What a week it has been for Kailer Yamamoto. First, he was traded by the Edmonton Oilers (with Klim Kostin) to the Detroit Red Wings. Then the 24-year-old winger was immediately bought out by the Red Wings, making him an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Yet, he has now found his home for the 2023-24 season, signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Seattle Kraken.
Yamamoto will now be looking to make an impact for Seattle as they look to have a successful 2023-24 season.
Yamamoto’s 2022-23 Season
The 2022-23 season was a notable step back for Yamamoto. After posting 20 goals and 41 points in 81 games for the Oilers in 2021-22, his pace of production dropped. In 58 regular-season games, he had 10 goals and 25 points. He then followed that up with a postseason to forget, posting one goal, four points, and a disastrous minus-7 rating in just 12 games played.
Yamamoto’s struggles and his previous expensive cap hit ($3.1 million) were the primary reasons why the Oilers traded him in a salary dump move to the Red Wings. Although Detroit opted to buy him out, his goal will now be to bounce back as a member of the Kraken in 2023-24.
Yamamoto’s Fit With the Kraken
When looking at Seattle’s lineup, it is fair to argue that Yamamoto should be a solid addition to their middle six. They certainly needed more depth at the right wing position, and now they have gotten just that with Yamamoto. If they want to see what the 2017 first-round pick can do in a bigger role, he could be an option for their second line. However, he also has the potential to make an impact as a third-liner due to his secondary scoring ability.
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Yamamoto should also see plenty of time on the Kraken’s power play. When he is performing at his highest level, he is an effective offensive contributor due to his passing ability and scoring touch. Thus, it seems quite likely that he will be utilized often on their power play, whether that is on their first unit or second unit.
Yamamoto Looking to Reach Full Potential
Now that the craziness of his last few days is over, Yamamoto is finally in a position where will get a much-needed fresh start. When noting that the Washington native has past success in the league, a bounce-back campaign certainly should be in the cards. In fact, perhaps this change of scenery could be exactly what he needs to finally hit his full potential.
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There is reason to believe that Yamamoto could emerge as a top-six forward in the NHL. At times, he has shown moments of being one, but consistency has been an ongoing issue throughout his short career. Now that he is with Seattle it will be intriguing to see if this move can help find more success moving forward.
Alas, this looks like it has the potential to be a good signing for both the player and the team. Let’s see how Yamamoto can perform with the Kraken from here.
