Player Discussion Kailer Yamamoto

CupofOil

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Aug 20, 2009
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The Gaudreau comps are a little too lofty IMO, I've always compared him to a grittier Eberle. He also knows where his own zone is unlike Eberle when he was this age. I know one thing, all of a sudden the depth on wing doesn't look so bad does it? Kailer and Jesse are ready to play this year.

He's not like Eberle at all.
I've said for a while that he reminds me of Gallagher, the bulk of his goals come from in tight because he's relentless at getting to the net and is a hound on the forecheck. He doesn't have the high end skill of a Gaudreau or an Eberle. Perhaps a poor mans' Parise, not quite as skilled but plays a similar style.
 
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nabob

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yeah, I agree that the first game, the only one Drai has played so far was bad. I was a bit disappointed but then remembered it probably doesn't mean anything. I do think Reider had solid 2nd, 3rd periods last night.

The only place we disagree is in thinking Rieder has a spot. My thinking is the team has told him as much. This was Chia's higher profile winger "get" this offseason. In Chia world he's making the club. But he's a good player.

Anyway, that is enough of that rabbit trail.

What we can all be happy about is the winger depth is better this season and the Oilers seem to be doing a better job of picking prospects. A lot of these guys can play. Kailer can too, I just so much wish he was bigger.

If he was bigger he would have been a top 5 pick and wouldn’t have been available for us. I’m a fan of underdogs, so I’m pulling for him and not ready to write him off because he isn’t 2 or 3 inches taller. He’s dealt with being small at every level and played at an elite level, so I don’t see him becoming the passive perimeter player that Eberle became after he got his contract. I think he has more character than that.
 
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Aerrol

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The main difference (aside from size) between Yamaotos game and Puljujarvis game for me is refinement. Yamamotos game is more refined than Jesses. So based on that I can see Kailer in a top 6 role before Jesse.
Doesnt mean his ceiling is higher than Jesses....it just means he is a better fit at this point in time.

Jesse might not be there yet, but the size is why I think he'd be interesting to see with Drai. Two skilled, big bodies who should be able to crash and bang to make space if they have to sounds really hard to stop.
 

guymez

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He's not like Eberle at all.
I've said for a while that he reminds me of Gallagher, the bulk of his goals come from in tight because he's relentless at getting to the net and is a hound on the forecheck. He doesn't have the high end skill of a Gaudreau or an Eberle. Perhaps a poor mans' Parise, not quite as skilled but plays a similar style.

For me Gaudreau slows the game down...thats not an element of Yamamotos game. He is more of a waterbug...quickness is his game.
Little details are a large part of what he does well....positioning....quick movements and decisions.
 

nabob

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The main difference (aside from size) between Yamaotos game and Puljujarvis game for me is refinement. Yamamotos game is more refined than Jesses. So based on that I can see Kailer in a top 6 role before Jesse.
Doesnt mean his ceiling is higher than Jesses....it just means he is a better fit at this point in time.

Big tall and lanky players usually take a bit longer to grow into their skates. Kailer also has the advantage of having played North American hockey his whole life and has learned to use his size to his advantage at times. Whereas Jesse played a lot more rec hockey style where he didn’t need to be as refined and his adjustment has been a lot tougher than most anticipated. Thankfully he looks less lost this year.
 

Arpeggio

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Reider definitely has a spot on the team, but Yamamoto should get a shot on that second line. Whether it's in Lucic's spot or Reider's spot I don't really care, but he has enough talent that they should see how he fits with Drai.

Yamamoto and Reider should both be on the team.
 
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Drivesaitl

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Well he should be playing for his to 6 life at minimum. I haven't seen any bursts of his speed that I saw when he played against us in Arizona. You sure don't see our captain playing shinny out there so why in the **** should anyone be?

Rieder bursts to pucks when the risk/reward is there to do that. He was playing with two AHLERS last night against heavy metal opposition. His instinct last night given that he was facing Winnipeg topsix starters was to be back more than front. I wouldn't hold it against him. He was effective in NZ. Where he needed to be.

Smart players play positionally. Kailer was caught badly on a poor forecheck on the 5th goal. That doesn't speak to great defensive awareness albeit McLellan sees what he sees.

heres a parable. Johnny Gaudreau, even with 84pts last year gave up way too much the other way and was only +2. So that he needed every one of those pts, and every ounce of talent to even float last season at this level. Kailer doesn't have half the talent, and gives up a lot of GA I suspect. I don't have enough to go on yet though so we'll keep looking at the games. Smaller players are easier to lean on and you can make them give up the puck. As good as they are, as effective as they are, real small players at this level are invariably high event players. Draisaitl particularly already has a problem with this. putting Kailer on his line wouldn't help. Unless we want a lot of GA there.

