Former Oiler Nail Yakupov set to play for fourth KHL team in five years

Things didn’t work out very well in the NHL for Nail Yakupov, and it doesn’t seem like they are going a lot better back home.

The former Edmonton Oiler forward, regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history, has signed a one-year contract with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. It will mark the fourth team he has played on in five seasons.

After heading back to the KHL for the 2018-19 campaign, Yakupov suited up for St. Petersburg SKA, with whom he spent two seasons. After a solid first year, he regressed in a big way and joined Khabarovsk Amur for the 2020-21 season.

Yakupov’s time in Khabarovsk was short-lived, as he managed just a single goal through 15 games resulting in him being traded to Omsk Avangard. He remained in Omsk for the next two seasons but will be departing once again with the news of his signing in Neftekhimik.

While his totals in the KHL have been slightly better than in the NHL, they are far from what you would expect from a former first-overall pick who is still just 29 years old. It is quite shocking given how much potential he showed in his two OHL seasons with the Sarnia Sting, but was just never fully able to adapt to professional hockey.

The Oilers organization was often laughed at and criticized because Yakupov was selected with the first pick back in 2012. As bad of a pick as it was, however, the 2012 draft had its fair share of busts, as the three selections immediately after Yakupov were Ryan Murray, Alex Galchenyuk, and Griffin Reinhart.

Galchenyuk recently agreed to a league minimum contract with the Arizona Coyotes, while Murray still remains in free agency. Reinhart, on the other hand, announced his retirement from professional hockey after the 2021-22 season.

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