Blues' Nail Yakupov: Team reveals he had surgery during playoffs

Yakupov underwent knee surgery during Round 1 of the playoffs, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Yak had the ambiguous "undisclosed" and "lower body" designations during the postseason run, but with the team getting eliminated by the Predators on Sunday, GM Doug Armstrong can freely speak of the precise nature of the injuries that bogged down his players when it mattered most. The Russian tallied only nine points in 40 regular-season contests, and this knee operation helps explain why he wasn't available for the playoffs. The first overall pick from the 2012 draft, Yakupov has been a colossal bust, and even a change of scenery following four rough years in Edmonton failed to invigorate the winger. He's still only 23 years old, but the former top prospect has faded into fantasy oblivion already.