weren't nucks fans saying the same about Luongo? ph wait my bad that was Kadri, Gardiner and a 1st LOLuongo!
- GardinerExpress

don't debate trades with Vancouver fans.... not really much history of realism there.

I believe the proposed deal was Kadri, Bozak and 2 1st round picks for the man (who's apparently a top 3 goalie in the world) and his very "favorable" contract.


uhhhhh.....no.

Well 2 things matt. Yak is FAR FROM being a top 6 forward, right now, he's a bottom forward. And the leafs are run by a bunch of blind monkeys.
- twpguy

Do you mean right this instant? Because right now by the same token Simmonds is a bottom forward too. So are Jordan Staal, Chris Stewart, Stephen Weiss, Dustin Brown, David Desharnais, etc.

If you go by last year, he's pretty close to being a bona fide top 6er

a prospect that was on a 30-goal pace as an 18-year-old. i'd say he's a bit more than a "good prospect", no matter how much fans of other team's want to de-value him to justify their sweet trade proposals.
- DoubleDown

I don't understand how 1st overall picks can have HUGE price tags but as soon as there's a face attached to the pick, it's "well he hasn't proven anything so he's not worth that much..."

I don't understand how 1st overall picks can have HUGE price tags but as soon as there's a face attached to the pick, it's "well he hasn't proven anything so he's not worth that much..."
- Morris

or the rush to label him... because 19-year-olds are finished developing as players.

or the rush to label him... because 19-year-olds are finished developing as players.
- DoubleDown

Only Oiler players. They are all busts. Every other team is amazing and gets better all the time. Edm will never get better, it is a universal fact.

a prospect that was on a 30-goal pace as an 18-year-old. i'd say he's a bit more than a "good prospect", no matter how much fans of other team's want to de-value him to justify their sweet trade proposals.
- DoubleDown

I wasn't attempting to de-value him in any way. and I haven't made any trade proposal regarding Yakupov...

He obviously has great upside. I don't particularly see the Leafs having any interest in the guy... because he isn't going to address any of their issues.

I don't believe that he's anything more than a good prospect at this point.... along the lines of Galchenyuk, Reilly ...

Skinner for Yakupov

I don't understand how 1st overall picks can have HUGE price tags but as soon as there's a face attached to the pick, it's "well he hasn't proven anything so he's not worth that much..."
- Morris

he's a product of the NHL marketing hype... "this year's draft year is the best in years", all the interview non-sense done to drive off-season excitement.

expectations are through the roof - particularly with kid like Yakupov who's got an outgoing personality.

fans want these kids to have immediate impact - for the vast majority of them it doesn't happen that way.

Only Oiler players. They are all busts. Every other team is amazing and gets better all the time. Edm will never get better, it is a universal fact.
- OilHorse

With all fairness to Leafs and Habs fans, their prospects get slagged a ton.

Kadri was labelled a bust in his draft year.

Skinner for Yakupov
- DDM-Coga

Not when Skinner has turned his game around this season and leads the team in points.

With all fairness to Leafs and Habs fans, their prospects get slagged a ton.

Kadri was labelled a bust in his draft year.
- Morris

UNPOSSIBLE!!!


Only Oiler players are terrible. Fact. It must be, we are told this all the time, and the masses cannot be wrong.

Do the Oilers maybe want Cam Ward?

If I were Jim Rutherford I think I would be thinking about trading Ward. Ward is a solid but inconsistent goalie and really not worth the $6M+ per year he is being paid. He's great in the playoffs but that doesn't matter if he can't get the Canes to the playoffs. Though early in the year, Khudobin's stats are better than Ward's so far. Carolina could use those freed up dollars on some better defense.

Edmonton needs a goalie and maybe a homecoming for Ward is being discussed?

You know this is made up right? Yakupov still very much fits into the team's future.
- Morris

not saying that he isn't, just saying the possibility exists that MacT isn't high on the kid. I just don't get all the negative press Yaks is getting. He's young and has showed flashes of what's to come. Only insiders know if their are larger issues there. My opinion is that the maturation process isn't a straight line, and that people should just relax and let the kid play, Eakins especially.

Not when Skinner has turned his game around this season and leads the team in points.
- ward30nhl

I agree you dont do that, but then what do the Oilers get from trading Yakupov, They wont be getting a starting goalie, you guys have the same defensive depth issues as they do so trading away young D Prospects doesnt make sense.

