After months of speculation, Nail Yakupov has been dealt by the Edmonton Oilers to the St. Louis Blues, according to Jason Gregor of TSN1260. Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch confirmed the deal and added the Oilers are acquiring a conditional third-round draft pick and prospect Zach Pochiro in exchange for the former first overall pick.
#stlblues announce they are sending prospect Zach Pochiro and a conditional pick in 2017 to the #oilers for Yakupov.
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) October 7, 2016
[link_box id=”22277″ site_id=”17″ layout=”link-box-third” alignment=”alignright”]The deal comes on the heels of reports the Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks were talking about a potential Yakupov deal.
The 23-year-old and 2012 first overall pick is coming off a disappointing season with Edmonton. Yakupov scored just 23 points in 60 games with the Oilers, posting eight goals. That might not seem all that noteworthy, but Yakupov is a highly-skilled forward who’s had an extremely tough time in Edmonton. There are signs he’s got top-six potential, as he currently ranks third in his entire draft class behind Alex Galchenyuk and Filip Forsberg with 50 goals and 111 points in 252 games. His defensive game needs work, but it’s a solid, low-cost gamble for the Blues.
Edmonton’s side of this deal is moving on from a talented, yet somewhat enigmatic forward. It’s unclear what the condition on the pick is, but a third-rounder isn’t awful for a player who hasn’t met expectations for the team. Pochiro isn’t much of a prospect, as the 22-year-old center appeared in 44 games in the ECHL scoring 26 points.
Yakupov’s upcoming season will determine his future in the NHL. He gets a much needed change of scenery in St. Louis, but it remains to be seen what kind of production he will bring.
