EDMONTON — Game one of the regular season is 30 days away.
That’s how long Edmonton Oilers fans need to wait to see a game that truly matters. Pre season kicks off on September 22nd with a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
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However, other leagues around the world have already gotten underway. The biggest of those leagues being the KHL. The Russian-based league is known as the second best league in the world. Players who still have a lot of skill but can’t crack an NHL roster often go overseas to play in the KHL.
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Nail Yakupov is in his seventh year in the KHL. He hopped into the league the season following his last in the NHL. The 2017-18 season with the Colorado Avalanche was the last time that Yakupov played in the NHL.
This year he joined a new team, the Kunlun Red Star.
With four points in his first three games, Yakupov was named one of the players of the week in the KHL. One of his three goals was of the game winning variety. He has also registered three hits and two blocked shots.
Over the last three KHL seasons his production has fluctuated. He produced 26 points in 2021-22 and then 10 and 19 points respectively in the two years since. He’s already recorded over 20% of his point totals from last year, and he’s only played three games.
There was a ton of hype for Yakupov following his first overall selection in the 2012 draft. It’s unfortunate that things ultimately didn’t work out in the NHL. But he appears to be having a long and great KHL career. That has to count for something.
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