Talented Top 6, good goaltending with a mish mashed D-Unit that has held it together to be a top team in the East, why would the Cans mess with that.

a prospect that was on a 30-goal pace as an 18-year-old. i'd say he's a bit more than a "good prospect", no matter how much fans of other team's want to de-value him to justify their sweet trade proposals.
- DoubleDown

he's a product of the NHL marketing hype... "this year's draft year is the best in years", all the interview non-sense done to drive off-season excitement.

expectations are through the roof - particularly with kid like Yakupov who's got an outgoing personality.

fans want these kids to have immediate impact - for the vast majority of them it doesn't happen that way.
- BorjeFan4Ever

Yep. As my gm mode in NHL 2014 proves, it takes at least until they reach the age of 25 to begin to round out...if at all.

I agree you dont do that, but then what do the Oilers get from trading Yakupov, They wont be getting a starting goalie, you guys have the same defensive depth issues as they do so trading away young D Prospects doesnt make sense.

Talented Top 6, good goaltending with a mish mashed D-Unit that has held it together to be a top team in the East, why would the Cans mess with that.
- DDM-Coga

The only thing I can maybe see is trading Gleason along with something. With him coming back from injury, the Canes will have 8 healthy dmen. Bellemore and Murphy have played great this season and I don't see a reason to send them to Charlotte. Granted, Murphy wouldn't be subjected to waivers, but Bellemore would. I think you maybe try to package Gleason with something. But that would be the only way the Canes even try for Yak.

[quote=sensano]This whole thread is bizarre. What do the oilers need? Defense and a goalie.

Maybe the Oilers are interested in Justin Peters.

you have to remember a player's value is only what another team is willing to pay. i don't think toronto would offer much more than that and if edmonton doesn't want it, then let them keep yakupov, potentially struggle and stay in the basement the entire season, and draft in the top 5...again.

a lot of people here are acting like edmonton would be doing a team a favor by raping them with an insane return. acting like the hurricanes should be honored and send a thank you card if edmonton decides yakupov for skinner + faulk + 1st is a worthy enough offer.
- rangerdanger94

dshiddy wouldn't trade Yakupov for anyone on the Leafs because they play in Toronto, which is in Ontario, so of course everyone sucks.

Eklund: Carolina with interest in Yakupov. Toronto kicks tires, but no Gardiner
- Eklund

No Gardiner? Really?

I'd trade Gardiner for Yakupov in a second.

The only thing I can maybe see is trading Gleason along with something. With him coming back from injury, the Canes will have 8 healthy dmen. Bellemore and Murphy have played great this season and I don't see a reason to send them to Charlotte. Granted, Murphy wouldn't be subjected to waivers, but Bellemore would. I think you maybe try to package Gleason with something. But that would be the only way the Canes even try for Yak.
- ward30nhl

I dont see Gleason as the key compontent to land a player like Yak, unless a player like Lindholm or Victor Rask are invovled as well. Elite scoring talents like Yak dont come cheap.

Rask, Lowe, and Khudobin are probably players of note

I dont see Gleason as the key compontent to land a player like Yak, unless a player like Lindholm or Victor Rask are invovled as well. Elite scoring talents like Yak dont come cheap.

Rask, Lowe, and Khudobin are probably players of note
- DDM-Coga

We dont want Lowe, we have one already we're trying to get rid of.

No Gardiner? Really?

I'd trade Gardiner for Yakupov in a second.
- jnwood2517

Ek's "source"

Everyone gets themselves worked into such a frenzy about this "Yakupov Trade" and there's such a slim chance anything could happen.
A) He was first overall a year ago = Huge trade demands
B) His only body of work is a shortened season in which he was good and the beginning of this season in which he's been awful = Too much risk for teams to pony up asking price
C) He's Russian and the KHL is ALWAYS a threat. Even more so when a player publicly says he likes the way he plays, doesn't feel like changing and isn't interested in fore checking and hitting people on every play. The fact that it was quoted in the media puts up red flags throughout the league.

The Oilers will hold onto him until he blossoms or doesn't and that's what they should do.


I also don't see there being a viable deal with the Leafs. Gardiner is not a realistic option and Yakupov doesn't fill the needs AT ALL of any of the things the Leafs need. They would be best to use the assets they have to aquire anything other than a soft, top 6 scoring winger.

Nail will be fine. Kid's got too much mojo not to be a superstar in this league. I'm baffled as to why his trade value has gone down....at the same time Reimer is an upgrade on dubnyk. Dubs has never finished top 10 in any goalie stat for starters.

Lastly, the Oilers chose the right guy in Nail. Anyone who says otherwise is buying too much into media hoopla. It's like the whole Jeff Skinner > Taylor Hall thing in their first seasons, or the whole Tyler Seguin sucks poopshow that followed last season.

As a Leaf fan I'd love to have a young dynamic player like Nail, and I'd stick him right beside Kadri.