Yakupov - the next Filatov/Radulov or not?

[mister_mcgoo]

your starting to make me sound smart, lets not. I have a reputation to uphold.

haha, well it is the best comment of the thread so far but I'll keep it on the DL lest your competition gets wind of it

I'm eager to hear what Dean Youngblood has to say about him on this note because he's probably seen him play more than any of us. I was actually looking at the Sarnia Sting Statistics (say that 3 times real fast) the other day and the numbers are definitely there so I'd be interested to hear more on how he is on the ice

[Big Ev]

i do think the Russian factor isn't there with him though. Why else would he endure 2 long years in small town Canada if he was just gonna get fed up and bolt to Russia? With Grigo, he went to a large, well-known city with Patrick Roy at the helm. A little more flashy and comfy than Yakupov's home. Yakupov went to some small town that most people have never heard of outside Ontario. Of course he also comes from a small town himself. Grigo comes from Moscow IIRC.

So all in all I would be wary of Grigo and not Yakupov.

[TheRook]

i think its also worth considering that Igor Larionov is his agent. Larionov had a long and successful career here in the NHL and I cant see him pushing Nail to play in the KHL over the NHL.

[Big Ev]

and like I said before he probably bones Igor's daughter so no chance he bails to Russia unless she comes with him

[mister_mcgoo]

i do think the Russian factor isn't there with him though. Why else would he endure 2 long years in small town Canada if he was just gonna get fed up and bolt to Russia? With Grigo, he went to a large, well-known city with Patrick Roy at the helm. A little more flashy and comfy than Yakupov's home. Yakupov went to some small town that most people have never heard of outside Ontario. Of course he also comes from a small town himself. Grigo comes from Moscow IIRC.

So all in all I would be wary of Grigo and not Yakupov.

yeah that's a fair point...some guys that grow up in small towns really want to live in a major city though, but in general you're right that coming from a small town makes it easier to settle anywhere as opposed to the reverse

[Atomic Wedgy]

no asswipe, I create a thread for discussion and then get into an exchange with a specific member trying to tease out specifically why he is so bullish on the guy. I'm in the process of reading thru each reply and responding in kind, I'm sorry if I'm not typing fast enough for you...I've actually already I applauded TheRook's comment, twice in fact... so what the **** is your problem? If you want to be a part of the discussion and share your thoughts then lets hear it, but if you're just here to be a shithead then piss off m'k?

There's no need for this mcgoo.

[Atomic Wedgy]

I remember reading this article a while back about the 'russian factor' and Yakupov.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...rn=nhl-wp15952

From the Article.......

According to Bob McKenzie:

"I think the so-called 'Russian Factor' is probably a little less prevalent with the first overall pick. Especially if that first overall pick is clearly the best guy. Seven out of ten scouts that I surveyed said he is clearly the number one guy. As long as a player doesn't send off any bad signals like he doesn't want to play in the NHL. Or 'I don't want to play for this team. I don't want to play for that team.' As long as there are no negative vibrations coming from the player, and, usually, if the first overall guy is clearly better than the next guy, then that whole 'Russian Factor' is probably less of a factor," he said.
"I would think the Russian factor would probably be a bigger consideration for a guy like [Mikhail] Grigorenko, even though he is here playing. Because the difference between Grigorenko and [Filip] Forsberg, or Grigorenko and the big Canadian or big American defensemen who are available this year, that difference may not be so great. So that's where teams may say 'Do we take a Russian center who, if things don't go well, might go back to the KHL. Or do we take Forsberg or someone else.'

"Whereas if you're picking first overall and your scouts say Yakupov is by far the best player available, then you're going to be less concerned about the Russian thing."

This may mean that his #1 overall status is more secure, but it certainly doesn't mean that he's not a KHL flight risk like some of the other Russian talent over the years.

If CLB gets #1 overall and chooses Yakupov, the strategy would have to be the play the hell out of him. They cannot afford to lose another player of his caliber.

[mister_mcgoo]

There's no need for this mcgoo.

dude I didn't start it, he went after me out of the blue simply because I was trying to finish a discussion with SeaDawg and didn't reply to all the comments fast enough for him or some such nonsense.

If you wanna act like a dick you'll get treated like one, its just that simple

[mister_mcgoo]

i think its also worth considering that Igor Larionov is his agent. Larionov had a long and successful career here in the NHL and I cant see him pushing Nail to play in the KHL over the NHL.

Well Larionov is a class act for sure, but isn't he new to this agent thing? And isn't Yakupov by far his biggest client?

[TheRook]

Well Larionov is a class act for sure, but isn't he new to this agent thing? And isn't Yakupov by far his biggest client?

I cant speak to the experience Igor has for being an agent but I am sure Igor can speak to his experiences in the NHL and it being the best league in the world. Igor defected from the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, that was a much tougher decision to make than choosing which league to play in.

