Nail Yakupov
Position: Right Wing
Goals: 9
Assists: 7
Age: 24
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I think we all wanted Nail Yakupov to work out for the Colorado Avalanche so badly. He just seems to have so much potential. When he’s on, he’s electric. When he’s off… well, the oft-used comparison is he’s a player who looks like he’s being chased by bees. He doesn’t have the best ice vision or on-ice smarts.
If only Nail had had some consistency in linemates this season, he might have succeeded. He started off by showing chemistry with Matt Duchene and Alexander Kerfoot. Unfortunately, after the Duchene trade, Yakupov didn’t get to stay with Kerfoot all the time. He’s gotten scratched quite a few games, too, including today.
What’s more, apparently Yakupov brought all his gear with him in case he got traded during the road trip. It didn’t happen, but it shows that he feels he’ll be on the move.
What’s been little-mentioned about Yakupov is his value in the locker room. He’s one of those happy personalities that spreads the joy. That is a good force to have in the locker room, especially as the tension of the playoffs wear on.
I really like Yakupov, even if his Avalanche experiment didn’t work out. I’d like to see him go to a team that goes deep into the playoffs — especially if said team coughed up a third rounder. I’d be fine with a fourth rounder, too.
Next: Predicting What the Avs will do at Deadline
The NHL Trade Deadline is fast approaching — February 26, 1 pm MT. We’ll see what, if anything the Colorado Avalanche do with the above players. But I do predict Sakic will do something — even if it’s just swapping a couple AHLers.