NAIL YAKUPOV – McKeen's Hockey

2015 Training Camp Round-up – Sept 30th

Ryan Dadoun — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 17:57:28 +0000

The competition for the final roster spots is picking up, but these exhibition games are starting to matter for teams as a whole. After all, as we approach the end of the preseason, we're seeing squads utilize their veterans more and recognize that if there are any fundamental problems with their game, there's not a lot of time left to correct it before the opener.

We saw a couple of examples of that Tuesday night. Tampa Bay suffered a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, frustrating Lightning captain Steven Stamkos in the process.

"I know it's only preseason, but we have two games left to get things going, so that's alarming," Stamkos said, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith

He was specifically upset about what he saw as a sloppy game from Tampa Bay. It doesn't help that the Lightning now have a 1-3-1 record in the preseason and while, again, it is just exhibition games, the possibility of bad habits from carrying into the regular season is noteworthy.

He's certainly not the only one that's taking these games seriously either. Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock wasn't pleased with his players after Toronto's 4-0 loss to Buffalo Tuesday night.

"We've got to get our veterans playing the right way," Babcock said, per TSN. "That's the bottom line. We've got to get them playing. We can talk about kids; that's a nice sideline story in exhibition but you've got to get your players to play."

This preseason arguably has greater meaning for Toronto than most teams. The Maple Leafs' front office and coaching staff was remade over the summer with Babcock's presence being an obvious example of that. Babcock is trying to lead a culture change, so every opportunity counts.

While bad performances can be cause for concern, there's a more immediately tangible way a preseason contest can hinder a team. The Edmonton Oilers experienced that when Jordan Eberle suffered a shoulder injury on Tuesday that will cost him the next four-to-six weeks.

Eberle was the team's scoring leader with 63 points last season and would have been a big part of Edmonton's one-two attack as he had been playing with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while Taylor Hall and Connor McDavid highlighted the other scoring line. With Eberle now likely to miss most, if not all, of October, it now likely falls to Nail Yakupov to step up.

Yakupov has a lot of offensive upside, but has been thus far unable to live up to the promise he had when he was taken with the first overall pick in 2012. That being said, Yakupov did look better in the second half of the 2014-15 campaign and his 5-on-5 PDO of 96 last season suggests that he didn't have much puck luck, so perhaps he's set for a breakout and this is just the opportunity he needs to put it in motion.

On the other end of the spectrum, fans in Columbus have been given a reason to be pumped for the season opener. So far the line of Brandon Saad, Ryan Johansen, and Nick Foligno have lived up to people's wildest expectations with a combined six goals and 14 points in two exhibition games.

Even though preseason statistics have to be taken with a grain of salt, that line has a lot of skill and potential going into this season. It wouldn't be shocking if the trio proved to be one of the NHL's most effective units this season and given that Saad and Johansen are just 22 and 23-years-old respectively, that would be a very big boost for not just Columbus' chances in 2015-16, but also their long-term prospects.

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill has also been given a reason to be upbeat thanks to the showing of Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek. Howard was benched in favor of Mrazek for much of Detroit's seven-game series against the Lightning in the 2015 playoffs, but neither goaltender has a significant edge over the other in the battle for the 2015-16 starting gig.

Detroit has the luxury - or burden depending on how you want to see it - of tabling that discussion though as the reality is they need to utilize both netminders in the short-term. Detroit has four sets of back-to-back games in the month of October, so the idea that either goalie getting hot in the first month will allow them to run the table early is unrealistic. That being said, if either of them can manage to stand out for the other in October, that will likely start to pay dividends once Detroit's schedule gets more manageable.

Fantasy Hockey: The Monday Mailbag

Chris Wassel — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 15:35:35 +0000

Hello everybody! This is the part where I introduce myself. My name is Chris Wassel and you may have seen me on such hockey sites such as Dobberhockey, The Hockey Writers, and Hockey This Week just to name a few. If it seems like I have written in a lot of places, it is because I have. Fantasy hockey is the name of the game here and anytime you have a question, just send it my way @ChrisWasselTHW. You never know when I may use your very question on the mailbag.

