Edmonton Oilers: Two Kailer Yamamoto Potential Trades For The Team
The Edmonton Oilers and Kailer Yamamoto have yet to come to an agreement on a new contract, and with the season right around the corner, rumors have begun to fly about why he still isn’t locked up with the team.
With Oscar Klefbom likely being placed on LTIR for the entire season, the Oilers will receive some much-needed cap relief and should have the money to be able to re-sign the young star in the making.
Yamamoto was selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL entry draft by the Oilers after putting up 99 points in 65 games during the 2016-17 season with the Spokane Chiefs. He drew early comparisons to Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau as they both are shorter players that don’t let their size scare them, and have similar play styles.
Yamamoto has tallied a total of 52 points over 105 games in his NHL career, all with the Oilers. Last season he recorded 21 points over 52 games while adding 26 PIMS with the team. As a young star in the making, and easily being penciled into the Oilers’ top-six forward group. Yamamoto has earned himself a new contract, and a bit of a raise.
So what are the chances the Oilers move Yamamoto, and what are the possible moves?
Trade rumors and mock trades have been popping up all over social media as fans began to speculate if Yamamoto wants more than the Oilers can afford. Kurt Leavins suggested that Yamamoto’s new contract could come in around $2.5M AAV, and he’d likely get locked up for only 1 or 2 years. With Jake Debrusk being connected to the Oilers, as they remain interested in him for the right price, the rumors of Yamamoto leaving Edmonton in exchange for the Bruins forward came into play.
The chances of Yamamoto being moved are quite slim, but definitely not outside of the realm of possibility, especially with how unpredictable the Oilers offseason has been. There’s a couple of possible trades that make sense IF the Oilers cannot afford to match what he wants and consider moving him.
I’ve talked about Jake Debrusk before in my articles before, and I continue to believe he may be in an Oilers jersey sooner than later. The 24-year-old has been struggling with the Bruins and was even a healthy scratch for a short stretch near the end of the season. After putting up 14 points in 41 games, a change of scenery could be needed to place him back on track, and Edmonton could be just the place.
The Mock Trade:
Oilers Acquire: Jake Debrusk (50% Retained)
Bruins Acquire: Kailer Yamamoto
This particular trade would free up some cap space for the Oilers, as the Bruins take on 50% of Debrusk’s contract to bring in Yamamoto. Although unlikely, this trade would be the most ideal for the Oilers if they decide to take this route in some way, shape, or form. With this trade, the Oilers forward lines could then look like this:
Hyman – Mcdavid – Puljujarvi
Nugent-Hopkins – Draisaitl – Debrusk
Foegele – Ryan – Kassian
Shore – McLeod – Archibald
Putting Debrusk alongside a top 5 player in the NHL in the starting lineup and with him likely getting some powerplay time, his offensive impact would change drastically. I can see Debrusk pushing 60 points a season if he is able to find his form again, and what better way to get back to form than learning from two of the best players this league has seen in years.
The next possibility is Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, who is widely considered one of the best two-way forwards in the game and is severely underrated as an all-around player. Hertl had 43 points in 50 games last season with San Jose, which was good enough for second on his team behind Evander Kane.
The Mock Trade:
Oilers Receive: Tomas Hertl
Sharks Receive: Kailer Yamamoto, Zack Kassian(25% Retained), 1st Round Pick
This particular trade is only ever going to be a mock, but if I was Ken Holland, I’d be all over the Sharks if the rumors about Hertl being available are true. He would boost the forward core to being one of the top 10 in the league, and could easily help his linemates be better versions of themselves. With this deal, the Oilers forward lines could look like this:
Hyman – Mcdavid – Puljujarvi
Nugent-Hopkins – Draisaitl – Hertl
Foegele – Ryan – Benson
Shore – McLeod – Archibald
Hertl can play both Center and wing. Having someone you can put almost anywhere in your lineup is crucial. The Oilers would have to move around some serious money to make this work as Hertl makes north of $5 Million a season, but if Hertl was an Oiler, they could easily be more than just a first-round and done team.