Nail Yakupov seems like he could be had for very little. Despite all the assets the New Jersey Devils currently hold, the team should not waste anything on the Russian forward.
Nail Yakupov is one of the most polarizing players in the NHL. He’s a former number one overall pick. His first goal came with a celebration that would make a wide receiver jealous. He won’t mince words to the media about how he feels about his role on the ice. Yakupov tends to be talked about a lot once the season is in full swing.
That doesn’t mean he is good.
Don’t get me wrong, Yakupov has skill for days. His stick handling is mind blowing, and his speed is unquestionable. These traits would go great with any system, especially a New Jersey Devils team that desperately needs goal scoring every season.
The main problem is, the kid has not figured out how to put everything together.
Todd Panula from our sister blog at Bleed In Blue gave Yakupov an F for the 2016-17 season. He gave him a straight up failing grade for his “contribution” to the St. Louis Blues for the entire season.
Yet, some Devils fans seemed infatuated with the 23-year-old Russian. I’ve seen Twitter go crazy for the kid, hoping general manager Ray Shero makes a move to bring Yakupov to New Jersey.
The reality is, Yakupov does not fit what the Devils are trying to build. To say he is an unfinished project is an understatement. He was extremely promising when he scored 17 goals in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, but he hasn’t hit that mark since despite playing more games.
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The Devils do not have the right system in place to make Yakupov the star that many thought he would become. He scored three goals last season. That isn’t a typo, in 40 games he lit the lamp less than Nick Lappin.
Devils head coach John Hynes doesn’t need a player who needs this much development despite five years in the NHL. He already has a ton of young players the Devils could grab from its system that have a similar upside to Yakupov. He would be taking a spot from the likes of Michael McLeod or Nathan Bastian, which I have more confidence in anyway and would cost the Devils absolutely nothing to put on the main roster. They would probably be easier to handle, too.
His pure talent will make Devils fans drool, but at the end of the day Yakupov is not worth it to the Devils to make a move to get him.