Your opinion on Yamamoto

[Smartguy]

He’s a top 6 forward or bust, guys like him don’t carve out careers in the bottom 6. He’s talented, and caught some injury issues and bad managment. Was kept up when he shouldn’t have been, sent down, had injury problems, came back started to find his groove, got called up when he shouldn’t have, sent down and got injured again. He should be left all year next year in the minors

 

[gordonhught]

He can't play in the corners in the NHL like he did in junior.

He needs to adapt his game to float around and make plays and avoid puck battles.

 

[Senor Catface]

Feel free to refute these statements with actual data and or counter arguments. What does he do so well he can be considered top end? What kind of stats or level of play has he achieved to make a person sit up and take notice?

Sure, show actual data about him sulking.

Is there a sulk/60 stat?

A “happy to be demoted” +/- category?

 

[Patch101]

Everyone is welcome to their opinions.

I'm more optimistic about Jesse than I am on Yama.
Jesse has nhl qualities to his game, but clearly still has a lot of dysfunctions as well
(a lot like how Yakapov could skate, hit, shoot, but could never figure out the rest)

I just don't see any particular high end nhl quality in Yama *yet*

 

[McFlash97]

another garbage prospect with no real skill in anything. Just an undersized meh prospect. Not going to move any needles on a playoff team.

Next

 

[Slats432]

I have bust. Not good enough for top 6, not right player for bottom six.

 

[oilers'72]

Well, only one drafted after Kailer has more games (Henri Jokirahu (29th) - Chicago - 38 0-12-12 16 PIM) and only two others drafted afterwards have more goals (Maxime Comtois (50th) - Anaheim - 10 2-5-7 7 PIM and Drake Batherson (121st) - Ottawa - 20 3-6-9 6 PIM).

Lots of busts in that draft if Yams is a bust.

 

[lakai17]

A few months before we drafted Yamamoto I called him the next Zach Boychuk as I was high on Boychuk and he busted.

I then became more high on Yamamoto as he made the team out of camp in his draft year....I'm hoping he pans out obviously.

I don't know what to expect, maybe give him more ahl seasoning although he'll have opportunity to crack the team out of camp once again with no wing depth at the moment.

Here's to hoping he is going under the radar more than we imagine. As this team needs all the help and luck it can get.

 

[Dashh]

too small, dude is never gonna have that man size that's needed in the NHL unless you're exceptionally skilled, which he isn't.

 

[McShogun99]

I actually forgot that he was even playing in the AHL. He has potential but he shouldn't be in the NHL unit he's 22 and put on a bit more weight.

 

[3IR]

He needs to work on his skating. He's puny, which is fine in the modern day NHL if you can avoid contact like a Gaudreau. We call him a cherry picker, but it's a necessary part of the game when you're that size. Finding and exploiting openings in the opponents d that allow you to avoid having to physically engage.

Yam definitely has the skills to put up second line numbers in the NHL, but if he doesn't get the the point where he can outskate the opposition, he's going to struggle, whether it be with injuries, or with being shut down too easily.

His skating isn't awful by any means, but his size mixed with average skating is a recipe for disaster.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Feel free to refute these statements with actual data and or counter arguments. What does he do so well he can be considered top end? What kind of stats or level of play has he achieved to make a person sit up and take notice?

He got 42 goals in his draft year... and got 10 goals in his first 25 pro games. Anything else you would like to hear?

 

[McTonyBrar]

Like I said, I acknowledge his age and that it was his first full year of pro. I’ll hold off another year before I call him a bust. We’ve had other offensive players though that left junior and were point per game down there though. Eberle quickly comes to mind. I just didn’t think he showed anything up here and 18 points down there doesn’t jump out at me for a guy that doesn’t bring much of anything else. I hope I’m wrong about him because we’re going to need our first round picks working out here. Next year he has to take a bigger step.

If it was 18 points over 60 games I would agree, but he played only 25-27 games and he had injury problems this year I believe. People were saying the same crap about Benson a year ago. A year later he's 7th in rookie AHL points and leads our AHL team in points in his first Pro year. Maybe wait instead of throwing the player to the wolves after one injury riddled season?

 

[McTonyBrar]

He can't play in the corners in the NHL like he did in junior.

He needs to adapt his game to float around and make plays and avoid puck battles.

Huh?

 

[McTonyBrar]

I have bust. Not good enough for top 6, not right player for bottom six.

