Why was Nail Yakupov a bust?

[luiginb]

Something nobody mentioned is confidence. He was a crash and bang player at the junior levels but after his first injury he never hit anybody again. His NHL style of play of "being chased by bees" also sometimes happens when players are afraid to get hit/hurt

Also we're speaking about a player who's only 0.59 ppg in the khl for his career so the talent wasn't all there to speak of, but it was a weak draft, somebody had to be first, and it wasn't going to be Forsberg from the second Swedish league.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Honestly, I think he was another one of those Russian players whose age was a lot higher than normal but was listed as 18. Because from watching his junior highlights he would be a player that'd look good in the AHL but never in the NHL.

But all together he was just very cocky.

 

[TBF1972]

He would've gone like 5th or 6th in the draft if he was a year younger, and would've been hard pressed to crack the top ten if he was a year older. It was a tremendously shit draft. It was known at the time that it was going to be a shit draft, but he and Galchenyuk(who got injured during his draft year) were the only guys that appeared to have star potential at all. Really only Forsberg and arguably Reilly can be called stars from that draft. Cody Ceci has played the second most games FFS. Nobody would remember him so poorly if he was a 6th overall pick. Those go sideways pretty regularly. He just had the misfortune of being the most exciting player in a dreadful year.

i probably would go slavin as the best player from the 2012 draft.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Honestly, I think he was another one of those Russian players whose age was a lot higher than normal but was listed as 18.

Who were the others?

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Honestly, I think he was another one of those Russian players whose age was a lot higher than normal but was listed as 18. Because from watching his junior highlights he would be a player that'd look good in the AHL but never in the NHL.

And where is this theory coming from exactly?

 

[tucker3434]

Was he hyped? I mean, I remember Fail for Nail stuff, but I thought most guys around that time had significantly more hype. 2011 and 2012 drafts we kinda knew that these should be very good players, but not Tavares, Hall, or later MacKinnon level.

Anyway, seems like a lot of guys have great rookie years, but then opponents get some film on them and figure out ways to slow down the tricks they used in Junior against inferior talent. At that point you round out your game or you bust. He didn’t have the toolbox to adapt the elite tools he had to be effective at the NHL level. It’s too bad. The guys should’ve been at least a 2nd line scorer.

 

[triggrman]

he didn't score enough points

 

[elmaco]

Cause he sucks.

 

[banks]

I think he was just seriously mishandled by Edmonton.

He obviously wasn't rated properly by scouts, so he was drafted too high. So then Edmonton treated him like he was instantly NHL ready and a can't miss player.

He should have been allowed to have a development curve. But they just put him on the NHL roster and played him like a top scorer every game. If he was drafted in round 2 he might have stayed in the KHL another year or so, or maybe got some AHL time. He could have worked his way up the roster, and been under less pressure if he got a cold streak.

Yakupov could have been a good player. But you can't just expect every to instantly live up to their draft position.

 

[BruinLVGA]

He ain‘t thriving back home either. In the last 4 seasons in the KHL, he played a total of 127 games and he has 30 goals and 41 assists (16 points, 26 points, 10 points, 19 points seasons). At nearly 31, I think that he‘s perilously close to being done with hockey.

 

[GhostfaceWu]

Just like puljujari his shot was suppose to be a big part of his arsenal but instead they couldnt figure out how to one time a puck to save their lives.

 

[thegazelle]

I remember thinking about this very question not too long ago when I wondered what happened to that guy.

I think ultimately what followed Yakupov around his whole career was the original sense of expectation, incorrect imputed value of worth, and an overhyped skillset. I think all throughout his journey in the NHL amongst different teams, these things followed him around, and greatly inflated his perceived value.

This may be a very poor example but it's what I can think of. Say a new car model is super hyped up - lots of ads, lots of interest. Because of the demand, the initial asking price is high, and there is only one made (due to supply issues or whatever - I dunno, just making this up). People collectively accepted the perceived imputed hype based in perceived demand / rare supply, etc. Yes, I think he was originally scouted wrong, but after that I think it was the original first round draft pick allure that followed him around.

So going back to my car example. I buy the car - after driving it a bit, I don't find it as great as I (and everybody thought). Friends are jealous I managed to snag it. But as I drive the car I realize a lot of problems with it and what I once thought were great features become annoyances or never lived up to their potential.

Well, I decided that I should have just bought another car so I am looking to get rid of it. People catch wind that the very rare car is for sale, the one that everyone once clamoured about and people were willing to shell out insane amounts of money for it. People remember the hype of the car, and a seller offers me an ok trade (from my perspective on it). They think they got a deal. I am just glad to get rid of the car, even though it was at far less value.

That new owner after a while notices the same things as me about the car. Wasn't quite what they thought - doesn't drive as nice as they thought. But hey it was a rare car all those years ago and everyone was willing to mortgage their house to buy it. It must be special. But the new owner who bought it from me just can't find enough reasons to justify what he paid for it. And so he lists is for sale and the next guy or gal sees the ad and thinks, "holy cow, I wanted that car all those years ago", and makes an offer and is delighted they picked it up since this thing was so much the cat's meow all those years ago.

I kind of see Nail Yakupov in that way. As they say in Texas, all hat, no cattle.

