As the NHL’s most recent expansion franchise, the Seattle Kraken began with a rag-tag cast of players. These players’ original teams decided not to protect them, opting to retain others instead. That already marks them with unattractive labels, even if not entirely accurate. But even after expansion, Seattle continued grabbing castaways by making frequent waiver claims. They followed this similar thought pattern in the free agency pool this summer, specifically when the Kraken signed Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year deal.
Kraken Hope Kailer Yamamoto Becomes Their Next Success Story
That deserves repeating: in fairness to Yamamoto, he arrived via free agency. But, just days prior to Seattle’s offer, the Detroit Red Wings bought Yamamoto out of the last year of his previous deal. Not only that, but he only arrived in Detroit one day earlier. His original team, the Edmonton Oilers, sent him and Klim Kostin to the Red Wings in exchange for “future considerations”.
So, the Red Wings basically did the Oilers a favour and ate the buyout penalty, in exchange for Kostin. Yes, when the Kraken inked him, Yamamoto was a free agent. But originally, he already had a contract through 2023-24…and then got bought out.
That previous contract carried a $3.1 million cap hit. Seattle instead agreed to pay him $1.5 million. Not only did they make out nicely in terms of dollar value, but he also remains an RFA next summer, albeit with arbitration rights. Now the advantages start becoming clear and obvious regarding all the potential upside for Seattle.
Yamamoto’s Potential
Strictly looking at last season, the Kraken’s interest in Yamamoto doesn’t jump off the page. He scored 25 points in 58 games, a significant dip in production from the year prior. He missed significant time to injury as well; that included two separate shutdowns, each roughly a month long. His possession metrics sat in the red each of the last two seasons too. And in the playoffs this past year, his relative Corsi-for percentage reached a new low, at -10.54%.
In other words, last year trended the wrong direction from beginning through the end. However, it’s far too early to write off Yamamoto, and the Kraken identified that. He’s a former first round pick, after all. And a recent one at that. Yamamoto turns 25 just before next season begins, so still someone with his best years ahead of him.
Besides everything on paper, Yamamoto coming to the Kraken feels almost like a homecoming event. Not only did he play his junior years with the Spokane Chiefs, but also, he was born in Spokane, Washington. He posted a whopping 291 career points across 230 games in a four-year career there, all in front of his hometown fans in Spokane. And remember: his junior career only ended six years ago.
Where Yamamoto Can Improve
Obviously, Yamamoto needs to find another gear at the NHL level to translate over his junior success. Many credit his small frame (5’8, 153 pounds) in contributing to his NHL struggles. That said, in 2019-20 he posted 11 goals and 26 points in only 27 games with the Oilers. He never repeated that near point-per-game pace, but he’s also just four years removed from doing so.
With the Kraken, Yamamoto can receive sheltered minutes to really optimize his effectiveness. The franchise has tons of competition for forward jobs though, so nothing will come easy. That said, he likely slots best in the middle six, rather than on the top or bottom lines. On the top line, players face the most talented assignments. On the bottom, they face the grittiest, toughest assignments. His skill and size lends itself better to a scoring role than a defensive one.
Yamamoto’s Role with the Kraken
Perhaps a change of scenery spurs a resurgence to his career. Maybe returning to his home state invigorates him that much more. And NHL scouting departments don’t use first round picks on just anyone, either. Yamamoto displayed very real potential, backed up by his tremendous junior career. A mental jolt like what he went through this summer leaves an impact. Surely, he looks forward to returning to play and wants to put the buyout drama behind him.
Plus, his new linemates should make life easier on him, too. Sure, he shared a locker room with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, but he didn’t get much ice time with them. Seattle spreads their attack out much more evenly. That might provide Yamamoto with more opportunities too, as his ice time may increase from what he’s used to receiving.
The Kraken probably plan on keeping Matthew Beniers, Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann as their top line. Andre Burakovsky returns too, after missing the last half of the year with injury. Then, they still have Jaden Schwartz, Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexander Wennberg and Eeli Tolvanen. Schwartz, Gourde and Bjorkstrand each scored 20+ goals in a season at least once with Seattle. Wennberg and Tolvanen never have in their careers to-date, though Tolvanen scored at nearly a 30-goal pace in the 48 games he played after arriving via waiver claim last season.
Abundance of Options Makes Training Camp Important
In the last paragraph, nine returning Kraken forwards exist, with Yamamoto being the tenth. Oh, Brandon Tanev just had a career-year last season too, scoring 16 goals himself. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Tanev likely feature on the fourth line, bringing us to 13 names for 12 spots. That’s all without even mentioning Tye Kartye who played great for Seattle on their top line in the postseason, after McCann’s injury. Shane Wright, their first-round pick last summer, also deserves a legitimate look. And heck, Marian Studenic and Kole Lind may very well make things that much more interesting.
All of those players mean training camp will carry a ton of weight. Yamamoto must impress the Kraken to earn his role on the team. If he performs to his abilities, though, that should absolutely happen. Expect him to slot in on the team’s third line, maybe alongside Wennberg and Bjorkstrand. His linemates remain tougher to predict, but a middle-six role feels perfect for this breakout candidate.
Main Photo Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
