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Here are the fantasy repercussions following the news that F Nail Yakupov has been traded to the St. Louis Blues:
After years of disappointment and continually being pushed down the Oilers' depth chart, the Yakupov project in Edmonton is officially over. After four years as an Oiler, the first overall selection in 2012 never accumulated more than 33 points and never scored more than 18 goals in a single season.
Yakupov's career actually began on a high note. In 2012-13's shortened season, the top pick potted 17 goals and 14 assists in just 48 games. Since then, he's played at least 60 games in each of the following three years but failed to top 33 points in any one.
This lack of productivity led Yakupov to ultimately assume a bottom-six role with the continually rebuilding Oilers. Last year, he averaged just over 14 minutes of ice time. It was the third time in four years that he failed to see 15 minutes of action.
His role with the Blues
Opportunity and environment are significant factors in any player's production. Last season, the Blues scored only 20 more goals than Edmonton and sported a power play 3.4 percentage points superior to that of the Oilers. Yes, Yakupov is moving to a superior offensive team, but not a drastically better one.
In terms of fitting in, Yakupov should be expected to assume a third-line role with St. Louis. This would likely place him alongside winger Robby Fabbri, who picked up 37 points last season. This doesn't improve Yakupov's fantasy profile too much, but it should hold it steady in terms of five-on-five productivity.
The real factor in Yakupov's progression could come on the power play.
St. Louis lost David Backes and Troy Brouwer this offseason, and Jaden Schwartz and Alex Steen are dealing with early-season injuries. This could open a door for Yakupov to see time with the man advantage, potentially alongside fellow countryman Vladimir Tarasenko.
For his career, Yakupov has notched 16 goals and 16 assists on the power play. Incorporating him into either the first or second power-play unit shouldn't be too difficult for head coach Ken Hitchcock. If he can work his way onto the top unit, alongside Tarasenko, fantasy players should reconsider the written-off 23-year-old winger.
Astute fantasy players in both season-long and DFS formats should keep an eye on this development, as it could cause a rapid increase in Yakupov's productivity.
Draft day
An ADP of 245 will leave Yakupov off most draft boards, and rightfully so. But should the winger develop some chemistry alongside Fabbri and see time on the power play, he'll be worth keeping an eye on to begin the season.
Look to Yakupov as either a late-round flier or an early-season waiver wire addition, with his appeal being dependent on early productivity and his special teams role.
In deeper leagues, Yakupov should be afforded a late-round selection in hopes that he develops some early-season chemistry. However, he shouldn't be held for too long if he continues to disappoint.