 

[Zine]

Honestly, I think he was another one of those Russian players whose age was a lot higher than normal but was listed as 18. Because from watching his junior highlights he would be a player that'd look good in the AHL but never in the NHL.

But all together he was just very cocky.

If Yakupov's d.o.b. is fake, it wouldve needed to be faked as a child.....before his first year playing.
Moving a known kid down a bunch of age groups without players, parents, coaches noticing is practically impossible. It would cause a shitstorm.
Russia keeps meticulous records. The situation isn't like African footballers or whatever.


As for Yakupov's failure? The difference between an NHLer and non-NHLer can be minuscule. Often it's the little things. In Yak's case he has the hockey sense of a wet blanket.

 

[DingerMcSlapshot]

He was a bust. Because he was so stupid as a hockey player. Good shot, decent skater and no brains.

 

[Bouboumaster]

#Fail4Nail

 

[Hennessy]

It's been said repeatedly - his hockey IQ was virtually non-existent.

But one thing any fan of a team he played for can agree on: he had a fantastic personality. Hard to hate on someone so darn likeable.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Yeah but let's be honest, no one else they would have reasonably picked at 1 would have been much better. That draft sucked butt

Never ceases to amaze that the Oilers not only made this poor pick at one but later traded 2015 1st and 2nd picks for the fourth overall as well -- for a player with three years of evidence showing he also had little to no NHL potential. But that's why they pay Harvard men like Chiarelli the big bucks.

Yakupov was fun to watch for a little bit there, a bit of welcome chaos (see also Linus Omark) on teams that were so starved for talent. Glad others are pointing out that Yakupov had good personal character and tried his best. As a Tatar and Muslim suddenly living in Edmonton, probably wasn't an easy career transition for the teen.

Also enjoy posters on this website calling other people dumb with no sense of irony or dignity.

 

[Volica]

Dumb as a post

Also had the misfortune of being drafted by the Oilers. There was no way he was NHL ready in 2012.

Cannot be overstated.
The second part.

People sleep on this. Edmonton is probably the worst drafting and developing team in the NHL. It gets white-washed because of McDavid and Draisaitl... but their history is a horror show. Little to no talent ever found outside the top of the draft. Highlight player is probably Jeff Petry outside of the first round in 20 years.

They rushed all their first overalls to the NHL, and probably hindered what all of them could have become otherwise outside of McDavid who was just too talented to ruin. Also, drafting two legendarily dumb wingers in Hall and Yakupov is the most Oilery thing ever.

 

[Mobiandi]

He should not have regressed in the manner that he did. Edmonton ruined him.

 

[Dirty Dan]

He was better than Griffin Reinhart who played for Edmonton Oil Kings , so probably that's what happened.

But Ryan Murrary(2) or Morgan Reilly (5) would have been better but it doesn't matter since they got Leo and McDavid after

 

[Soundwave]

No hockey I.Q.

His shot release wasn't good enough to beat goalies clean. He wanted to basically play like Ovechkin with an inferior shot. That works at the OHL level. Doesn't work at the NHL level. To beat NHL goalies with your shot clean and be that kind of sniper level player, your shot has to be other worldly.

He was better than Griffin Reinhart who played for Edmonton Oil Kings , so probably that's what happened.

But Ryan Murrary(2) or Morgan Reilly (5) would have been better but it doesn't matter since they got Leo and McDavid after

Basically yeah, if Yakupov had turned out to be a median star level player or even Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin quality, the Oilers probably aren't in a position to get Draisaitl and McDavid. So ultimately it worked out for them.

 

[Ceremony]

I don't know how he didn't score 200 goals a season just from doing this tbqh:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1824526203987832982

 

[Spender]

Just from my viewing of him with the Avs you have to give him credit for buying in and hustling, but he was always a step or two behind the play mentally. The most surprising thing is he had any success at all when he entered the league.

 

[67 others]

no hockey IQ

 

[The Panther]

Speaking of low IQ, people are saying "Edmonton ruined him". Er... no.

The Oilers' drafting has (basically since 1982) been a disaster, but player development is a different issue. It's easy to look at it now in retrospect (with 4 more non-playoff seasons in-a-row in the future after 2012, and 6 of 7 seasons after Yakupov's arrival) and say, "They rushed him in too quickly!" "They didn't let him develop!" But I bet at the time, back in autumn 2012, if the Oilers hadn't played Yakupov in the line-up, 95% of you would have been on here castigating that decision.

So, yes, we can say now that probably one year in the AHL would have benefitted Yakupov's overall development... but then again, maybe not? In his rookie NHL season, he led the Oilers in goals, and he had a great relationship with a coach he trusted and respected. If the Oilers had sent Yak to the minors for one year, then he would have arrived as an NHL rookie in 2013-14, with his first head coach being... Dallas Eakins.

Anyway, the Eakins hiring was obviously a disaster that did not work out, and that's on the Oilers' org. But around this same period the Oilers also drafted and developed Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Tyler Pitlick, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oscar Klefbom, Jujhar Khaira, Darnell Nurse, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Ethan Bear, and I'm not aware of any "development problems" with these players. Many exceeded expectations, and three won the Hart trophy.

Also, Yakupov has had almost a decade since he left Edmonton to (re-)establish himself, and... he's done nothing of note for St. Louis, Colorado, or in the KHL.