Should the Leafs grab Yakupov if he's Waived?

[TBLeafer]

While waivers could still be the eventual outcome this season for Yak, based on the latest reports in Edmonton, Pulju will most likely need some refining (20 games or so) in the AHL this season.  They speak of undeniable NHL talent, but costly errors that directly lead to some goals against.

So this discussion looks likely to be on hold for a couple months, anyway. 

Maybe Yak will play himself into some trade value in that time.

http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/edmonton-oilers-maroon-the-ducks-2-1-at-rogers-place

Playing very well right now with Drai and Maroon.  So starting to look like he's not the super high risk/bust/NHL career washout some here are making him out to be.

 

[Kin]

So starting to look like he's not the super high risk/bust/NHL career washout some here are making him out to be.

The premise of this thread, that you started, is his team willing to lose him for nothing and nobody in the league willing to trade anything for him.

 

[bustaheims]

So starting to look like he's not the super high risk/bust/NHL career washout some here are making him out to be.

Yes. Playing well in the pre-season is clearly an indicator that he's taking the next step. :

 

[TBLeafer]

Okay so then you're just grasping at straws then.

Come up with any other argument than the cap one, which has next to no relevance on a team doing nothing but clearing cap over the next 2 years and Yak himself being on an expiring one himself.

If no salary cap and number of contracts limit, then I'm sure most people would be fine with it because it'd just be MLSE's money. But since both of those things exist, you MUST take them into account when analyzing the move you're suggesting.

If you want to advocate for picking him up on waivers, no problem, go ahead. I'm actually on the fence a bit (though leaning toward no.) However, you must take into account the actual implications. If he doesn't pan out and you waive him, then there's a $1.55M cap hit this year (more actually because you're taking the full hit while he's on the roster.)

Okay.  With the NHL approving Cowen's buyout, we currently without having to use LTIR, sit with the 11th highest cap in the NHL.  Outside of the top ten highest hits.  When was the last time that happened?  We've always been a spend to the cap team.  Now that we're a rebuilding team, we have so much cap clearing over the next two seasons most Leaf fans have a hard time grasping how much it truly will be to allow for future signings, even with potential bonus carry forwards in to next season.

Even single player signing carries a cap implication. Saying Yak's in particular could a potential severe detriment is just an argument that is wrong on so many levels.

Picking him up and waiving Greening would still leave roughly half a mil clear of cap at season start without the need of LTIR.  We start clear of the cap ceiling with 48 contracts total.

Coming off the books at season's end, over 20 MILLION.

Robidas will officially retire.
Can't see us bringing back Polak, yet again.
Can't see us keeping Hunwick.
Can't see us re-upping Greening.
Can't see us hanging onto Holland.
Bye Bye Laich and Michalek
Will we keep Enroth with a QO or will Sparks or Bibeau be ready?
Will Corrado be worthy of a QO?
We lose an unprotected player to the expansion draft.

You seriously worried about a few mil bonus penalty that could be potentially carried forward in to next season?  I don't think so.

 

[TBLeafer]

So starting to look like he's not the super high risk/bust/NHL career washout some here are making him out to be.

The premise of this thread, that you started, is his team willing to lose him for nothing and nobody in the league willing to trade anything for him.

So?  That was the chirping out of Edmonton at the time. Yak has picked up his game in camp since.  Very few rumours actually come to fruition, they just invoke speculation.  Stammer was a long standing rumour that didn't come to fruition.  The shelf life of this one looks like it could be considerably shorter.

Things aren't static.  They're fluid and ever changing.  We roll. 

The forum seemed quite dull, before I posted this little tidbit, wouldn't you say?

 

[herman]

No one pays attention to the forest until someone sets a couple of fires to it.

 

[TBLeafer]

Not if they never venture into it in the first place, no.

 

[Kin]

So?

So given that the idea of Yakupov being waived wasn't seen as crazy or outlandish it then seems to figure that looking at him as a bust/washout is pretty reasonable.

The forum seemed quite dull, before I posted this little tidbit, wouldn't you say?

Not really, no. Either way, this is where I'd again say that in future you should probably post something like this to "General Rumours and Speculation" as it was unaccompanied by a link to a specific media report. Like I said earlier, when I went looking all I could find was someone saying he almost certainly would make the team out of camp.

 

[TBLeafer]

So?

So given that the idea of Yakupov being waived wasn't seen as crazy or outlandish it then seems to figure that looking at him as a bust/washout is pretty reasonable.

The forum seemed quite dull, before I posted this little tidbit, wouldn't you say?

Not really, no. Either way, this is where I'd again say that in future you should probably post something like this to "General Rumours and Speculation" as it was unaccompanied by a link to a specific media report. Like I said earlier, when I went looking all I could find was someone saying he almost certainly would make the team out of camp.

