Yakupov has asked for a trade

[Flames Draft Watcher]

What a clown fiesta those Oilers are. The ultimate display off managerial arrogance, ignoring a clear majority by the scouts they employed. Why not just waste a first overall and flush it down the toilet? I mean they get so many of them, it wouldn't be fair to the other teams if they used all of them properly.

[Resolute 14]

Spector is basically admitting that Katz' ego got in the way of a hockey decision while trying to avoid getting in trouble with the people who butter his bread.

Journalistic integrity is not something one follows when one writes for the Oilers.

[sureLoss]

I believe I read that Yakupov's agent will be on Hockey Central @ Noon (not the 960 version, the 590 version) which starts in 12 minutes.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

What a clown fiesta those Oilers are. The ultimate display off managerial arrogance, ignoring a clear majority by the scouts they employed. Why not just waste a first overall and flush it down the toilet? I mean they get so many of them, it wouldn't be fair to the other teams if they used all of them properly.

Exactly. If it was 6-5 or 7-4, then over-riding unsurprising and isn't too big of a deal.

But when you're scouts vote 9-2 TWICE, and you simply ignore them... it is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I believe I read that Yakupov's agent will be on Hockey Central @ Noon (not the 960 version, the 590 version) which starts in 12 minutes.

The Hockey Central that's bearable you mean.

How horrifying that the one with Kypreos and McLean is the good one

[schteve_d]

Ahhhh, a new debacle. This kind of thing just does my heart good!

[killer_carlson]

Larionov on now

[ricosuave]

Larionov has a weird accent

[killer_carlson]

Recap:

Tried for 4 years to help Yak into a position to succeed
Nail loves Edmonton as a City, loves the fans, but needs to be in a different situation
Tried to find him a new team
Likes Chiarelli, spoke to him about keeping this quiet. Very professional. Spoke to MacLellan
Asked if Nail would be an Oiler next year: Yak would like to stay, but he needs a skilled center and to play with someone who can use his strengths.
5 coaches.
They spoke to several teams but ultimately Edmonton had to make a decision so its out of his hands.
Postponed conversation after the deadline passed and will pick up again in the summer
Lots of opportunities to find him the right spot or to play him where he needs to be.
He has to have consistency with who his center is.

Larionov is coming across inherently reasonable in this.

continued:

Yak should be with a fast player. He likes Yak with McDavid because of how fast McDavid plays
Does not matter if it is a right handed or left handed center. It's about speed. So in Edmonton the center he fits best with is McDavid. "There is only one" in Edmonton who plays at a fast pace.

this is all I caught but the interview continued

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Recap:

Tried for 4 years to help Yak into a position to succeed
Nail loves Edmonton as a City, loves the fans, but needs to be in a different situation
Tried to find him a new team
Likes Chiarelli, spoke to him about keeping this quiet. Very professional. Spoke to MacLellan
Asked if Nail would be an Oiler next year: Yak would like to stay, but he needs a skilled center and to play with someone who can use his strengths.
5 coaches.
They spoke to several teams but ultimately Edmonton had to make a decision so its out of his hands.
Postponed conversation after the deadline passed and will pick up again in the summer
Lots of opportunities to find him the right spot or to play him where he needs to be.
He has to have consistency with who his center is.

Larionov is coming across inherently reasonable in this.

I don't know - when you start to ask for things like consistency of centres, and the attributes of the player he needs to play with to succeed - doesn't come across well.

Nothing in this interview, based on the re-cap, will help the Oilers get value for Yak. Which suits me just fine.

[Resolute 14]

Except for the part where he's basically admitting that Yakupov needs someone to carry his ass on his line. Yakupov doesn't make players around him better. He needs others to make him better.

[Weitz]

Yakupov isn't going to amount to much ever IMO. When playing with skilled players he still doesn't put up a lot of points or back check, just continues to play like he is getting chased by bees.

He will be traded play a couple more years then be gone iMO.

[Ozy_Flame]

Not sure losing Yak would be all that negative for the Oilers, either. My suspicion is that if he leaves, nobody on the ice notices. You could easily fill his role with the Korpikoski/Pouliot/Maroon types and nothing would change.

Actually, you could probably put Gretzky/Lemieux/Jagr on that team and nothing would change.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Actually, you could probably put Gretzky/Lemieux/Jagr on that team and nothing would change.

Based on all the fellatio Sportsnet is performing on McDavid, they basically did this year. And nothing changed.

[killer_carlson]

Larionov presented it as wanting to help Yak as a player rather than issuing threats or demands. Same result but different approach to get there.

The part that I caught seemed to circle back to consistency from the organization end:
5 coaches
inconsistent centers
Inconsistent usage

I don't think it's unreasonable for a high end skill player to ask to play with other skilled players.

I can't see him being there much longer though.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

What a clown fiesta those Oilers are. The ultimate display off managerial arrogance, ignoring a clear majority by the scouts they employed. Why not just waste a first overall and flush it down the toilet? I mean they get so many of them, it wouldn't be fair to the other teams if they used all of them properly.

All I can say though is that the Oilers recent history of success drafting outside the first round has been quite frankly horrendous. As an owner I wouldn't exactly feel warm and fuzzy about any player they would endorse when there's not a consensus number one.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I don't think it's unreasonable for a high end skill player to ask to play with other skilled players.

Really good players make those around them better.

[TheScorpion]

I'd only take Yak for a mid-to-late 3rd, nothing more. Reclamation project at best, Bonsignore 2.0 at worst.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Not sure losing Yak would be all that negative for the Oilers, either. My suspicion is that if he leaves, nobody on the ice notices. You could easily fill his role with the Korpikoski/Pouliot/Maroon types and nothing would change.

Actually, you could probably put Gretzky/Lemieux/Jagr on that team and nothing would change.

You'd be wrong. You see son, its like the legend of the unescapable jail or prison camp. the inmates will accept that they're stuck there forever eating lima beans, breaking rocks and discovering the joys of prison relationships. Sure some crazy people try to escape and they usually fail and end up dead or humiliated.

But if you suddenly have one or two guys go over the wire, and they make it, then suddenly everyone else is trying to find every flaw and hole and rip in the barbed wire and before you know it, all of the prisoners are gone and the guards are stuck standing around playing pocket pool.

The Oilers under no circumstances can let one of their prized bulls escape from the Northern Alberta Prison. Because if he gets out, the Oilers might find Hall and Eberle and RNH and Mcfallon trying to follow him over the wire.

Yak must be made an example of, he must be an Oiler for life.

And punished for trying to excape.

[CroFlames]

I didn't hear the interview, but based on that recap, it sounds like Larionov is making every excuse for why Nail isn't performing, and none of the excuses include Nail himself.