Leading into the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, all eyes were on potential generational talent, Russian forward Nail Yakupov. Yakupov played the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and earned himself a reputation as a lethal offensive forward who was expected to produce an insane amount of points with whichever team earned the opportunity to select him 1st overall. Unfortunately, the NHL was headed for a lockout during the 2012-13 year, so he wouldn’t be able to showcase his skills in his first season.
The Edmonton Oilers finished dead last in the NHL in Yakupov’s draft year with a 27-47-8 record and earned the first overall draft pick. They were in the midst of one of the worst stretches in their franchise’s history and were hoping Yakupov to be the finishing touch to the team they had been trying to fix for multiple seasons. After drafting Taylor Hall first overall in the 2010 Draft, as well as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first overall in the 2011 Draft, their third straight first-overall pick should’ve pushed them over the edge and back into being a contender.
As expected, the NHL went into a lockout at the start of the 2012-13 season. Luckily, it only lasted half a season, and the league got a 48-game season. During the lockout, Yakupov played with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, where he scored nine goals and added nine assists for 18 points through 22 games, which had fans excited considering he was an 18-year-old producing well in a professional league. In his rookie season with the Oilers, he scored 17 goals and added 14 assists for 31 points through 48 games, and finished first on the team in goals and fourth in points.
Yakupov’s Career After the Lockout
Yakupov wasn’t all bad with the Oilers. He played decent during the 2013-14 season, scoring 11 goals and adding 13 assists for 24 points through 63 games. While it was a slight step back from his rookie season, he was still getting used to the NHL, and so many fans were patient, as were the Oilers. In the 2014-15 season, Yakupov scored 14 goals and added 19 assists for 33 points through 81 games. Unfortunately, this was the season many fans began to turn on him and stop defending him, they were expecting more of a breakout and didn’t get it, so he was on thin ice. His defensive play wasn’t good either, so he entered the 2015-16 season on a very short leash.
Unfortunately for Yakupov, his performance during the 2015-16 season sealed his fate with the Oilers. His defensive play continued to get lazier, and he only scored eight goals and added 15 assists for 23 points through 60 games. The Oilers decided to trade him to the St. Louis Blues, where he played the 2016-17 season. In his only season with the Blues, he scored three goals and added six assists for nine points through 40 games, and wasn’t re-signed when the season concluded.
Yakupov signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche for the 2017-18 season, where he scored nine goals and added seven assists for 16 points through 58 games. This was his final season in the NHL, and he was commonly viewed over the next few seasons as one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history. Personally, I never thought he was a bad player, but he never lived up to the hype of being a 1st overall selection.
He finished his NHL career with 62 goals and 74 assists for 136 points through 350 games, which comes out to a 0.39 points-per-game average.
Yakupov Returns to the KHL
Yakupov returned to the KHL in the 2018-19 season with SKA St. Petersburg. In his first season back in Russia, he scored 23 goals and added 10 assists for 33 points through 47 games. He followed it up the following season with 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points through 46 games. The following season, he was traded to Amur Khabarovsk, where he had six points through 15 games before they traded him to Avangard Omsk, where he scored six goals, and added four assists for 10 points, and seemingly found a new home.
He won the KHL championship, The Gagarin Cup, with Omsk in the 2020-21 season, as he contributed to the franchise’s first league title in history. He played for Omsk for the next two seasons, scoring 15 goals and adding 21 assists for 36 points through 59 games.
Where Is Yakupov Now?
Yakupov recently opted to remain in the KHL, but signed with a different team. He has chosen to sign with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on a one-year contract and has the opportunity to play with his 19-year-old cousin, Raul Yakupov.
For people who were fans of Yakupov in North America, there is almost no chance of him making a return to the NHL. He has found a home in the KHL and seemingly loves being back home. While he was never a bad offensive player in the NHL, he never was able to live up to the hype of a 1st overall pick and be the game-changer the Oilers wanted him to be. Thankfully, he didn’t allow a rough start to his professional career to stop him, and he continues to be a solid piece in the KHL.
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