Nail Yakupov

Lore & Background

Yakupov grew up in the Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk junior program and moved to North America in 2010 to further his career. Nicknamed the 'Yak Attack' for his scoring abilities, he joined the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he played for two years before being selected in the NHL entry draft. He won the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year and the CHL Rookie of the Year award. Leading up to the 2012 draft, he was the highest-rated player available, though Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke later described Yakupov's prospect interview as the worst he had ever conducted, calling the player 'uncooperative and sulky' and noting that a fistfight almost developed between Yakupov and Toronto's chief amateur scout.

Yakupov signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Oilers in July 2012. Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, he was initially assigned to Sarnia but instead returned to Russia to play for Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL. After two games, the KHL suspended him because the International Ice Hockey Federation declared him ineligible, as Hockey Canada had not signed his transfer card. Hockey Canada later determined that Yakupov had no independent legal advice when he signed his contract with Sarnia and allowed him to return to Russia. After the lockout ended, he played his first NHL game on 20 January 2013 against the Vancouver Canucks and scored his first goal the next game. He recorded his first career hat-trick on 27 April 2013 in a 7–2 victory over the Canucks.

Yakupov was traded to the St. Louis Blues in October 2016 for prospect Zach Pochiro and a conditional 2017 third-round pick. He made the Blues opening night roster and scored his first goal with the team in his second game. After an initial offensive spark, his contributions dried up and he became a healthy scratch. His season ended prematurely after a knee injury requiring surgery against the Colorado Avalanche on 31 March 2017. He became an unrestricted free agent and signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Colorado Avalanche on 4 July 2017. After his NHL stint, he returned to the KHL, signing with SKA Saint Petersburg in July 2018, then was traded to Vityaz and later to Amur Khabarovsk.

Reader's Guide

Nail Yakupov's significance lies in his status as one of the most notable draft busts in NHL history. Selected first overall in 2012 by the Edmonton Oilers after a dominant junior career in the OHL, where he won Rookie of the Year honors and set the Sarnia Sting rookie goal-scoring record, he was expected to become a star. However, his NHL career was short and marked by relatively poor performance and low point totals. He played for three NHL teams—the Oilers, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche—but never lived up to the expectations of a first overall pick. His rookie season was his best, leading all rookies with 17 goals and tying for points with 31. After that, his production declined sharply. He was traded from Edmonton for a prospect and a conditional pick, and his time with the Blues was hampered by limited ice time and a knee injury. After one season with Colorado, he left the NHL for the KHL. His legacy is defined by the gap between his junior promise and his professional output, making him a cautionary example in draft evaluation.

Did You Know?

• He scored his first NHL hat-trick on 27 April 2013 against the Vancouver Canucks.
• He wore number 64 with the Edmonton Oilers because the digits add up to 10, the number of his idol Pavel Bure.
• Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said Yakupov gave the single worst prospect interview he had ever conducted.