Former Oilers 1st Overall Pick Nail Yakupov Has Been Traded Again

Back in 2012, the Edmonton Oilers believed they had landed a star of the future in Russian born forward Nail Yakupov, but unfortunately, he turned out to be one of the biggest busts in NHL history.

Since his departure at the end of the 2017/18 season, he has played consistently in the KHL for five different teams, and at 31-years of age, he's on the move once more after a blockbuster deal has officially gone through.

After joining Chinese club Kunlun Red Star this past off-season, Yakupov is on the move again after just 27 games with the team, as they agreed to a deal that would send him back to his former club Avangard Omsk.

In exchange for Yakupov and the rights to a 27-year old Canadian defenseman, the Red Star will be receiving the equivalent of $400,000 USD, in a deal that shows truly how far the once highly thought of player has fallen.

During the 27 games he's played with the Red Star this season, Yakupov has been solid, tallying 7 goals and 11 points, as he has struggled to get back to the heights of his success that he achieved with St. Petersburg SKA back in 2018/19.

It's unclear what the future holds for Yakupov and if he will ever head back to the United States or simply play out his career in the KHL, but after this latest move, it's clear that he's not the player that he once was.

Whether he's considered the biggest bust at No. 1 overall or not will take some time to determine, but for now it's easy to see why his career is seen as a disappointment, so perhaps he can turn things around with his second stint at Avangard Omsk.