Nail Yakupov is widely considered one of the biggest busts in National Hockey League history.

That title is deserved as well. Drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012 draft after scoring 31 goals and 69 points in 42 games with the Sarnia Sting in his draft year, the Russian sniper was considered one of the best draft prospects in the very weak 2012 class.

Under the guidance of Ralph Krueger, Yakupov actually had a solid rookie campaign, scoring 17 goals and 31 points in 48 games. Krueger was fired, Dallas Eakins was hired and the rest was history. Wanting Yakupov to play a more defensive style (a decade later, I’m still asking why), the winger scored just 11 goals and 24 points in 63 games.

His career high in points came during the 2014-15 season, scoring 14 goals and 33 points in 81 games, but finishing as a dismal minus-35, somehow worse than the minus-33 he was a season prior. The Oilers landed another first-overall pick in 2015, this time in a much stronger draft class, nabbing Connor McDavid. Playing alongside the generational talent, Yakupov showed glimpses of what made him an intriguing........

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