Think of a line of Lucic, Drai, Yama getting caught. I can. If Drai is forced to play too much D responsibility there it takes away from his verve in offensive end.
 

guymez

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Jesse might not be there yet, but the size is why I think he'd be interesting to see with Drai. Two skilled, big bodies who should be able to crash and bang to make space if they have to sounds really hard to stop.

Actually Jesse and Drai were a terrible fit in previous attempts. Dont think thats a good place for him.
He is perfect right where he is now. Once he can refine his game he might be a fit on Connors line...not at this point in time though.
 

Drivesaitl

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If he was bigger he would have been a top 5 pick and wouldn’t have been available for us. I’m a fan of underdogs, so I’m pulling for him and not ready to write him off because he isn’t 2 or 3 inches taller. He’s dealt with being small at every level and played at an elite level, so I don’t see him becoming the passive perimeter player that Eberle became after he got his contract. I think he has more character than that.

Excellent post. I do want to believe this. We'll see. I don't claim to know anything about Kailers character, I assume it to be very good even to manage to get to this stage.
 

Burnt Biscuits

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Well, I'll agree to disagree. This is totally revisionist. When Eberle got here he was nothing short of a Captain Canada and a Mr Clutch and he played a VERY in the paint game and used to buzz around the net and with much better finish and mitts than Kailer has. Eberle looked to be a potential elite scorer at this level. He's still a very good talent. Just that NHL physicality eventually influenced his game. It happens.
Eberle's draft profile read that he avoided contact like the plague, the joke was you could put an egg in his pocket and he'd come out of the game with it intact. Eberle was a high skill perimeter player, Yamo is going directly into the trenches he'll take some hits to make some plays and his defensive game is already better than Eberles', all you're comparisons for Yamo seem off the mark to me. Yamo isn't of the family of the Gaudreau's and Eberle's he's not just a pure skill guy who has no value outside of putting up points, he can kill some penalties and be used in more defensive roles, given his size he probably won't be a pure shutdown player ever, but more of a two-way midget who's a puck hound, stylistic comparisons would be closer to Marty St. Louis or Tyler Johnson, St. Louis should be out of his reach skill wise + shot, but a winger version of what Tyler Johnson provides isn't out of the question.
 

Aerrol

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Actually Jesse and Drai were a terrible fit in previous attempts. Dont think thats a good place for him.
He is perfect right were he is now. Once he can refine his game he might be a fit on Connors line...not right now though.

I said 'eventually' and not yet repeatedly, not sure why you seem to think I'm suggesting Puljujarvi move up immediately. I don't think that the small sample size he's played with Draisaitl is anything to judge potential chemistry on either, and while I do think eventually there's a fit beside McDavid, Draisaitl's line is the one which appears to need work and so I'd like to see more options tried as we go forward. That includes Yamamoto, but I also could see Rieder-Drai-Pulju being a working line too.
 

CupofOil

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For me Gaudreau slows the game down...thats not an element of Yamamotos game. He is more of a waterbug...quickness is his game.
Little details are a large part of what he does well....positioning....quick movements and decisions.

Agreed. He plays high tempo all the time and he has to because he doesn't have enough natural skill to rely solely on skill like Gaudreau, Eberle and even DeBrincat does. He will make his hay based on his speed, desire and hockey sense, not his skill. We won't see many pretty goals from him at the NHL level unless he's on a breakaway.
 
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guymez

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I said 'eventually' and not yet repeatedly, not sure why you seem to think I'm suggesting Puljujarvi move up immediately. I don't think that the small sample size he's played with Draisaitl is anything to judge potential chemistry on either, and while I do think eventually there's a fit beside McDavid, Draisaitl's line is the one which appears to need work and so I'd like to see more options tried as we go forward. That includes Yamamoto, but I also could see Rieder-Drai-Pulju being a working line too.

I just dont see it (a fit with Driasaitl) at all but thats okay. We can agree to disagree. :nod:
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
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Agreed. He plays high tempo all the time and he has to because he doesn't have enough natural skill to rely solely on skill like Gaudreau, Eberle and even DeBrincat does. He will make his hay based on his speed, desire and hockey sense, not his skill. We won't see many pretty goals from him at the NHL level unless he's on a breakaway.

I agree although he does have some skill too...he just doesnt have that magic element that Gaudreau has.
That elite level talent.
I think the Gallagher comparison is much more in line with what Yamamoto brings.
 

