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Nail Yakupov -- The Next Elite NHL Superstar.


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I hope the Islanders get him, but the Islanders never seem to suck all the way, just enough to be a failure of a team, but not enough to be a lottery team. Tavares setting up Yakupov would be a perfect situation for him.

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The Islanders have drafted in the top 5 three straight years.

I think the biggest difference between the Oilers and Islanders right now is the veterans. No offense to Staios, Rolston, Pandolfo, Eaton and Reasoner...but they're not Smyth, Horcoff, Whitney, Belanger and Hemsky. There is a difference between being an effective player with experience and just being old. Their young players don't have anyone to take the pressure off them. Take Eberle for example. He may be top 10 in scoring and the Oilers 1st line right winger...but Hemsky is on the second line. He was selected to play in the ASG last season. There are nights when the opposition decides Hemsky is the bigger threat and that leaves Eberle/RNH with weaker Dmen to deal with. It's a nice luxury for the young players.

You add some legit leadership to go along with a core made up of Tavares, Strome, Niederreiter, de Haan, Hamonic, Nelson, Bailey and Okposo...and they won't need Yakupov to be a contender in a few years.

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I have really lost confidence that either Okposo or Bailey will ever thrive with the Isles. Both these guys will be good 2nd-3rd liners but simply will never live up to their draft positions, something the Oilers prospects have already done.

Once Strome, Tavares, de Haan, and Niederreiter start producing they will be a great team however.

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I would like to point out that what makes Datsyuk special in terms of his stickhandling is his timing and calm demeanor. Yakupov is a little different. While they both boast supremely quick hands, I don't see Yakupov being on the level with Datsyuk in that regard...which is not to say that Yakupov isn't impressive. He's a little bit more bullish/tenacious in using his stickhandling, which is where the Ovechkin comparisons come in. I would expect a playmaker to try to slow the game down, whereas a goalscorer would try to push the tempo of course. Watch the vid to see what I mean.

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<br />Atlanta's theory was to try to win now so they could get attendance. Winnipeg has seasons tickets sold out for like 3 years plus a great GM in Cheveldayoff(sp?) and asstant GM Heisinger who developed most of our players on the Moose. He'll do great if he goes to WPG.<br />
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