Yes not good enough for the top six after having one pro year with injuries, terrible management, and scoring ONLY 10 goals 18 points in 27 games.


You are joking right?

This team STINKS at top six forwards and your saying Yam won't ever good enough for it?

 

[FlameChampion]

Too early to say. I am a bit worried from what I have seen though. I was hoping he would be more quicker, more elusive type of player. I understand hes always going to be a small player, and he will get stronger as he ages, but hes already at such a disadvantage. I knew he would never be able to out muscle people but I thought he would be able to create more space for himself.

Hes so young that I think there is some hope for him. I just think he might have to change his game a bit to have some success. I know a lot of people mock Gaudreau because he is such a cherry picker, and while Yamamoto definitely has more bite in his game, I almost wonder if hes going to have to try be more of a cherry picker and move around more in soft coverage to get himself some space and give up his ambition of trying to play tough as a small player.

 

[harpoon]

You've barely seen the guy play. Not the best to throw out a judgement of a player like that lol

OP asks for opinions. I gave mine and qualified it by admitting limited viewings. I never called him a ‘bust’ nor did I make lavish predictions of how awful his future looks, like some others are doing in this thread. Not sure why you’re coming after me with the ‘lols’. Maybe you could tell me why I’m wrong since I’m sure you watched all his AHL games this year.

OP specifically asks for opinions on a player and you're here to bust peoples chops for giving it

Exactly. Thank you.

 

[Drivesaitl]

If it was 18 points over 60 games I would agree, but he played only 25-27 games and he had injury problems this year I believe. People were saying the same crap about Benson a year ago. A year later he's 7th in rookie AHL points and leads our AHL team in points in his first Pro year. Maybe wait instead of throwing the player to the wolves after one injury riddled season?

How is it beyond a concern that the smallest pro hockey player in the NHL is getting banged up and injured regularly in the NHL/AHL? People say this as if its nothing, and not connected in any way.

The pure physics related in hockey will cause a small object to suffer greater damage than a large object. Especially if the runt isn't a great skater and not that adept at avoiding contact.

My suspicion, always, is that this player will be ineffective at this level and will have difficulty withstanding, or coping with the NHL game.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Idk about him, I need another AHL to see. He’s just to small and his skating is meh which is an awful combo.

 

[rboomercat90]

If it was 18 points over 60 games I would agree, but he played only 25-27 games and he had injury problems this year I believe. People were saying the same crap about Benson a year ago. A year later he's 7th in rookie AHL points and leads our AHL team in points in his first Pro year. Maybe wait instead of throwing the player to the wolves after one injury riddled season?

I said I’d give him another year before I called him a bust. He does need to show more next year. I’m just as concerned with Puljijarvi, maybe even more so because now his agent is getting involved, but I haven’t waded into that thread yet.

 

[replacement]

Yamamoto has a great shot. But he doesn't use it. He is uber competitive in puck battles, and sometimes wins battles he shouldn't given his size. But he doesn't win enough. He has great hands and edges, but he has difficulty creating space at the AHL level.

These are all signs of a player who isn't being guided properly, and doesn't have the level of buy-in and support that allows guys to achieve at a high level.

In Bakersfield, they've started to develop a culture, and there are guys who have half of Yamamoto's skill, who - when he's in the lineup - are drastically outperforming him on a shift to shift basis.

From watching Yamamoto right through Juniors, I believe he has all the tools, all the instincts to be just as good as Alex Debrincat. But it's about environment, and it's about mindset. It's just not there right now.

Sometimes you can put that on the organization, sometimes it's the leadership group, and sometimes it's the player. For Yamamoto, I think he's sensitive, and he needs time to feel confident and comfortable, especially after a demotion. Hopefully the environment in Bakersfield gives him that time.

 

[BudBundy]

I abstained from voting as I didnt want to pile on. As many others have said, he is going to have to get much faster and more elusive/shifty to accomplish anything in the NHL. His hands and his head seem fine.

 

[Aerchon]

I have not seen or heard anything about this player SINCE we drafted him that makes me believe he has an nhl future ahead of him.

He has been given FAR more opportunity than Jessie had and done significantly less imo.

I think he is currently a bust but he is obviously very young with lots of time to turn it around.

 

[Lrrr]

Too early to say. He is still very young. Needs a full (hopefully injury free) year in the AHL. I think we'll have a much clearer picture of what we have at the end of next year provided he stays healthy.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

Man I’m in a wait and see mode on the kid but it sure is fun to stop in and see the emotions flowing.