Nail Yakupov is the third No. 1 pick in a row made by the Edmonton Oilers to jump immediately into the NHL. After a highly publicized start to his NHL career, scoring a clutch last-minute equalizer against the Los Angeles Kings in the third game of the season (followed by this polarizing celebration), the rookie quieted down.
While his season has gone more or less how we could have expected it to, there is a lot to be excited about.
At times, Yakupov has been the best player on the ice, but there have been many nights the rookie has gone unnoticed, taking on a less prominent role than his predecessors of a similar pedigree have in past years. While players like Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were relied on heavily for offense in their rookie seasons, the Oilers' top six was more crowded than it has been in the past at the beginning of the year.
Yakupov still got his shifts in the top six—probably far fewer than many fans would have liked to see. He also paid his dues on the third and fourth lines, learning from veterans like Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Smyth. And let’s not forget about his long stint centered by the offensive abys ...
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Article written by Curtis LeBlanc
Nail Yakupov’s Rookie Season a Success with the Edmonton Oilers
April 12th, 2013 by Curtis LeBlanc Leave a reply »
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