Take the money aspect out of it. Hockey players under the Soviet Union were gods and got treated like royalty, especially someone of Larionovs caliber. He made a decision to come to the NHL for love of the sport and to play in the best league in the world (pure speculation on my part).

I have to think that Igor coaching Nail on his decision on where to play will have to include more than just the money aspect but also the ability to play against the best players in the world in the best league.

Maybe i am reading too much into it. Guess we will find out.

[TheRook]

This may mean that his #1 overall status is more secure, but it certainly doesn't mean that he's not a KHL flight risk like some of the other Russian talent over the years.

If CLB gets #1 overall and chooses Yakupov, the strategy would have to be the play the hell out of him. They cannot afford to lose another player of his caliber.

your correct but the other point i made in the thread about him playing here in NA for a couple years prior to being drafted, igor larionov as his agent, and a secure top 2 draft pick all point to him playing in the NHL more than the KHL.

Of course he is going to have a KHL tag cause he is russian. If he bails and goes to the KHL because he got drafted by a crappy hockey market and team then that speaks to his character as an individual not a hockey player.

I think thats the real premise of this thread rather than ability and draft position. Does Yakupov have the character to endure a crappy NHL team? We all know he has the skill to play in the nhl, but being a top 2 pick and the face of a franchise you have to have more than skill, character is as important of a trait.

[Paddy]

Wow this is quite the discussion. I find it very interesting especially because I am in a limited keeper league, we keep 6, and I have been debating all year if i should pick up Nail and stash him as one of my keepers.

This is what I get out of all of this,

Pros
Nail is an elite level CHL hockey player
He is on pace for 108 points and will only play 53 games, due to worlds
He will likely go top3, if not 1st overall

Cons
"Russian factor" it is slim but it is there
He will go to a shitty team
So far at the world jrs he's a plus 1, that's it. its is only one game
Best player on what ever team he goes to... don't think so, imo

so where does that someone in my shoes, I assume there are many. Do I pick him up and stash him to be a keeper? See my keepers in sig, if I did then he would have to be a better option then 2 of my current keepers. I would package some of them for a better player or trade them for draft picks.

I would really like to see YoungBloods take on all of this, can anyone contact him?

[slufoot]

I think thats the real premise of this thread rather than ability and draft position. Does Yakupov have the character to endure a crappy NHL team? We all know he has the skill to play in the nhl, but being a top 2 pick and the face of a franchise you have to have more than skill, character is as important of a trait.

If anyone had a chance to see how brutal Sarnia was last season, its clear Yakupov can endure playing for a crappy NHL team.

Filatov and Radulov are poor comparisons in my opinion. Neither was ever projected to be a #1 pick as Yakupov/Grigorenko are this year. Filatov had competition issues even before he stepped on NA ice as evidence by his benching at the WJC one year. And honestly, regarding Radulov, I'd never even heard of the guy before he put up PPG numbers his 1st year in Quebec.

Yakupov has dominated junior hockey for 2 years now. Dominated like few other Europeans have at the same age, and more so than a lot of other North American skaters. That's about as much proof as is required to assess that he's in a different situation than the two mcgoo mentioned who went back to Russia.

[Atomic Wedgy]

your correct but the other point i made in the thread about him playing here in NA for a couple years prior to being drafted, igor larionov as his agent, and a secure top 2 draft pick all point to him playing in the NHL more than the KHL.

Of course he is going to have a KHL tag cause he is russian. If he bails and goes to the KHL because he got drafted by a crappy hockey market and team then that speaks to his character as an individual not a hockey player.

I think thats the real premise of this thread rather than ability and draft position. Does Yakupov have the character to endure a crappy NHL team? We all know he has the skill to play in the nhl, but being a top 2 pick and the face of a franchise you have to have more than skill, character is as important of a trait.

Agreed. But he doesn't have any less character as a person if he decides to screw off to the KHL. There are a lot of personal reasons that could come into play.

If his desire to play in the NHL > the obstacles\dues to be paid than he will play in the NHL. That is very difficult indeed to measure and predict. Impossible, I would say.

If he really only cares about banging chicks and having a good time, Russia might be a really attractive option. He can half ass his way to being a star on pure talent alone.

The environment most suitable for him succeeding would be getting drafted by NYI. Hockey market and a team that is building itself for another run at a dynasty. He'd look pretty good along side Tavares, Niederreiter, Okposo and Strome.

Getting shafted... I mean drafted by CLB would be pretty friggin far from ideal.

ANA - might be room on the top 6 if Selanne retires. Could be a good fit.

Anything could happen from now until the end of the regular season tho. Add in the uncertainty of the draft lottery and you have a very difficult situation to gauge.

[Big Ev]

Anaheim is a better environment that the Isles. That's a team that really shouldn't even be in the bottom of the league. The Isles are poorly run and have no solid mentors for young players in my opinion. Franchise has been a joke for a while now. Supposed to be a lot better this year and they still are down in the dumps.