The goal every Monday is to take those questions and answer them right here for all the world to see. Are you ready? Let's go!

What is the better strategy? Do you draft players that will top out in a few categories or players who fill categories across the board?

Right away, we get hit with the whole enchilada. The age old question will not get the age old answer here. However, I think we have something that is a little bit different than conventional. If it is a rotisserie league, always look for players that can fill as many categories as possible.

At that point, I am looking for the guys who can help me on those lean nights where I need to stay afloat. Those lean nights when your fifty goal scorer goes on a two week slump can break out. Believe me, I know.

Points leagues are a bit different of an animal. It really all depends on what time of points league it is. Is it head to head points or season long points. This makes a huge difference. Head to head points can cloud your judgment because you can get by most weeks with streaky top performances with players that do well in a few categories.

On the other hand, with season long points leagues, they are kind of like rotisserie leagues, where balance is more the name of the game and it does not hurt to top a few categories too. The final word is it simply depends on the type of league you enter.

Will Nail Yakupov get more ice time at some point?

This is one that peaked my curiosity so I went looking for the numbers. The one big surprise is that he did not see a bump at all after his rookie season, which was very good for a rookie (31 pts in 48 GP). He even finished fifth in the Calder Trophy voting. Last year was a lot rougher as Nail Yakupov took his lumps and people questioned his defensive mettle. At a -33, it was actually understandable to a point. One thing was in common, his ice time was almost the same. Talk about eerie.

2012-13 -- 14:34 ATOI
2013-14 -- 14:19 ATOI
2014-15 -- 11:59 ATOI (2 gms)

This year, it is a little early to try and gauge how Edmonton is using him, but based on the first two seasons I am left scratching my head a little. Now he did come back down to Earth but you would have thought that the early part of season two would reveal some higher times on ice. The answer over the first ten games was yes at almost 16 minutes per night but then gradually that fell almost right back to his 2012-13 numbers in relatively short order.

Eventually he is going to get more ice time but the coaching staff feels he has to earn it. Yakupov has the potential. Stay tuned to see if he can do it.

For the season, would you take Milan Lucic or Jaden Schwartz?

Both players are very solid in their own respects. Much to my surprise, several sites have had this same question asked of them. When Milan Lucic is playing his game, the goals and assists come but so do the PIMS, hits, shots on goal, etc. He fills categories and does a really solid job of doing so.

Jaden Schwartz does a pretty good job of doing what he needs to and last season he was rewarded with an excellent breakout season. The problem is with the NHL, it is inherent among younger players to be like this or that great player. Schwartz just plays the game the way it needs to be.

Milan Lucic plays it a different way and usually on raw emotion. When that emotion is channeled in a positive way, his numbers go through the roof. How will Lucic rebound when it comes to putting pucks in net? Goals, assists , and points are rather identical. Is there a way to choose?

Yes there is always a way. Think of this as a little bit of friendly advice. Schwartz will be consistent like clockwork while Jaden Schwartz. However, Milan Lucic is just and scary beast when he gets things rolling. Who do I take? It is a tough one but for as much as Lucic can be up and down emotions wise, I still take Lucic.

Granted, it is a very difficult decision but Lucic again just fills more categories than Schwartz can right at this moment. That is enough for me to swing the pendulum to Lucic. Add in the fact that the Boston winger just seems to have that veterans' work ethic.That is why, for now, Milan Lucic is the guy I go out to battle with.

OIL SLICK

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:08:35 +0000

The only thing the Oilers have been able to win consistently the last few seasons is draft lotteries. For a roster stocked with high and first overall draft choices, the team has not been able to move beyond the rebuilding phase and into a winning phase and patience are running thin.

