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Edmonton Oilers: A Look at Yakupov with Different Centres

The Edmonton Oilers have an interesting winger in Nail Yakupov. The young Russian was unexpectedly taken first-overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in the year of defensemen, and has since proven to struggle.

The truth of the matter for Yakupov, however, is that he does not seem to struggle by himself, but instead, struggles based off the line she is put on. You can see the deterioration in his stats when he plays with certain players, as well as the increase in his numbers when he plays with others.

However, in 2015, the Oilers draft Connor McDavid, and from the moment the two hit the ice together, Yakupov went from a bust to an impressive winger with scoring ability.