Nail Yakupov isn't thinking about jumping ship.
The first overall pick from the 2012 NHL Draft has said he has zero plans of returning to Russia, and the soon-to-be restricted free agent fully expects to play in NHL next season, according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest.
Whether that's with the St. Louis Blues or elsewhere remains to be seen, although the arrival of the NHL's 31st franchise could very well open a roster spot, as TSN's Pierre LeBrun suggested following Strickland's report.
Perhaps for Vegas? I don't think the Blues would protect him for the expansion draft https://t.co/OdJxnlagPz
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 11, 2017
Unlikely...(unofficial) Tarasenko, Schwartz, Stastny, Sobotka, Steen, Berglund, Reaves/Perron #stlblues #vegas https://t.co/X4yqoBWpuH
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) May 11, 2017
Yakupov appeared in only 40 games for the Blues after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers prior to the start of the season, recording three goals and six assists.
He was used sparingly and often scratched, and underwent knee surgery during the first round of the playoffs.
After he signed a two-year, $5-million contract with the Oilers in 2015, the terms of his next NHL deal will be anyone's guess.
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