Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto appeared on Daily Faceoff’s first trade targets board heading into the offseason.
Yamamoto, 24, has had a tough season with the Oilers drawing in for just 58 games scoring 10 goals and 25 points. Here’s some of what Frank Seravalli wrote about why the Oilers could look to trade him:
16. Kailer Yamamoto
Right Wing, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 24
Stats: 58 GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $3.1 million AAV
Scoop: Just about every part of this season has been a little bit “off” for Yamamoto. He hasn’t seemed quite right. He’s been dealing with a vestibular system issue, symptoms not all that different than a concussion, for a large chunk of the year, which also kept him out of the lineup in the early part of 2023. When he’s been healthy, Yamamoto can be an impact contributor. He collected 20 goals last season. It’s just that the Oilers will have other players to pay (see: Evan Bouchard) and limited room to make deals, making him potentially expendable.
Drafted by the Oilers 22nd overall in 2017, his big break came partway through the 2019-20 season when he was recalled from the AHL. He joined a line with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and scored 11 goals and 26 points in 27 games down the stretch of that season.
However, he’s never replicated that level of production. He did score career highs in goals (20), assists (21) and points (41) last season, but it was a very up-and-down season that saw him go stretches of time being reasonably unproductive despite consistent time in the Oilers’ top-six.
As Seravalli noted above, Yamamoto’s been dealing with injuries this season that have hampered him, and his struggles have been very apparent early in the playoffs this season.
Bouchard needing a new contract could absolutely impact what the club does with Yamamoto. While one might argue it would make sense to look to move out Cody Ceci given he’s a right-shot defenceman like Bouchard, the truth of the matter is the Oilers have more readily available prospects that could replace Yamamoto.
Dylan Holloway will be a full-time winger next year with the big club, and Raphael Lavoie will enter training camp looking to do anything and everything to stay with the team.
The Oilers will enter the offseason with $6.82-million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly, with RFA’s Bouchard, Ryan Mcleod and Klim Kostin to sign. They also need to re-sign, or replace, Derek Ryan, Mattias Janmark, Devin Shore and Nick Bjugstad on the roster.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