After years of early drafting offensive forwards like Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov fans and fantasy owners have been expecting the flood gates to open and the Oilers to explode offensively scoring at a rate similar to the Golden days of the 1980’s. 199 goals was the reality of last seasons offensive output which ranked 24th in the NHL.

To make matters worse, not only were the Oilers bad at scoring, they were even worse at keeping the puck out of their own net allowing 267 goals against, placing them dead last in the NHL at 30th.

As a result GM Craig MacTavish continues to make changes. In an attempt to change the identity of the team from an offensive one to a more gritty and all-around style he went shopping in the free agent market. Benoit Pouliot, Teddy Purcell and Nikita Nikitin were added to a combined $13 million.

Quality goaltending has eluded Edmonton for some time now and Devan Dubnyk proved to not be the answer and was replaced with Viktor Fasth and Ben Scrivens who will likely platoon the starting duties.

The strength of Edmonton’s prospects is their defensemen. Darnell Nurse, Oscar Klefbom, Martin Marincin and Martin Gernat all have strong upside and in time will shore up the back end.

The Oilers have begun to address specific needs in goal and on defense and drafted Leon Draisaitl to strengthen up the middle. While they may never be the fantasy Oil well some were hoping for, they should start to win more games.

We have profiled the following players: Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, Teddy Purcell, David Perron, Nail Yakupov, Benoit Pouliot, Mark Arcobello, Justin Schultz, Ben Scrivens

Maturity, leadership underline Aaron Ekblad’s value

McKeen's Staff — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 14:36:41 +0000

It isn't hard to picture Aaron Ekblad with a letter on his jersey in the National Hockey League.

The stories that circulated before he made his Ontario Hockey League debut told of a young man with an above average maturity for his age. When Ekblad became the second player to be granted “exceptional player” status by the OHL, granting him the privilege of playing in the league at 15, Ekblad chose not to pick his destination.

The Barrie Colts, runners up to the national champion Windsor Spitfires in 2010, were in a deep rebuild a year later when they held the top pick. Ekblad made it known his desire was to play for whichever team wanted him most.

It was an easy choice for the Colts taking Ekblad first in 2011, and thanks to some shrewd moves – convincing Mark Scheifele to come to the OHL, and adding Tanner Pearson, among them – the Colts' renaissance came so rapidly they were within a goal of winning the OHL in 2013.

Ekblad brings that special blend of size, smarts and skills to a package that will be hard for the Florida Panthers to pass up this Friday. He readily admits his skating is an area needing improvement, but success has followed Ekblad everywhere he went. The draft's top defenceman is a true competitor for the first pick (ranked 3^rd at McKeen's) and should have a long, distinguished career.

Should he be chosen first overall, Ekblad will restore the OHL's place atop the draft board. Recent first overall picks from the OHL are: Nail Yakupov (2012), Taylor Hall (2010), John Tavares (2009), Steven Stamkos (2008) and Patrick Kane (2007).

Aaron Ekblad (2014), D

Highly touted workhorse defender played in more tournaments and key games this season than any of his peers .. an absolute standout performance capturing a gold medal at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial resulted in his inclusion to the WJC as the only NHL draft eligible Team Canada defenseman .. participated in the Top Prospects game and in the CHL Subway Super Series Challenge .. returned from the WJC with a completely different focus and his game offered more structure, especially in the defensive zone .. learnt to allow the play to come to him and let his size work to his advantage .. a chunky skater with a deep knock knee, he does possess elite skating ability but can navigate well in all areas of the ice .. led the OHL in defenseman goal scoring as his booming point shot was a primary weapon for the Colts’ powerplay .. can physically punish a player yet displaying a good understanding of when to apply physical pressure or use a timely poke check to avoid losing his positioning .. hampered by an injury during the playoffs that limited his effectiveness .. standing at 6’4 and 225 lbs, Ekblad is a man amongst boys and is a highly coveted right-handed defenseman .. presents the most physically ready player for the NHL next season.

