Oilers' Dallas Eakins Defends Nail Yakupov

Oilers’ Dallas Eakins Defends Nail Yakupov

Oct 29, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) and right wing Nail Yakupov (10) collide mid ice with Nashville Predators left wing Gabriel Bourque (57) while chasing the puck at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Steve Alkok-USA TODAY Sports /

Dallas Eakins claims that Oilers forward Nail Yakupov is being worked with on his offensive game

According to the Edmonton Oiler‘s team website, head coach Dallas Eakins has promised that the team is working on improving forward Nail Yakupov’s offensive game.

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The forward was the third of a one-two-three bang of first overall picks awarded to the Oilers in 2010, 2011, and 2012, coming to the team just after Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

While the first two have been criticized for not reaching their full potential on the Oilers’ squad, though, Yakupov has been an outright concern for the franchise. The 21-year-old only has two goals and four points in the team’s first twelve games, but has been on the ice for over fifty unopposed shots by the opposition- not something you want to see, either offensively or defensively.

The Russian skater has also been playing a bit of a rough game, taking more than his fair share of hits- but not bringing the scorepower or the defensive consistency to back it up.

The Oilers as a whole have had no shortage of trouble over the past few years, coming in dead last in the Western Conference last season and currently sitting right where they were in March almost six months later. The team will need to do something to fix it’s defensive play- and step up it’s scoring- or things will start to look very dangerous indeed for the only coach to hold his position for more than a season since the ‘rebuild’ began.

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