In his debut season in the OHL, he collected 101 points. He was considered the top prospect by central scouting in 2012, and according to Hockey's Future, he was expected to contribute significantly to the Oilers' second line. He wasn't a franchise player or a generational talent, but he was the best the draft had to offer at the moment. Yakupov was selected third overall by the Edmonton Oilers. The pick ended years of speculation about whether the Oilers would select first or second, as well as which direction they would go with their picks. General manager Steve Tambellini said that the team wanted to take the best player available, regardless of position. At 6'1" and 190 pounds, Yakupov has excellent size for a center. He also has good hands and is a solid skater with great speed and acceleration. Although most scouts believe that Yakupov will eventually settle into a role as a two-way player, he started off strong in junior last year by scoring 26 goals and adding 62 assists for 88 points in 57 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers. He was ranked number one by Central Scouting on its list of the top 100 players in the 2012 draft. The only reason he dropped down to third overall was due to concerns about his commitment to hockey after reports surfaced that he might be willing to play baseball instead. However, later reports indicated that he was not likely to do so.