Nail Yakupov's agent acknowledges the Edmonton Oilers tried to trade his client before the deadline at his request, and more than a handful of teams were involved.
NHL legend Igor Larionov, who represents the forward, confirmed Monday on Sportsnet 590 The FAN that both the Oilers and Yakupov's camp made an effort to find the 22-year-old a new team.
Related: Report: Oilers' Yakupov asked to be traded before deadline
Larionov said he talked to "maybe six or seven teams" about Yakupov before Feb. 29, after receiving permission from the club to do so.
The agent spent "a lot of time" with general manager Peter Chiarelli and also spoke to head coach Todd McLellan, at which point the agent and the Oilers brain trust tried to see what was available.
Larionov said having five head coaches in four years is "too much" for Yakupov and that his client needs to play with a skilled center.
"Nail loves the city of Edmonton, he loves the fans, and obviously he would like to stay there, but I guess at some point he needs a fresh start ... to move on," the agent added.
Larionov said he hopes there will be more opportunities to find his client "the right spot" at June's NHL draft in Buffalo, N.Y.
Yakupov has one more year remaining on his contract after this season at a cap hit of $2.5 million, and he's a pending restricted free agent in 2017-18.
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