Where does Yak fit?

Nail Yakupov is the wild card the Oilers have up their sleeve. The problem is they don’t really know what kind of a wild card he is. He could be a strong offensive force and be a legit NHL scoring weapon. He could also be a streaky player with defensive lapses like we saw last season. 

If Yak can have a big jump statistically this season, and not be indifferent defensively, I would be very impressed. Last season, he totalled twenty four points in sixty three games. He could have a nice increase this year. Asking Hall to improve on being a point per game is a lot. Both Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins could also see their point totals increase, but percentage wise it won’t be huge. Pouliot has been great throughout camp and is an upgrade on the wing, and I’m thinking that somewhere around forty points would be good. I also think that Teddy Purcell should match or beat Hemsky’s Oilers totals from last season. That leaves us with Yak as the guy who can have a big effect on the team’s scoring.

He is capable of more production, and having more awareness for a two way game. It takes effort to help out on the back check, and understanding where to be defensively. If he can improve, which Eakins thinks he has, his ice time will go up as will the quality of that ice time. The real question is: who does he play with?

At this point, there is no chemistry between Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov. The coaching staff has tried to create some, but I don’t see it when they play together. Yakupov seems like he is looking at the other two trying to figure how and where he fits in. The Oilers do not have the luxury of coming out of the gate slow this year. They need to rack up two points as often as possible. They need their top line going, but the top line should include Eberle. Hall, Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins really push the pace, and will be a big part of the team’s success this season. 

As far as I see, Leon Draisaitl has earned the right to start the season with the Oilers. I’m still not sold on him being here for the entire year, though. Young players should have to earn their spot, rather than be slotted in and hoping that it works out. It’s hard to be a second line centre in the NHL. The Oilers will be asking a lot from Draisaitl if he stays with the big club all season. However, a duo of Draisaitl and Yak could look good in the future.

Their skill sets compliment each other. There could be some real chemistry between them and success to follow, but this season is not the time for that. That duo, most likely paired with Perron or Pouliot, will have some very rough patches as they learn how to play in the NHL.  Draisaitl cannot be asked to hold up a line defensively. Opposing teams will target this duo on the road and will have success against them. If you are prepared to live with some tough nights, then put them together. It’s too early for my appetite. 

Boyd Gordon does what you expect from his type of player. I loved the signing when it was announced. Gordon is not a hugely offensive player, so he and Yakupov are not really an option. They think and play the game totally different. Having these two together would hamper the others ability to execute their roles. Gordon and Yakupov should not become a duo.

That leaves Yakimov, Lander and Arcobello as options to centre Yakupov. Yakimov has been impressive during training camp. He is a big body with a nice skill set. He has also been one of the better centres, but he should not play eight minutes per night in the NHL when he can play eighteen in OKC. He will get PP and PK time there. The best thing for him is to play a bunch in the AHL. Why rush it? Two rookie centres in the Western Conference would be very difficult to manage. 

Lander is a good team mate, defensive player and pro. I don’t know if he will ever be able to bring the AHL offence to the NHL. At this point he is not a suitable line mate for Yak. 

That leaves Arcobello. Almost by default, Arcobello is my choice to be Yak’s centre. They both like to play the same type of hockey. Arcobello wants to have an NHL career. What a great opportunity for him to play with Yak. He will bend over backwards to try and get him going offensively. They will need a big winger to get the puck, probably Pouliot. I would like to see these three play together Saturday and play a lot of minutes regardless of the outcome.

What line would that be? Probably your third line but really it would be a tie with the fourth line for ice time many nights, especially on the road.  Yakupov is this season’s wildcard. An improved year from him will get the team closer to the playoffs, but who will be his centre? Stay tuned.