As entertaining as the selection process was, the 2016 NHL Draft was shockingly quiet on the trade front. The Edmonton Oilers weren’t able to make any moves over the course of the draft, which is a bit of a surprise because it was widely expected that at the very least the club would be trading Nail Yakupov.

It didn’t happen, and when asked about the lack of movement Oilers G.M. Peter Chiarelli had some interesting comments.

The key exchange on this point came early in Chiarelli’s post-draft press conference with an off-camera reporter (I believe it was Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal):

Chiarelli’s answers run counter to a report which ran in the Russian outlet Sport-Express back in March. That report indicated that Yakupov had requested a deal in advance of the trade deadline, but that the club had been unable to make a satisfactory deal.

The conventional wisdom is that Yakupov would like to get a fresh start in a new NHL city, and that the Oilers have been attempting to trade him. That wisdom may or may not be accurate, and naturally there’s no upside whatsoever for Chiarelli to confirm it. Additionally, it’s worth remembering that more than one NHL player has expressed dissatisfaction with his team, only to be welcomed back into the fold. Jonathan Drouin in Tampa Bay, who was much more public in his unhappiness, is only the most recent of many examples of this kind of reconciliation. 

If we set aside the supposed trade request, there are two other key factors to keep in mind.

The first is trade value. It would be surprising if Yakupov was worth even a second-round pick on the open market. In all likelihood, the Oilers would be looking at a similar return as that fetched by Beau Bennett in Pittsburgh: a third-round draft choice. Yakupov’s struggles on the ice are well-known, and he’s at a point in his career where a team might very well hesitate to protect him from next year’s expansion draft (barring a breakout campaign). 

That low value would seem to be an item in favour of keeping Yakupov; if the Oilers can’t get any value for him, there’s no sense in moving a player with scoring potential who is still only 22 years old.

The other issue is where he slots on Edmonton’s depth chart. The Oilers added Jesse Puljujarvi over the weekend and he’ll compete for a spot in the top-six next year at right wing. Additionally, Jordan Eberle, Zack Kassian, Iiro Pakarinen and potentially Leon Draisaitl could all play there. 

There may be room for an offensive middle-six winger on the right side, but so far Yakupov hasn’t been convincing in that role. Additionally, breaking out of the defensive zone is likely to remain a problem for as long as he plays on his off-wing, a position he seems to prefer. Even if there is a hole, there’s a case to be made that the Oilers would be better off with a bargain-bin free agent from the P-A Parenteau/Lee Stempniak class than they are with Yakupov. 

My guess would be that at some point this offseason Yakupov will be moved, either in exchange for another young player in equal need of a change of scenery or as a sweetener in a bigger deal involving a defenceman. However, Chiarelli may have just cracked open the door on the possibility of 2012’s No. 1 selection returning for another campaign with the Oilers.