horc...meh, even still, Nashs term is the real killer.

Agree with a bigger, scoring, bruising forward. Problem is, everyone wants those. Not easy to find.
Having Yakupov on our team will be anything but a problem. Despite what many seem to think, he really is the consensus and clear cut #1.
- GuyLaDouche

That's why I think it's hard to not think about Nash.

I could see Pitts wanting to add a good winger, maybe could part ways with Staal for it, add a D in it like Despres, could be a good discussion.

Anyway, those are all only scenarios, but I think if we add some things on one side or the other, could be a scenario.

Hopefully not in a deal for Yakupov?
- Oil Tycoon

No. Just in that trade-down situation that continually gets brought up for no reason, I would want him over the other two guys that are always mentioned.

Doesn't matter hockey wise. Cap wise it would kill us. The Horcoff thing was sort of a joke. If we got rid of Horc...meh, even still, Nashs term is the real killer.

Agree with a bigger, scoring, bruising forward. Problem is, everyone wants those. Not easy to find.
Having Yakupov on our team will be anything but a problem. Despite what many seem to think, he really is the consensus and clear cut #1.
- GuyLaDouche

Like someone mentioned the other day, there's only about 8 in the league.

Funny reading the Leaf replies. LOL didn't Burke trade away 2 first round picks plus a second rounder for Kessel? Yeah, so don't be so sure that Burke won't do the same for a player like Yakupov. Honestly though unless we're getting a screaming deal I'd rather keep Yaks and figure out the D as we go.

Hall is our future captain and a winner. He stays.
- ystoil

Why does everyone say Hall will be our future captain? I love the guy, but at the end of the year interviews, he basically said that he wouldn't want to be captain. He's not the kind of guy who speaks out in the locker room... I'd much rather have Gagner as our captain.

To Boston- Nail Yakupov, Linus Omark, David Musil
To Edmonton- Dougie Hamilton, Milan Lucic
- Ihatebrianburke

Deal.

Eberle is our future captain and a winner. He stays.
- ystoil

fixed

Yakupov, Eberle, Hall and Nuge for Subban.
- GuyLaDouche

Ya mtl's gonna trade their franchise dman for 3 undersized, injury prone forwards, and a Russian. DREAM ON!

This is really flying off the rails. In some way, both camps are right. Some of these deals don't make much sense outside of certain context, but there is no denying that Yakupov has the tools to be an elite player.

I stop short of calling him a "superstar" because...well he hasn't played a single game in the NHL.

It doesn't matter anyway, Edmonton is going to keep him and in a couple years (if players develop as planned, not a guarantee ) their offence is going to be scary, leading them to be an attractive option to free agent defensemen who want to join a team on the rise.

P.S. Oilers fans, don't take people calling Yakupov "Unproven" as an insult, it's just an accurate statement. He hasn't played an NHL shift yet, he is unproven, it doesn't mean he won't have proven himself by this time next year.

Ya mtl's gonna trade their franchise dman for 3 undersized, injury prone forwards, and a Russian. DREAM ON!
- laughs2907

It saddens me that the oilers have gotten 3 straight 1st overall picks... when canucks have never even had 1 in their 40+ years of existence.





and I know there is something else they haven't had 1 of either...

It saddens me that the oilers have gotten 3 straight 1st overall picks... when canucks have never even had 1 in their 40+ years of existence.





and I know there is something else they haven't had 1 of either...
- kneughter

Well up until a couple of years ago, the Oilers had never received a 1st overall pick either... There's plenty of time. I'm sure you guys will have tonnes of 1st overall selections in your future.

This is really flying off the rails. In some way, both camps are right. Some of these deals don't make much sense outside of certain context, but there is no denying that Yakupov has the tools to be an elite player.

I stop short of calling him a "superstar" because...well he hasn't played a single game in the NHL.

It doesn't matter anyway, Edmonton is going to keep him and in a couple years (if players develop as planned, not a guarantee ) their offence is going to be scary, leading them to be an attractive option to free agent defensemen who want to join a team on the rise.

P.S. Oilers fans, don't take people calling Yakupov "Unproven" as an insult, it's just an accurate statement. He hasn't played an NHL shift yet, he is unproven, it doesn't mean he won't have proven himself by this time next year.
- Helder

Probably the most reasoned post from a non-Edmonton fan yet in this blog. Kudos.

We up until a couple of years ago, the Oilers had never received a 1st overall pick either... There's plenty of time. I'm sure you guys will have tonnes of 1st overall selections in your future.
- laughs2907

Aw... thats nice of you to say.



Edit: Go (frank) yourself

Aw... thats nice of you to say.



