The St. Louis Blues took a flyer by trading for Nail Yakupov just before the 2016-17 season began. After getting off to a good start, things have turned the other direction fairly fast.
Yakupov is going to be a healthy scratch for Wednesday’s clash against the Chicago Blackhawks. It will mark the third consecutive game he will have to watch from upstairs.
It is completely understandable that the Blues want more consistency. They won two games with Yakupov not on the roster and want to carry that momentum into the rivalry matchup.
On the other hand, Yakupov had been told he would return to the lineup on Sunday against the Avalanche.