Aerrol

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I just dont see it (a fit with Driasaitl) at all but thats okay. We can agree to disagree. :nod:

Fair enough. For the record, if the coaches are hell bent on keeping Lucic with Draisaitl then I'd say Yamamoto is a better fit than Rieder (so far anyways) or Pulju right now.
 

Drivesaitl

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Eberle's draft profile read that he avoided contact like the plague, the joke was you could put an egg in his pocket and he'd come out of the game with it intact. Eberle was a high skill perimeter player, Yamo is going directly into the trenches he'll take some hits to make some plays and his defensive game is already better than Eberles', all you're comparisons for Yamo seem off the mark to me. Yamo isn't of the family of the Gaudreau's and Eberle's he's not just a pure skill guy who has no value outside of putting up points, he can kill some penalties and be used in more defensive roles, given his size he probably won't be a pure shutdown player ever, but more of a two-way midget who's a puck hound, stylistic comparisons would be closer to Marty St. Louis or Tyler Johnson, St. Louis should be out of his reach skill wise + shot, but a winger version of what Tyler Johnson provides isn't out of the question.

Please cite the draft report that said he could play with eggs in his pocket. Show me that. Eberle was not a perimeter player here early on. He was a daring player willing to go right to the paint right to the jugular, and did that regularly here in early seasons.

Anyway I respect your opinion and I am taking notes. I'll take more time and looks here.
 

guymez

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Fair enough. For the record, if the coaches are hell bent on keeping Lucic with Draisaitl then I'd say Yamamoto is a better fit than Rieder (so far anyways) or Pulju right now.

Completely agree with your Rieder comment. I think Yamamoto is a much better fit with Draisaitl than Rieder.
 

lakai17

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For future success he may be needed on the team for secondary scoring.
 

Stoneman89

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Can we please talk about a future contract for Yamo?;) Perhaps 2 years at 2 mill each?:laugh::D;)
 

Burnt Biscuits

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Please cite the draft report that said he could play with eggs in his pocket. Show me that. Eberle was not a perimeter player here early on. He was a daring player willing to go right to the paint right to the jugular, and did that regularly here in early seasons.

Anyway I respect your opinion and I am taking notes. I'll take more time and looks here.
Finding a particular draft report from a decade ago is a hard thing to do, I know Lowetide has made the reference more than a few times about that scout joke being around and atleast one publication was brave enough to put into what I believe was a mid-season report/update. Eberle is willing to go to the dirty areas, but it's more a matter of a matter of being opportunistic and when there is no real cost to doing so, the likelyhood of goal versus the likelyhood of being plastered has to be strongly in his favor; on the other end of the spectrum is your Ryan Smyth/Brendan Gallagher types who always seem to be willing to pay the price to go to the front of the net and the dirty areas, Yamo is more of that middle ground between the two, he's certainly willing to take some punishment for the potential pay-off, but there is still some self preservation mechanism in him. Though to be fair a lot of players are much more fearless to start their career, doing whatever it takes to make the NHL, but once they are established that side of some players will fade, given Yamo's size I'm not sure he can afford to take such short-cuts if he's not overly tenacious and a tiny bit fearless he'll like lose a lot of his effectiveness, but the remains to be seen.

I like the idea of Yamo with Lucic and Drai cause they have the size to give him more time and space out there, he affords Drai the ability to play off of someone with skill, who's more capable of creating an offensively dangerous play than Lucic. Yamo also seems to grasp his limitations he doesn't have the pure skill of a Kane or a Gaudreau, so he doesn't trying doing it all himself, he'll hold to make a good play, but he doesn't overhandle, just a bunch of small touches which can keep the puck in Drai's hands most often which is what you want on that line. Yamo brings a bit more speed to the line which is clearly lacking and cause of it and how he uses his stick he can create some turnovers that the Drai line wouldn't normally create. I'm not sure we have anything resembling a perfect answer to keep a really effective 2nd line, but I think that's a good bet to take with the personnel we have. If we decide at some point Yamo isn't ready for this role or his size is too much of a limiting factor we can put him in the AHL and call him back-up whenever we think he's worthy of another chance.
 

jcorb58

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Sep 28, 2004
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5ft8inches 153lbs. Pacific division.

People seriously want to put this guy up on topsix against Pacific Division murderers row?

Kailer afaik would be the smallest player in the entire NHL. People want to put him on a line with Draisaitl who works best with players that support possession? Even in preseason Kailer is getting bounced off the puck regularly. In regular season that would be even more of a problem.

The sad reality is this is no Johnny Gaudreau, and you need that level of talent to make the NHL at this paltry size.
Problem is he is never going to be that big, no AHL time is going to change that. So your basically saying he will never succeed at his size so we should just give up on him?
 

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