The St. Louis Blues knew they were rolling the dice when they picked up Nail Yakupov just prior to the season. Things were hopeful, but it was always going to be a big ask.
First of all, with no training camp behind him, Yakupov did not have much time to acclimate to his new surroundings or teammates. That should not be a big thing for professionals, but in any team sport, chemistry and a sixth sense of where everyone will be tends to help.
At first, it seemed like the deal was going to be a good one for the Blues.