"yet" is the key word with respect to Yakupov. Put him in Toronto, and he's going to get crushed by the media when all of his lazy and selfish habits are put under that giant microscope. Not to mention that Toronto itself isn't all that adept at defensive play. And for all this risk, you have to hope that a 20-year-old Yakupov can be mature enough to handle the criticism of his coaches and teammates with the kind of introspection that will allow him to turn his overall game around. That is not a chance I would even consider taking if I could pry anyone else out of Edmonton, in addition to a 1st rounder.
Phaneuf unquestionably makes Edmonton better, even at the cost of an Eberle (especially at the cost of Yakupov), so it makes sense from their perspective. But he isn't the answer. He's not going to put them in the playoffs. The Oilers would need to add about three more NHL calibre defencemen first.
|