Top 20 Calder Candidates

Iain Morrell — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:12:59 +0000

1. MIKAEL GRANLUND, C, MIN - Finnish dynamo is a special player and sure to be among the Calder frontrunners. Should make a seamless transition given his smarts and maturity.

2. CHRIS KREIDER, LW, NYR - Meshed impressively into New York's attack in a flashy NHL playoff debut. Among the Calder favourites and certain to cause fits with his blistering pace.

3. NAIL YAKUPOV, RW, EDM - This summer's first-overall pick should enjoy instant success. But there are concerns as to how well his undersized body will stand up to NHL warfare.

4. BRENDAN SMITH, D, DET - Will inject some youth and pizzazz to Detroit's blueline as he demonstrated in a 14-game NHL debut. Gets a prime opportunity with Nicklas Lidstrom retired.

5. JAKOB SILFVERBERG, RW, OTT - Should line up alongside fellow Swede Daniel Alfredsson, whose Elitserien playoff goal record he just broke. Brings a heavy wristshot and strong defense.

6. MARCUS FOLIGNO, LW, BUF - Hard-hitting winger supercharged the Sabres upon a March call-up, firing five goals in his first six NHL games. Gains in skating triggered last season's leap.

7. GUSTAV NYQUIST, RW, DET - Made an impressive transition to the pros, earning a promotion in March. Must continue to develop his physical play and effectiveness in traffic.

8. JACOB MARKSTROM, G, FLA - Top-rated goalie prospect continues to develop his game and wait for an opportunity. Could force Florida's hand with another standout camp.

9. JUSTIN SCHULTZ, D, EDM - Coveted free agent caused a feeding frenzy among NHL teams - with the Oilers pulling biggest straw. May find defending NHL bodies challenging.

10. VLADIMIR TARASENKO, RW, STL - Russian 'Tank' turns 21 in December and already boasting four years of KHL experience. St. Louis gets a unique talent to enhance their attack arsenal.

11. JON HUBERDEAU, LW-C, FLA - Slick multi-dimensional forward led Florida in preseason goals last fall. Promises to be an emerging force as his body matures and reaches full strength.

12. RYAN STROME, RW-C, NYI - Quality scorer with soft hands and sharp instincts. Isles could use another weapon, but expect insulated minutes given age and 'in-progress' defense.

13. ALEX GALCHENYUK, LW-C, MTL - Taken third overall despite minimal appearances in `11-12 due to major knee surgery. Will get every chance to bolster the Habs with his NHL-caliber skills.

14. DOUGIE HAMILTON, D, BOS - CHL 'Defenceman of the Year' appears set to step directly into the B's starting six. Will benefit from pro influences as strength and defense need maturing.

15. BRANDON SAAD, LW, CHI - Pittsburgh native exploded into a star during his second OHL term. Developing power winger could be the answer to fill left-wing void on Hawks' top line.

16. JADEN SCHWARTZ, LW-C, STL - Did not look at all overwhelmed during a seven-game NHL debut. Blessed with an intuitive feel for the game and a rare ability to control the tempo.

17. J.T. BROWN, RW, TB - Burnsville, Minnesota native and son of former NFL (Minnesota Vikings) running back Ted Brown. Speedy power winger and a suffocating forechecker.

18. SVEN BARTSCHI, LW, CGY - Swiss-born winger filled WHL nets after a standout camp with Calgary. Fired goals in three straight games in a head-turning NHL debut in March.

19. RYAN MURRAY, D, CBJ - Intelligent, polished prospect succeeds on substance rather than flash and dash. Moves the puck with maturity and precision - plays within the system.

20. CORY CONACHER, RW, TB - Undrafted Canisius College star led the AHL in goals as a rookie and also won a Calder Cup. Marty St. Louis clone given size and tenacious style.