Kraken reach one-year deal with Spokane native Kailer Yamamoto
EDMONTON, AB - NOVEMBER 1: Edmonton Oilers Right Wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) celebrates a power play goal in the first period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Seattle Kraken on November 1, 2021 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curti
SEATTLE - The Seattle Kraken have reached an agreement with former Edmonton Oilers forward and Spokane native Kailer Yamamoto on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
Yamamoto was traded from the Oilers to the Detroit Red Wings last week and then had his contract bought out by Detroit, which made him a free agent.
Yamamoto has played in 244 career games for the Oilers over the last six years with the last three seasons spent exclusively at the NHL level. He has 50 goals and 68 assists for 118 total points in his time with the Oilers. Yamamoto primarily played right wing alongside Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl last season pin Edmonton.
"He's a good offensive player. He's tenacious," head coach Dave Hakstol said shortly after the agreement was announced on Sunday. "Physically he's not a big guy, but he's a guy that can use his competitiveness and his intelligence to get inside. He's not a perimeter guy. We're excited to have him. His skill set is excellent. He's very much a motivated player. I think he's going to fit in very well with the makeup of our team and the way we're built in the way we play."
Yamamoto will be the first Washingtonian to play for the Kraken since the team began play in the 2021-22 season.
Yamamoto was born in raised in Spokane and played his junior hockey for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. Yamamoto developed into a first-round pick as he was taken 22nd overall by the Oilers in the 2017 NHL Draft. Yamamoto had 99 points on 42 goals and 57 assists during his 2016-17 season with Spokane that helped make him a first-round pick.
Yamamoto missed time with the Oilers this season due to injuries and played in just 58 regular season games. The previous season when he played in 81 out of 82 games, Yamamoto had 20 goals and 21 assists for Edmonton.
Yamamoto helped replace some of the depth the Kraken lost through free agency. Morgan Geekie (Boston), Daniel Sprong (Detroit) and Ryan Donato (Chicago) each signed elsewhere. That gave Seattle a task of creating an entirely new fourth line for next season. Yamamoto and playoff sensation Tye Kartye could help fill the void created by those vacancies.
Prior to his first game playing in Seattle with Edmonton in December 2021, Yamamoto was happy that the city had gotten a team in the NHL.
"It's awesome," he said. "This state has been looking for a team for a while. At least for me personally growing up playing hockey I would have loved to have a team when I was growing up. Super happy they got one and excited to be playing in it."
Yamamoto is the second external NHL free agent signed to a contract by the Kraken since free agency began on Saturday morning. Yamamoto joins former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin in signing with Seattle.
Dumoulin has spent the last eight full seasons in the NHL with the Penguins and has 19 goals and 120 assists in 546 career games played along with two Stanley Cups.
"He's a real sound solid two-way defenseman," Hakstol said of Dumoulin. "He takes care of his own end, he moves the puck. He empowers his partner to, you know, if he's got a partner that's a little more offensively orientated and wants to get up ice, he's a guy that's sound, he's solid. You know, just very consistent in what he does.
Hakstol said he expects Dumoulin to be very involved with the team's penalty kill units.
"I think that'll be a great element for him to bring," Hakstol said. "if you look at the way we killed penalties the second half of the year, I think that's going to be really suitable to his game."