Edmonton Oilers: NHL 16 Rankings Top Six Forwards

Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

RW Nail Yakupov-84

Like Eberle, Yakupov has yet to live up to his potential.  But, since his numbers aren’t starting to flourish, we’re putting him at an 84 overall.  Yakupov is talented and maintains a lot of skills when it comes to hand work and skating, but his scoring ability is just not there right now.

Defensively, he’s a wreck.  He holds one of the worst +/- scores in the league and can’t back check at all.  Hopefully, he will develop further under Todd McLellan and learn to balance defense and improve his offense at the same time.  He also lacks physicality, but he can be aggressive.

However, he’s poised for a breakout this season, so maybe it will become a better score later on.  Who knows?  Right now, he sits at an 84 for me.

Next: Conclusion