"I know Alex had been hurt most of the year, and I didn't know too much about Yakupov," Stamkos said. "I still haven't seen him play in a game, but I skated with both of them at that camp over the summer and they were pretty amazing. They had that Sedin-like vision on the ice; they were finding each other the whole time."
"The one thing all three have in common is their commitment and drive to always improving their game," Sarnia assistant general manager Mark Glavin told NHL.com. "All three were obviously among the top players at the time they were here, but they were also among the hardest workers in practice and in the gym."
"Yakupov and Stamkos both have that explosive one-timer and quick release that was evident throughout their time with the Sting," he said. "You could also compare their flare for the dramatic and their sense of the moment. They both scored a lot of goals to win games very late with the game on the line."
"Galchenyuk and Stamkos both carried themselves a certain way that seemed to set them apart," Glavin added. "They were both first overall picks in [the OHL], and both were very polished and very poised at a young age. Stamkos seemed to get what it was to be a pro before he was ever drafted, and Alex has a lot of those traits as well."
Stamkos said he feels Yakupov and Galchenyuk are sure to have bright futures in the NHL.
"Seeing the skill set they both have is unbelievable, and I think they're both going to be great NHL players," he said.
J'les veux les deuuuux
