There weren't many St. Louis Blues fans who didn't buy into the buzz in seeing what Nail Yakupov could do in a more stable setting. It wasn't working in Edmonton, both on the ice and off. Sure he could score occasionally and at times, his name would pop up in the box score with an assist. His trade value was very low and the Oilers made the move on a player who just didn't want to be there.
The Blues seemed to be the perfect landing spot for the young Russian. He didn't need to be a top tier forward, just a supporting piece in the puzzle.