On Oct. 6, 2024, the Utah Hockey Club signed forward Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year, two-way contract off of his professional tryout (PTO). The 26-year-old was tied for the team led in goals with forward Michael Carcone in the preseason, and his three-goal effort earned him a spot on the season-opening roster. Although he didn’t suit up in Utah’s first win in its first game over the Chicago Blackhawks, here’s everything you need to know about the newest addition to the team’s forward core.
Yamamoto’s Background
The right-handed shot is one of the few players of Asian descent in the NHL. His near 100-point season with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2016-17 landed him a selection in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The Edmonton Oilers selected Yamamoto at pick 22.
The 5-foot-8, 153-pound speedy winger spent six seasons in Edmonton. While he did not live up to his status as a first-round pick, due to injuries and his ability to stay in the lineup, his career season came in 2021-22 when he notched 20 goals and 21 assists in 81 games (the only season to date where he played more than 59 games). In an eight-game span during March 2022, he lit the lamp seven times and tallied five assists for 12 points.
In 244 games as an Oiler, he scored 50 goals and 118 points. In his prime, Yamamoto played a top-six role alongside star German forward Leon Draisaitl. Many believe he wasn’t given a real shot to prove his worth in the limited games he played. After being traded and then bought out by the Detroit Red Wings last offseason, he signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Kraken. In 59 games in Seattle, he scored eight goals (two of which came on the power play) and 16 points. Overall, he is a streak-dependent player who can produce around top-six caliber players.
What Yamamoto Brings to Utah
Playing in four of Utah’s seven-game preseason, he developed chemistry with forwards Clayton Keller and Barrett Hayton. That early success could prompt head coach André Tourigny to play the three together when Yamamoto cracks the lineup. The team’s forward core has more depth than in previous seasons (Carcone, a 20-goal scorer last season, was a healthy scratch in Utah’s first game), and Yamamoto will likely be used as a top-six winger only if injuries occur.
Related: Predicting the Utah HC Stat Leaders for 2024-25
He is a playmaking, right-handed shot who can also be used on the power play. Considering forward Nick Schmaltz has yet to play a full 82-game season because of injuries, look for Yamamoto to fill in on the team’s top line if Schmaltz misses games again this season. Utah placed forward Nick Bjugstad on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Once Bjugstad returns from the injured reserve list, this will also hurt Yamamoto’s chances of dressing this season. However, with only three returning forwards who played a full 2023-24 campaign, he will most likely get a few games to prove his worth this season.
Possible Line Combinations Featuring Yamamoto
This is where Yamamoto should slot into the lineup:
Keller — Hayton — Yamamoto (if Schmaltz is out of the lineup)
Keller — Schmaltz — Yamamoto (if Hayton is out of the lineup)
Jack McBain — Logan Cooley — Yamamoto (if Guenther is out of the lineup)
Lawson Crouse — Cooley — Yamamoto (if McBain is out of the lineup)
Guenther — Cooley — Yamamoto (if McBain is out of the lineup)
Hopefully, Utah won’t need Yamamoto’s help, and the team will stay healthy in their inaugural NHL season.
