Could Nail Yakupov be done for the year?
On Monday, Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins suggested as much, telling reporters that Yakupov suffered a setback skating on his injured ankle over the weekend.
“I guess after coming off, it started to blow back up on him,” Eakins said, per the Edmonton Sun. “He’s had a bit of a setback there. As it went on later in the day, it started to swell back up, so we had to take a step back and re-evaluate.”
Yakupov, 20, hasn’t played since taking a puck off the foot against Carolina on Mar. 16. Subsequent testing revealed a fracture, which could be a disappointing end to what’s been a disappointing season.
Following his solid rookie campaign -- he led all first-year players in goals, with 17 -- Yakupov has struggled in his sophomore year and clashed with Eakins, resulting in a few healthy scratches.
Overall, Yakupov has just 11 goals and 24 points in 63 games this season.