Yakovlev made his
Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) debut playing with
Ak Bars Kazan during the
2010–11 KHL season. On 20 October 2011, Yakovlev signed a three-year deal with
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. He was the first player signed by the club after the
2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash that killed the majority of its roster six weeks earlier. On 7 June 2015, he signed a three-year contract with KHL powerhouse
SKA Saint Petersburg. On 21 May 2018, Yakovlev signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the
New Jersey Devils of the
National Hockey League (NHL). Yakovlev began the
2018–19 season with the Devils
American Hockey League affiliate, the
Binghamton Devils. He made his NHL debut on 11 November against the
Winnipeg Jets Yakovlev split the season between New Jersey and Binghamton, finishing with 2 goals and 7 points in 25 games in the NHL. As an impending free agent, Yakovlev left the Devils in order to return to continue his career in the KHL, signing a two-year contract with hometown club, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, on 15 May 2019. ==International play==