Edit: Go (frank) yourself
- kneughter

What you propose is an almost surefire way to be in the lottery again.
- GuyLaDouche

Edmonton can only have 50 contracts. They have to dump some to add more. Cap or no cap. That is just the way it works. So some of these players need to go. I would like to see them go after Suter or another big name dman this summer, at least one although I would prefer 2. Which means 3 dmen should go as the emergence of potter made an extra one already.

In terms of forwards you have Nuge, Hall, eberle - Yakupov, Gagner, someone - Smyth, Someone, Jones - Hartkinen, someone, Someone. Most likely line 3 center will be horcoff and line 2 winger will be hemsky. But that leaves roughly 6 or 7 players trying for the 2 spots on line 4. Trades need to be made to get rid of 6 or 7 to make these 4 empty spots as good as possible.

Then in net we have Khabby and Dubnyk. Who have led the team to 30th, 30th, and 29th despite any praise we can give them. Dubnyk might be a good goalie but he isn't. Not yet. He shows promise on a bad team but Montreal is worse and look at price. There are teams with better back ups than edmonton has. starters. To name a few: St. Louis, Philly, Washington, Boston, Vancouver, Minnesota... Each of them have room for prospects to fill depth with low salaries of the need for 3rd/4th line players to fill roles. Some even need to dump salary.

Keeping the same defense and goalies is not going to move us up and we can't add players without dumping contracts. It is simple math. Anyone thinks that we can keep the same team and make the playoffs next year is crazy. The last 3 years has proven that. Even oilers management agrees that they plan to change when the core young group is ready for the push. But maybe you know something we don't. Maybe adding Yakupov is all we need to improve our whole team and we can use the extra players we have on contract to sit in the dressing room and just say nice things to the rookies. Kind of like motivational speakers.

Richard Cloutier: 5 Potential Yakupov Deals
- Maxbone

So we've established two things in this thread:
1)the asking price for yakupov is astronomical.
2)most every team is unwilling to pay such a price, and the rest don't have the assets.

In what possible way then are these potential deals?

Gardiner and Schenn are both overrated. Gunnarsson plays top pairing minutes against the other team's top players. I'd take him over both.
- Jack-artist

Gardiner is 21 dude...

and he's coming off of a rookie campaign... as the NHL's leading point getter among rookie defensemen.

Aw... thats nice of you to say.



Edit: Go (frank) yourself
- kneughter

I love when people give me permission to go (frank) myself...

Mmmmmmm... See you in 5 minutes, guys

Edmonton can only have 50 contracts. They have to dump some to add more. Cap or no cap. That is just the way it works. So some of these players need to go. I would like to see them go after Suter or another big name dman this summer, at least one although I would prefer 2. Which means 3 dmen should go as the emergence of potter made an extra one already.

In terms of forwards you have Nuge, Hall, eberle - Yakupov, Gagner, someone - Smyth, Someone, Jones - Hartkinen, someone, Someone. Most likely line 3 center will be horcoff and line 2 winger will be hemsky. But that leaves roughly 6 or 7 players trying for the 2 spots on line 4. Trades need to be made to get rid of 6 or 7 to make these 4 empty spots as good as possible.

Then in net we have Khabby and Dubnyk. Who have led the team to 30th, 30th, and 29th despite any praise we can give them. Dubnyk might be a good goalie but he isn't. Not yet. He shows promise on a bad team but Montreal is worse and look at price. There are teams with better back ups than edmonton has. starters. To name a few: St. Louis, Philly, Washington, Boston, Vancouver, Minnesota... Each of them have room for prospects to fill depth with low salaries of the need for 3rd/4th line players to fill roles. Some even need to dump salary.

Keeping the same defense and goalies is not going to move us up and we can't add players without dumping contracts. It is simple math. Anyone thinks that we can keep the same team and make the playoffs next year is crazy. The last 3 years has proven that. Even oilers management agrees that they plan to change when the core young group is ready for the push. But maybe you know something we don't. Maybe adding Yakupov is all we need to improve our whole team and we can use the extra players we have on contract to sit in the dressing room and just say nice things to the rookies. Kind of like motivational speakers.
- bsteinley

Oilers have a number of UFAs and RFAs, a few of which certainly won't be back. The contract max isn't really an issue.

Gardiner is 21 dude...

and he's coming off of a rookie campaign... as the NHL's leading point getter among rookie defensemen.
- Nastradamus

Gardiner + 5th pick for Eberle + Yakupov + Nuge?

Gardiner is 21 dude...

and he's coming off of a rookie campaign... as the NHL's leading point getter among rookie defensemen.
- Nastradamus

One of your fellow Leafers compared him to Paul Coffey.

Paul Coffey...

One of your fellow Leafers compared him to Paul Coffey.

Paul Coffey...
- GuyLaDouche

That's insulting...


To Gardiner.