Now leading the NHL in Rookie points after spending two thirds of this season on the third line, told you he will do fine He still needs a lot of work but is progressing nicely.
He's gotten better since the beginning of his season. He's carving out his niche in Edmonton and his earning his teammates trust. I watched a few games and they are much more inclined to pass to him, his shot can be lethal and everyone knows it.
He's still ~1-2 years away from NT though. The level of compete on NT is much higher.
I hope not. Yakupov is a skilled player but he only puts up points when the games don't mean anything. Sure he put up 5g in 2 games, but they were both blow outs in games which meant nothing for the Oilers. He struggled through the mid season. He hasn't shown himself to be a clutch player yet. I wouldn't put him in Olympic consideration until he has shown himself in a serious situation... Until then there are far better options.
He still needs a lot of work but is progressing nicely. 
