Value of Yakupov

[newfcollins]

All valid points. But they do not preclude the fact that he's anymore a risk to the KHL than anyone else.

I agree with this. How long has people been talking about Semin being a huge flight risk for the NHL. Years. Yet, he keeps signing deals to stay in the NHL. In fact, he signed three back-to-back one-year deals. If he ever was going to bolt to the KHL, he had plenty of opportunity.

My point in all this is that we can say someone is a KHL-risk and give all sorts of reasons, but in the end, we don't really know. Yakupov will always be labelled as a flight risk now, even if he's been in the league for 10 years. It comes with the territory of being Russian. Heck, last year people were saying Datsyuk was a flight risk.

Until a guy actually leaves for the KHL, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Instant Karma]

I agree with this. How long has people been talking about Semin being a huge flight risk for the NHL. Years. Yet, he keeps signing deals to stay in the NHL. In fact, he signed three back-to-back one-year deals. If he ever was going to bolt to the KHL, he had plenty of opportunity.

My point in all this is that we can say someone is a KHL-risk and give all sorts of reasons, but in the end, we don't really know. Yakupov will always be labelled as a flight risk now, even if he's been in the league for 10 years. It comes with the territory of being Russian. Heck, last year people were saying Datsyuk was a flight risk.

Until a guy actually leaves for the KHL, I wouldn't worry about it.

This logic would imply that the reasons which I gave for Yakupov being a flight-risk would apply equally to any given Russian NHL'er. They do not. They are specific to him and to his current situation.

Just because Semin remained in the NHL doesn't mean that Yakupov will as well. Semin staying didn't keep Kovy from flying the coop.

[newfcollins]

This logic would imply that the reasons which I gave for Yakupov being a flight-risk would apply equally to any given Russian NHL'er. They do not. They are specific to him and to his current situation.

Just because Semin remained in the NHL doesn't mean that Yakupov will as well. Semin staying didn't keep Kovy from flying the coop.

And on the same note, just because Kovalchuk left, doesn't mean Yakupov will either.

[arctic_rogue]

And on the same note, just because Kovalchuk left, doesn't mean Yakupov will either.

Agreed.

@Instant Karma: You can't apply your logic in one situation and then completely dismiss the same logic for the next (and similar) situation. Well, you could apply it, it just doesn't make any sense.

[Instant Karma]

Agreed.

@Instant Karma: You can't apply your logic in one situation and then completely dismiss the same logic for the next (and similar) situation. Well, you could apply it, it just doesn't make any sense.

I'm aware of that. The points that I'm hoping to get across here are

a) a given Russian NHL'er can seem to have absolutely no risk of jumping ship to the KHL, and yet do so anyway, and

b) given (a), if a given Russian player would seem to have reason(s) to jump ship to the KHL, a fantasy GM ignores that at their peril.


Now, do I know for a fact that Yakupov will jump to the KHL? Of course not!

That being said, would I find the rumors that he is being shopped disturbing in this context if I were a Yakupov owner, given what has been going on with him all season?

In my opinion, you'd have to be capable of some pretty thorough self-deception not to.