Blues acquire former No. 1 overall pick Nail Yakupov from Oilers

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The Blues bolstered their forward group by acquiring former No. 1 overall pick Nail Yakupov from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward prospect Zach Pochiro and a conditional third-round draft pick in 2017.

The third-rounder becomes a second-round selection if Yakupov scores 15 or more goals this season.

There has been speculation over the last 24 hours that the Blackhawks were showing serious interest in the 23-year-old Russian winger, but talks likely broke down due to salary retention.

[SHOP: Gear up for the 2016-17 season, Blackhawks fans!]

Yakupov has one year remaining on his contract that carries a $2.5 million cap hit, which wouldn't have fit under the cap for the Blackhawks, who have slightly less than $2 million in cap space as of Friday, according to generalfanager.com. That number could fluctuate, however, when rosters are finalized Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT.

Yakupov scored eight goals and 15 assists in 60 regular-season games last season with the Oilers, and has compiled 111 points (50 goals, 61 assists) in 252 games across four seasons in the National Hockey League.

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