Hard to link Edmonton fans rumblings talking about the rumour smoke bantered about on their local radio media.  And Dreger's two cents. You can't deny Yak's situation in Edmonton is tenuous at best, now can you?

 

[Kin]

Hard to link Edmonton fans rumblings talking about the rumour smoke bantered about on their local radio media.

Right but that's the difference between the General Rumour/Media Rumour boards.

There's nothing wrong with idle speculation based on "chirping" or whatever but we do have a separate board for it.

 

[TBLeafer]

Hard to link Edmonton fans rumblings talking about the rumour smoke bantered about on their local radio media.

Right but that's the difference between the General Rumour/Media Rumour boards.

There's nothing wrong with idle speculation based on "chirping" or whatever but we do have a separate board for it.

Which I understand and have no problem with.  Mods could move it if they saw fit, yes?

Edit:  LOL, just like that.   Now we're all happy and can continue to speculate on this tenuous situation in Edmonton...

Also if you want to be technical, except for what Dreger said, it isn't even a Leafs Media Rumour.  Its an Edmonton (NHL) one.

 

[KadriFan]

Long odds but possibly high rewards. Maybe really high rewards. That's what justifies it. And I don't really think it's much of a big deal to organizational order if he ends up on the Marlies.

Exactly.  It's not like the Leafs are loaded with top flight players.  Not even close....and who knows what could happen

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The Blackhawks are apparently close to acquiring him, but he sucks for sure.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

The Blackhawks are apparently close to acquiring him, but he sucks for sure.

The Blackhawks also have Richard Panik on their top line.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The Blackhawks are apparently close to acquiring him, but he sucks for sure.

The Blackhawks also have Richard Panik on their top line.

Multiple cup rings on their GM too. 

To be clear, I think he is most likely a bust.

I also think, as others have mentioned, he might be the biggest boom/bust acquisition of this summer.

Can you imagine if he has anything close to a Panarin like season with the Hawks?

 

[rdowdall]

The Blackhawks are apparently close to acquiring him, but he sucks for sure.

The Blackhawks also have Richard Panik on their top line.

See, their clearly not worried about hurting his development by sending him down the lineup or back to the AHL.

 

[TBLeafer]

So he's not too bad of a player for Chicago to be kicking tires on him in a potential trade, but he wouldn't be worth it to the Leafs if he became free to pluck off waivers?

Here's the goodies:

Blackhawks, Oilers have discussed Nail Yakupov trade, per reports

The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers have discussed a trade centered on former No. 1 overall pick Nail Yakupov, reports TSN?s Bob McKenzie. A deal is not ?imminent? and the salary cap remains an issue given Yakupov?s $2.5 million salary, but it sounds like there?s real interest here.

McKenzie says the trade talks weren?t ?too recent,? but that doesn?t mean a deal isn?t coming. Jay Zawaski of 670 The Score is also reporting the talks and says money is the primary hold up in completing a deal.

The Hawks would likely need the Oilers to retain part of Yakupov?s salary, per Sportsnet?s Mark Spector, who reports a deal isn?t imminent but also says the teams are ?talking.? Spector and Zawaski are both reporting that no NHL players would be sent to Edmonton in the deal.

Salary retention on 2.5M.... no returning players going back....  having him claimed off waivers in the end just might be more appealing to Edmonton than retaining salary for the season, just to get back a 3rd or 4th rounder.  Although they're miles away from the cap ceiling and his contract will expire after this year...

 

[bustaheims]

The Blackhawks are apparently close to acquiring him, but he sucks for sure.

The difference is that the Hawks likely aren't looking at him as a reclamation project, but, rather, there's value to them in acquiring the players that Yakupov actually is. The cap issues they've had over the past few years have really decimated their depth up front. They only have 5 forwards on their roster than scored 10 or more goals in the NHL last season, and only 7 who have ever put up that many in any NHL season. Adding a ~15 goal winger - especially one they might be able to get for little asset cost, a reduced cap hit, and zero commitment - has a fair amount of value to them. Any production/development above and beyond that would be a bonus for them.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The Blackhawks are apparently close to acquiring him, but he sucks for sure.

The difference is that the Hawks likely aren't looking at him as a reclamation project, but, rather, there's value to them in acquiring the players that Yakupov actually is. The cap issues they've had over the past few years have really decimated their depth up front. They only have 5 forwards on their roster than scored 10 or more goals in the NHL last season, and only 7 who have ever put up that many in any NHL season. Adding a ~15 goal winger - especially one they might be able to get for little asset cost, a reduced cap hit, and zero commitment - has a fair amount of value to them. Any production/development above and beyond that would be a bonus for them.

I thought it was fairly obvious my post and follow-up were tongue-in-cheek...

 

[bustaheims]

I thought it was fairly obvious my post and follow-up were tongue-in-cheek...

Well, maybe my reply to your post wasn't necessarily directed to you.