Nail Yakupov appears to have made a positive first impression with his new team.
Yakupov recorded one shot on goal and one hit in his St. Louis Blues debut, a win over Chicago. It was his play without the puck, however, that had head coach Ken Hitchcock rethinking his assumptions:
Hitch on Yakupov: "Much better defensively than I thought. What I liked more than anything was his conscience. His conscience was there."
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 13, 2016
Possession wise, Yakupov was an even 50 percent in terms of Corsi for on the night, seeing time only at five-on-five, meaning he was on the ice for as many shot attempts for as against.
It's an encouraging sign for a player many have given up on. Properly deployed and guided, Yakupov, still only 23, could be a useful piece for a Blues team looking to contend for the Stanley Cup.
- Advanced stats courtesy: HockeyStats.ca
