Should the Leafs grab Yakupov if he's Waived?
- Thread starter TBLeafer
- Start date
Kin
Active member
I don't really see the upside. Between Brown, Hyman and Sosh there are multiple young Leafs I'd rather see on the big club than Yakupov even if he came for free. He certainly wouldn't displace anyone in the top 6 and the idea that he can become an effective bottom 6 forward seems pretty far fetched.
I really think we'd need to keep in mind what it means to play yourself off the Oilers.
I really think we'd need to keep in mind what it means to play yourself off the Oilers.
Kin
Active member
Not to hammer home the obvious but Phil Kessel is effective at producing on the 3rd line in Pittsburgh because he's a really, really good NHL player. Yakupov isn't. And Kessel did still get tons of PP time in Pittsburgh which is a resource I wouldn't use on Yakupov here.
Even still, that doesn't really address my larger point which is that if there's room on the team for a winger, the Leafs have young ones I'd rather see get the spot.
Even still, that doesn't really address my larger point which is that if there's room on the team for a winger, the Leafs have young ones I'd rather see get the spot.
Bullfrog
Active member
TBLeafer said:
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. Kessel is a bonafide all-star player placed on the third line so that Pittsburgh would have bonafide all-stars on three different lines. How isusing a scorer that produces at a third-line level on the third line comparable?
Bullfrog said:
Okay, I'll use Kadri as a comparable, then. Playing 'protected' 3rd and 4th line minutes in the shortened season by Carlyle. How'd he do?
Skill players with that level of skill (which Yak does possess or he wouldn't have gone 1st OA) can wreak havoc on the NHL's weaker players.
Also, if he doesn't work out over a month or so, no big. We're rebuilding, anyway. We can waive him as well.
Kin
Active member
Yakupov has been used in a sheltered role in Edmonton and has not done well. The Leafs will already have high profile young players that, ideally, they'll want to shelter at times.
Last year when the Leafs were throwing in the towel a good case could be made for risky reclamation projects. This year it should be about putting Matthews, Marner and Nylander in the best situations possible. I don't see how Yakupov fits into that.
Last year when the Leafs were throwing in the towel a good case could be made for risky reclamation projects. This year it should be about putting Matthews, Marner and Nylander in the best situations possible. I don't see how Yakupov fits into that.
McGarnagle
New member
If there was a D-man equivalent to the yak situation that appeared on waivers, then sure, why not. But we're finally at an organizational stage where we can say no to these sort of gambles, at least up front. It'll be a challenge to get enough icetime for the emerging forward talent as it is.
Kin
Active member
This is sort of what I mean by putting the Leafs' young guys in the best possible position to succeed. Leaving aside the pretty reasonable assumption that the coaching staff wanting to go with Nylander at RW is based on what they think is best for him Yakupov has, over the last few years, gotten a fair amount of ice time with a bunch of different C's from the good and talented(RNH/Draisaitl) to the less so(Gagner/Roy)
http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/showplayer.php?pid=1684&withagainst=true&season=2013-16&sit=5v5
In all of those cases the C's in question did better away from Yakupov than they did with him. Yakupov has effectively been an anchor on whatever line he's been on. As talented as we all think Matthews is, I think we still want to pair him with wingers that help him.
http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/showplayer.php?pid=1684&withagainst=true&season=2013-16&sit=5v5
In all of those cases the C's in question did better away from Yakupov than they did with him. Yakupov has effectively been an anchor on whatever line he's been on. As talented as we all think Matthews is, I think we still want to pair him with wingers that help him.
dappleganger
Well-known member
Yes.
dappleganger
Well-known member
Nik the Trik said:
Yakupov's GF60 went up by almost 2 when on the ice with Connor McDavid. They played well together.
Actually, Connor generally had better stats playing with Yakupov. 67% offensive zone time. I thought they'd pair them together this year. Maybe someone should show the Oilers these stats.
Kin
Active member
Dappleganger said:
Well, sure. It's fairly likely McDavid will make the stats of whoever he plays with look better.
Dappleganger said:
The two of them had just over 200 minutes together so you're not talking about much of a sample size. I think when looked at in context with his numbers with other centers though you have to ask if Nail Yakupov makes everyone else worse how likely is it that he genuinely makes Connor McDavid better.
Here's McDavid:
http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/showplayer.php?pid=1315&withagainst=true&season=2015-16&sit=5v5
He's basically as good with anyone he spent any real time with as he is with Yakupov.
You've also got McDavid and Pulju much closer to the same age, Eberle and Versteeg, the quintessential 3RW that can play up a lineup there now, while Pulju develops.
If Pulju doesn't make the team, Yak still has a place there. If he does...
Do you really think they'll get anything back for Yak anyway if they give him replacement level minutes?
If Pulju doesn't make the team, Yak still has a place there. If he does...
Do you really think they'll get anything back for Yak anyway if they give him replacement level minutes?
ZBBM
Well-known member
The main consideration is whether Babcock's coaching could help Yakupov get closer to the upside people thought he had when he went #1. Not being your average coach, I think its conceivable at least. It's a high-reward, essentially no-risk move.
What I would do is call up Eakins and get his intel as part of any decisionmaking.
What I would do is call up Eakins and get his intel as part of any decisionmaking.
dappleganger
Well-known member
Nik the Trik said:
I think it's chemistry.
McDavid spent more time with only two other wingers. 3rd most time was with Yak (barring goalie and defence) and the stats are very comparable with the Yak pairing have the edge in some categories.
McDavid played roughly a 1/3 (32.8%) of his time with Yakapov and had a 67% offensive zone time, best on the team. I watched them play together. I thought there was something there.
I think Yak is the type of player who needs to play with talented players to produce. He can't create it himself but know what to do when he's there.
*Thanks for posting those stats btw. I remember reading an article last year, might have been before McDavid got hurt, that Yak was top 10 in points/60minutes while playing with Connor. Of course anyone could produce with McDavid but it seemed to make Yak come alive, while not being a detriment to McDavid either.