Nail Yakupov Isn’t Moving…Yet

On Tuesday morning, a new rumor hit the Oilers blogosphere that suggested Edmonton was talking to Florida about a trade surrounding Nail Yakupov and Panthers’ defender Alex Petrovic. Since that rumor came about, it has been shot down by numerous reporters and insiders from both markets.

I think when we look at Yakupov rumors, we need to keep a sense of realism here. While it’s very well possible that at one point the two sides talked about something along these lines, the odds are that Edmonton would have had to give up more.

I like Nail Yakupov as a hockey player and I want him to have success, but the fact of the matter is he simply has never emerged as the goal scoring threat he was supposed to be. Yakupov, who scored a career high 17 goals in 2012-13, has registered eleven, 14 and eight goals in the last three years. Folks, that’s not good enough.

When you factor in that Yakupov struggles in many areas of the game, it should come as no surprise that he really doesn’t have much trade value at this point. The Oilers could move him, but they likely aren’t getting a player like Petrovic back, let alone Petrovic AND a pick.

I still think it’s possible that Yakupov gets moved before training camp, in fact I expect him to. That said, in the event he doesn’t get moved, I hope the Oilers put him in a position to succeed. My ideal spot for him? With Milan Lucic and Connor McDavid. Give the kid a real chance to post some numbers.

Last note on Yakupov: I would not just give the player away. There is talent in Nail’s game and I believe he will have an NHL career. Hopefully a veteran like Lucic can help him with the preparation side of things a little more.

Oilers and The World Cup:

Here’s an interesting thought as we hit mid-July: What happens when Oilers camp opens up in September and the World Cup of Hockey is ongoing? The Oilers will be without GM Peter Chiarelli and Head Coach Todd McLellan (Team North America), Connor McDavid (North America), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (North America), Andrej Sekera (Team Europe) and Leon Draisaitl (Europe).

With so many key players and decision makers missing from main camp, is anyone else worried about another slow start in Edmonton? The Oilers have many new pieces and some of them are absolutely key to this team’s success. Wouldn’t it be better if all hands were on deck preparing for 2016-17? Will this impact Edmonton at all this season?

I’ll admit, I’m a little worried about. I don’t think Team North America or Team Europe will win this tournament, but there’s a chance they are both there past the round robin portion.

I’d also wager that Todd McLellan, in the few preseason games he does get, will run close to his full roster when he returns from the event in Toronto.

Just something to keep an eye on.

Poaching Time?:

This week starts the painful (for some teams) process of salary arbitration in the NHL. We’ve already seen a number of players come to an agreement with their current club, but a few notable names still are waiting for a resolution. For Oiler fans, this is something to keep an eye on.

The obvious target is Tyson Barrie, who would fit perfectly on Edmonton’s second pairing and on the top powerplay unit. He’s schedule for a hearing on July 29th and no resolution appears in sight. IF, and I stress IF, a trade were to happen, it would come next week.

Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers may shake free as well. New York has minimal cap space and must re-sign Chris Kreider while also addressing the defensive side of things. It’s possible that Hayes, who struggled a bit last year, ends up in play.

Mike Hoffman (Ottawa) and Brayden Schenn (Philadelphia) are two other players that I’m intrigued by. Schenn probably gets done in Philly, but Hoffman would be a really nice addition in Edmonton and I have my doubts that the Senators are willing to pay him fair value on a long-term deal.