NHL 2017-2018

[StCapps]

Yakupov has been great so far, 5 points in 4 games, who woulda thunk it?

[Smitty-48]

Yakupov has always had the raw skill, the main thing he lacks is compete level, and play without the puck, if Yakupov had been a second round pick, then he would have been fine, it's only because he was 1st overall that people think he "sucks", but it's not so much that he sucks, he's just average.

I wouldn't get too excited, he tends to have flashes of effort, then he disappears again, but for the Avs, there's no harm in taking a flyer on him.

[StCapps]

Yakupov has always had the raw skill, the main thing he lacks is compete level, and play without the puck, if Yakupov had been a second round pick, then he would have been fine, it's only because he was 1st overall that people think he "sucks", but it's not so much that he sucks, he's just average.

I wouldn't get too excited, he tends to have flashes of effort, then he disappears again, but for the Avs, there's no harm in taking a flyer on him.

Oh I know all about his consistency issues, brought on due to lack of compete level, but to flash right out of the pan, that caught me a little off guard. Was a good flyer, worth the risk for sure, if he starts playing like crap for too long, a distinct possibility, then we can always dump him accordingly, and that's worse case scenario. Unfortunately we don't get to play the Bruins every game of the year, that's certainly helping early on.

[Smitty-48]

He keeps getting contracts because he does have top five pick type of raw skill, he's just not up for the grind, he won't put in the work, and he has no interest in being complete, he's a floater, but as long as your don't give him money and term, no biggie.

[StCapps]

He keeps getting contracts because he does have top five pick type of raw skill, he's just not up for the grind, he won't put in the work, and he has no interest in being complete, he's a floater, but as long as your don't give him money and term, no biggie.

One year term under one million, Avs nailed it on that one.

[Smitty-48]

Problem you have is that the Avs are pulling a Harold Ballard, the owner just wants butts in the seats for now, doesn't care about tomorrow, so they're going to end up tweeners in limbo at best. It's better if they lose, because they could win just enough to get nowhere fast in either direction.

On the one hand, yes, Sakic is out of his depth, but on the other hand, he can't get a mandate from ownership to do what they need to do. Bergevin is getting desperate in Montreal, he's got Victor Mete, he's got Noah Juulsen, McCarron, Lehkonnen, Sherbak, Fucale... Montreal is the most likely team to throw away picks and top prospects right now, most teams won't, but Bergevin is getting to the back against the wall zone.

Same as before, updated package;

Duchene, Landeskog, Barrie;

for

Mete, Juulsen, Sherbak, Fucale, 1st, 2nd.

[Smitty-48]

You know who is playing just like the Leafs right now? The Pens, just watching T-Bay running heavy shifts on them, Pens playing the same sort of dog park deefence, same sort of coughing up the puck up and then letting the other team get to the net, Matt Murray was swimming in his crease just like Freddie Toskala, although now they've just sat Murray down and gone with Niemi instead.

[StCapps]

4-1? It's like another team is wearing the Avs uniform or something, stop winning so much you dummies, we are going to get a shit draft prick if they don't come down to earth sometime soon, thankfully that is probably going to happen whether they keep trying to win or not.

[Smitty-48]

They're loosey goosey, no expectations, no pressure, so they're not gripping the sticks, although, I don't even think they're that bad on paper, if you have MacKinnon, and you get some goaltending, you have a opportunity at least, to win any night, there's so much parity in the league, all you need is a franchise centre and a goalie to have a fighting chance.

Mind you, now that I've seen Nico Hischier in the NHL, I definitely would have wanted him over Makar, losing the lottery is looking much worse now, because Hischier is the real deal, I think he may even be better than EIchel in the long run. I think Makar will be good, but I don't think he'll be franchise, whereas Hischier is looking like franchise right out of the gate.

By this time next year, Hischier will be da Man in New Jersey, Taylor Hall will just be the sidekick. If the Avs had got Hischier, that would have fast tracked the rebuild, just like that. :snaps:

[StCapps]

They're loosey goosey, no expectations, no pressure, so they're not gripping the sticks, although, I don't even think they're that bad on paper, if you have MacKinnon, and you get some goaltending, you have a opportunity at least, to win any night, there's so much parity in the league, all you need is a franchise centre and a goalie to have a fighting chance.

Mind you, now that I've seen Nico Hischier in the NHL, I definitely would have wanted him over Makar, losing the lottery is looking much worse now, because Hischier is the real deal, I think he may even be better than EIchel in the long run. I think Makar will be good, but I don't think he'll be franchise, whereas Hischier is looking like franchise right out of the gate.

By this time next year, Hischier will be da Man in New Jersey, Taylor Hall will just be the sidekick. If the Avs had got Hischier, that would have fast tracked the rebuild, just like that. :snaps:

Well it will be a few years before we know for sure, but I would have taken Hischier first overall if we had the pick, but not everyone is as lucky in the draft lottery as the Leafs in 2016. Hischier does only have one point in four games though.