2017 Draft - 1st Pick: Kailer Yamamoto - Signs ELC

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Digger12

Gold Fever
Feb 27, 2002
18,313
990
Back o' beyond
My hope for Kailer is that he comes to camp in September both stronger AND faster. I know he's not likely to get much bigger.

Watching the extended highlight videos of him, what strikes me is that he's got great offensive instincts and is scrappy as heck on the forecheck, but if you watch him objectively and compare his skating to his peers he doesn't really seem to have great top end speed, especially for someone as tiny as he is.

In the highlights he doesn't really blow by guys wide or pull away from opponents on breakaways, instead he cuts into the middle or slows the play down to set up a teammate. IMO his great hockey sense and anticipation helps to gloss over the fact that's he's really not all that fast.

Which is fine at the WHL level, obviously he's shown he can make it work against that age group. My worry is that at the NHL level he might not find it so easy to find separation from players who are bigger and stronger than him, and the number of outright bad skaters is much lower.

I guess I'm just unsure so far as to what his NHL ceiling really is. He could be a great complimentary winger like an Eberle, which at his draft position is nothing but a win. But the reason Eberle became what he is was because he improved his WHL-average skating to be at least NHL-average. I really hope that Yamamoto can do the same.
 

Staghorn

Registered User
Jul 7, 2013
1,798
625
I think what we potentially have in Rattie is a guy that can fill in if whoever they find for that top slot gets hurt or is struggling.

Rattie is a fringe NHL player who could have been had for basically nothing this year... There's a reason for that. If we are looking at Rattie and Yamomoto for top 6 wing spots, the team is doomed... That said they can't afford more, nor do they have any trade ammo. Really the who situation is depressing when you look at WPG and Nash... Oil are so far below that standard it isn't even funny.
 

Faelko

Registered User
Aug 11, 2002
11,856
4,873
Rattie and Yamamoto in your top six is a bottom-five team.

Definitely need a RW to play with Draisaitl. I can live with Rattie on the line with McDavid but Puljujarvi should be 3RW and Yams in Bakersfield.
 

CycloneSweep

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
47,835
39,721
My hope for Kailer is that he comes to camp in September both stronger AND faster. I know he's not likely to get much bigger.

Watching the extended highlight videos of him, what strikes me is that he's got great offensive instincts and is scrappy as heck on the forecheck, but if you watch him objectively and compare his skating to his peers he doesn't really seem to have great top end speed, especially for someone as tiny as he is.

In the highlights he doesn't really blow by guys wide or pull away from opponents on breakaways, instead he cuts into the middle or slows the play down to set up a teammate. IMO his great hockey sense and anticipation helps to gloss over the fact that's he's really not all that fast.

Which is fine at the WHL level, obviously he's shown he can make it work against that age group. My worry is that at the NHL level he might not find it so easy to find separation from players who are bigger and stronger than him, and the number of outright bad skaters is much lower.

I guess I'm just unsure so far as to what his NHL ceiling really is. He could be a great complimentary winger like an Eberle, which at his draft position is nothing but a win. But the reason Eberle became what he is was because he improved his WHL-average skating to be at least NHL-average. I really hope that Yamamoto can do the same.
I think his style fits Draisaitl perfectly. High IQ, methodical style or game.
 

KarmaPolice

Snack enthusiast
Oct 5, 2007
19,062
10,369
In Limbo
Drai and Yamo should definitely be able to create some chemistry. They both like to play a puck control type of game while looking for the open or pinching man near the net. They just need someone on LW who can snipe a few. Maybe Pulju if we haven't traded him. Jesse should be working on his shot all summer. One timers, slappers, wristers, tips, etc.
 
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McFlyingV

Registered User
Feb 22, 2013
22,443
12,860
Edmonton, Alberta
My hope for Kailer is that he comes to camp in September both stronger AND faster. I know he's not likely to get much bigger.

Watching the extended highlight videos of him, what strikes me is that he's got great offensive instincts and is scrappy as heck on the forecheck, but if you watch him objectively and compare his skating to his peers he doesn't really seem to have great top end speed, especially for someone as tiny as he is.

In the highlights he doesn't really blow by guys wide or pull away from opponents on breakaways, instead he cuts into the middle or slows the play down to set up a teammate. IMO his great hockey sense and anticipation helps to gloss over the fact that's he's really not all that fast.

Which is fine at the WHL level, obviously he's shown he can make it work against that age group. My worry is that at the NHL level he might not find it so easy to find separation from players who are bigger and stronger than him, and the number of outright bad skaters is much lower.

I guess I'm just unsure so far as to what his NHL ceiling really is. He could be a great complimentary winger like an Eberle, which at his draft position is nothing but a win. But the reason Eberle became what he is was because he improved his WHL-average skating to be at least NHL-average. I really hope that Yamamoto can do the same.
He looked like an above average NHL skater in his 9 game stint here. He isn't blazing fast, but he is a strong skater with good agility.
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
52,498
15,065
Rattie is a fringe NHL player who could have been had for basically nothing this year... There's a reason for that. If we are looking at Rattie and Yamomoto for top 6 wing spots, the team is doomed... That said they can't afford more, nor do they have any trade ammo. Really the who situation is depressing when you look at WPG and Nash... Oil are so far below that standard it isn't even funny.
I agree. I'm just saying we don't need to be looking for a 5-6 mil answer. That there could be a cheaper option available to us.
 

MessierII

Registered User
Aug 10, 2011
27,646
16,191
Rattie is a fringe NHL player who could have been had for basically nothing this year... There's a reason for that. If we are looking at Rattie and Yamomoto for top 6 wing spots, the team is doomed... That said they can't afford more, nor do they have any trade ammo. Really the who situation is depressing when you look at WPG and Nash... Oil are so far below that standard it isn't even funny.
Frankly if it’s not those two it’s going to be Brandon Pirri or some other fringe player instead. They aren’t going to bring in a high price winger.
 

thadd

Oil4Life
Jun 9, 2007
26,717
2,718
Canada
Wow... his Instagram account is borderline insane.

I love the "The Edmonton Oilers have assigned everyone except Connor McDavid to the Bakersfield Condors for a conditioning assignment."
 
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