5 Potential Yakupov Deals April 14, 2012, 1:44 AM ET [534 Comments] Richard Cloutier

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Now that we got that ugliness out of the way...



I heard a great interview with Kevin Lowe on Friday (good work Jason Gregor) that made it sound fairly certain that the Oilers will draft and keep Nail Yakupov. Lowe's thoughts came off quite differently than the thoughts shared by Oilers GM Steve Tambellini during a news conference the day before. Tambi made it sound like the Oilers could just as easily deal Yaks as keep him.



There must be temptation to deal him. Teams will be interested, and will make it tempting. There will be offers. Everyone knows the Oilers D is weak; the forward group is undersized, and there are questions in goal. Offers for Nail Yakupov won't look anything like, for example, what the Flyers gave up for Eric Lindros...but teams will come at Edmonton with two or three player packages. We're not talking losers either. Yakupov is perhaps the best prospect available in the draft since Stamkos, and everyone knows it.



Here are 5 Potential Nail Yakupov (or, if you want to take someone else, it's the 1st overall pick) deals. You might think I'm either overvaluing or undervaluing Yakupov, but keep in mind Yaks is projected to become a 40+ goal scorer in the NHL, and is considered a better prospect (offensively-speaking) than Taylor Hall or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were.



1. Yakupov to Habs for Subban and 3rd Overall pick - I can hear people saying this is an overpayment for Yakupov, but I can give you two reasons why it isn't: The Habs have no offensive difference maker in the same class as Yakupov, and the Habs need to do something huge as an organization to signal the beginning of a new era. Yakupov has more potential than Subban, obviously (although it's hard to compare defensemen to forwards), and the 3rd overall pick, if you believe what the scouts are saying, has the potential to become a good, but not great, NHL player. The Jackets will take Ryan Murray in 2, so with the 3rd pick, the Oilers would need to decide between Grigorenko or Forsberg. I think they take the Swede.



2. Yakupov to Sabres for Tyler Myers - Two deals in, and Clouts has clearly lost his mind. Not remotely. Because Australia is entirely populated with criminals, as everyone knows. And criminals cannot be trusted, just as I cannot trust you, so therefore, I clearly should not drink the wine in front of me...I wrote that movie quote without needing to look it up, just so you know. Anyway, here's the thing...things...Buffalo's owner is animal crackers in the head. He knows the team is not good enough offensively, and the forward group needs to be better. Yakupov is a major upgrade on the wing. Myers has a huge cap hit coming next season (not to mention a $12mil payout in the first year), and the Sabres are up against the cap wall as it is. They are deepest on D, and Myers in his 2nd and 3rd years was not the player he was in his 1st year. This is truly a superstar-for-superstar deal, with both teams acquiring a player that will address a team need. Makes way more sense for both teams than you think it does.



3. Yakupov to Predators for Shea Weber - You feel lucky, punk? This is perhaps the riskiest thing the Oilers could do, but with huge risk can come huge reward. What would happen...use your imagination here...if the Oilers dealt for Weber at the draft, and then signed UFA Ryan Suter after July 1st? Nashville...the team that completely lacked a superstar up front until Radulov returned from Russia...would be dumb if they turned a Yakupov for Weber deal down if they know both Weber and Suter are gonzo. There are no guarantees Weber will re-sign with them next season. If anything, he's made it sound like he wants out eventually. If the Oilers can find a way to keep him after a trade, this is a huge win for both teams.



4. Yakupov to Leafs for Jake Gardiner, the 5th overall pick in 2012, and Toronto's 1st round pick in 2013 - By now you're thinking to yourself, "how cow, Cloutier. Asking for the moon, are we?" Well, yes. Why shouldn't the Oilers go completely overboard? If you want Nail, you need to pay a big price. The Oilers interest in Gardiner is obvious for two reasons: He's a great young defenseman, and he's Justin Schultz's college buddy. Adding Gardiner would likely equal also adding Schultz. With the 5th overall pick, you take a forward...Forsberg if he's still around; Galchenyuk or Faksa if he isn't. The Leafs won't finish in the Bottom 5 in 2013, so the additional 1st round pick will be good, but likely not great. This deal is not necessarily a win for the Oilers if Yakupov turns into a 50g guy, Schultz signs elsewhere, and Gardiner stops improving.



5. Yakupov to the Senators for Mika Zibanejad, Robin Lehner and the Sens 1st round pick in 2012 - Yes, this is, once again, plenty to give up, but it makes sense for both teams. Zibanejad is the 2nd line center the Oilers need so badly. Big; physical; has offensive skill. He's the right age to fit into the rebuild. Lehner is the future starting goaltender the Oilers need if Dubnyk can't cut it. And a 1st is a 1st. Oilers could take a D man with it. The Sens are a team on the rise, and they'd be giving up none of their current roster to make this deal. They immediately improve, while the Oilers acquire some quality depth.



Five wacky ideas for you to ponder after you're done toasting the Kings for beating the Canucks. Enjoy your Saturday!