Will Nail Yakupov ever return?

[Wayne Primeau]

Will we ever see this guy give the NHL one more try? Or, to use perhaps a better wording, will the NHL ever give this guy one more try?

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[Goose]

That’s a hard no right there.

 

[HOPE]

Yes.

 

[AvsFan29]

No he's not good enough. A major no after the comments about Russians in the NHL.

 

[bukwas]

Kind of doubt it. He put in 6 years and had poor results.

 

[SoundAndFury]

He is barely an impact player in the KHL being outproduced and pushed down the roster by Maxim Karpov whom most of you have never heard about, most likely. So I think no.

 

[karnige]

he got more then 1 chance with numerous teams. he just doesnt have it

 

[JackSlater]

Not sure, but I'll be waiting with bated breath.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I'd say no, but I see him returning the same way Zherdev did with the Flyers on a decent deal. If it doesn't work out he never comes back to the NHL again.

But if I were to guess when, I'd say he returns in 2021. My guesses are Tampa, Seattle or Winnipeg.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Yes

 

[Kale Hulls]

One of the rare players the Oilers didn't ruin.

And no, not a chance.

 

[Alex K]

What for?

 

[CraigBillington]

I won't say no, who knows if someone will give him a shot in 2021 when 20+ nhl jobs open up. Doubt it will happen, but I won't be terribly surprised if an invite is offered

 

[belair]

If he ever decides to become anything close to what was expected of him, he should call up the Oilers and come play the other two years of that ELC again.

 

[McShogun99]

He isn’t even a good player in the KHL, refuses to work on his weaknesses and isn’t very good at what he’s supposed to be good at. That being said, he’ll probably come back for 1 season and then never be back again.

 

[McFlash97]

This is a league that employs 2 goals in 82 games man Lucic at 6 million a year . Yakupov will be back.

 

[izzy]

he will prob come back

 

[kp61c]

he's not a dog turd in the khl, but his play
here leaves me disappointed nevertheless. i think his return home to the nhl is unavoidable.

 

[JustinCase]

No. Skill alone won't cut it. The guy had little hockey IQ, and even less work ethic.

 

[lawrence]

His last team was a rebuilding team, that had ice time to spare or spot for reclamation project players. He signed for minimum and even with the given ice time he failed miserably. He does not lack iq, I just think his choppy skating with him being a wussy if a perimeter player will hold him back as a nhl player. I will be surprised to see him in the nhl again.

 

[Whaleafs]

He'll sign with LA when he's 35

 

[Coffey]

He'll sign with LA when he's 35

 

[The Podium]

This thread reminded me of Filatov for some reason

 

[dss97]

Guy has zero hockey sense and he isn’t very good. He has made no progress since being drafted (I’d argue he’s a worse hockey player since being drafted) and he seems to point fingers at everyone but himself as to why he hasn’t had success in the NHL.

So no.

 

[BlackDogg]

Wish I had a dollar for every Yakupov thread.