Nail Yakupov talks about insane media pressure placed on high picks
Photo credit: USA Today
Nail Yakupov goes on mic to talk about media pressure and how it can affect young players.
Despite how it may seem to teams when making the pick, even high picked prospects still often have lots of work to do to prove themselves in the NHL. The biggest example of this is of course Nail Yakupov, the Oilers' first overall pick.
It's hard to see a massive draft bust like Yakupov as a person, but at the end of the day Yakupov is still a person whose dream was to have a lengthy career in the NHL. Yakupov joined ex-NHLer John Scott's podcast to talk about the pressure of being a first overall pick.
In the interview, Yakupov talks about how high the pressure can be on a rookie to succeed just because of his high draft position and how much the team leans on you.
Yakupov also talks about how easy it is for players to get homesick, which seems to be a common sentiment for Russian players. Yakupov was someone who had been given the label of a draft bust for a long time, whcih definitely has an effect on a player's confidence.
Because of this lack of confidence, Yakupov ended up having a short career in the NHL. He just couldn't fit in with the team, and performed worse on teams he headed to after. Despite his underwhelming career, he has still found success in the hockey world taking on new jobs.
Even though his own career wasn't what it was expected to be, he still has a great skill set to help others excel in the NHL. It's cool to see him still hanging around the hockey world, even if it is in an Avalanche jersey. Hopefully he can help his fellow countryman improve in the league and prove that he still deserves a spot in the world of pro hockey.
| POLL | ||
3 AOUT | 93 ANSWERS Nail Yakupov talks about insane media pressure placed on high picks Do you think Yakupov would be a good coach? | ||
| Yes, he has much to teach | 22 | 23.7 % |
| No, his lack of NHL success shows he won't be | 71 | 76.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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