Former Oiler Nail Yakupov signing contract after rumours of NHL return

In the last few weeks Nail Yakupov had been spotted training with several NHL players, including Andrei Svechnikov and Matvei Michkov. This sparked rumours of a potential NHL return on a tryout contract, and Yakupov even hinted that it was possible with an Instagram comment. Now obviously, any hope for an NHL comeback for Yakupov is off the table.

It would be cool to see a return from such a prolific player like Yakupov, but in reality he probably doesn't have the talent to hang in the NHL anymore. He's been a free agent for some time now at 30 years old, and has struggled to stay in the lineup after several injuries in his KHL career.

The Oilers drafted Yakupov first overall in 2012, and he had an electric start with the team. His offensive production was great at the start, but began to decline for a few years before the Oilers cut ties with him in a trade sending him to the St. Louis Blues. After a short stint with the Colorado Avalanche, Yakupov left the NHL with only 350 career games played, 62 goals, and 136 points. In the Low-scoring KHL, he went back to being an elite scorer when he's able to stay healthy, but after a number of questionable years he'll have to prove himself this season.

Source: Jesse Courville-Lynch on X