Decision Time Approaches For Oilers With Kailer Yamamoto
It has been an eventful first few NHL seasons for Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto. He first made his mark in the NHL late in the 2019-20 campaign, averaging nearly a point per game in 27 contests and it looked like Edmonton had found a homegrown, cost-controlled offensive forward. However, the cost is getting higher and Yamamoto hasn’t been able to rediscover that level of production. With the team set to be tight to the salary cap again next season, GM Ken Holland is going to need to decide soon whether he can still afford to carry the 24-year-old on his roster.
After filing for arbitration last summer, Yamamoto and the Oilers agreed on a two-year, $6.2MM contract, a deal that was slightly backloaded, paying $3.2MM in salary next season. For someone in a middle-six role with some perceived upside still, it’s a price point that seemed quite reasonable.
However, things didn’t go as planned this past season. Yamamoto tried to play through some injuries before eventually being placed on LTIR in mid-January and in the end, his final numbers weren’t the strongest at 10 goals and 15 assists in 58 games, not the best bang for their buck. In the playoffs, Yamamoto managed just a single goal along with three helpers in their 12 contests despite still logging nearly 15 minutes per game which, again, fell below expectations.
As things stand, Edmonton enters this summer with around $5MM in cap room, per CapFriendly, but they have at least three forward spots to fill with that money. Two of those spots will go to Ryan McLeod and Klim Kostin, restricted free agents that they’d like to keep around and combined, they’ll cover more than half of that cap space. There’s also RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard to contend with who alone will take up a big chunk of that. There just isn’t any flexibility for them to work with.
More importantly, they don’t have the ability to make any sort of material improvement to their roster. That’s where Yamamoto potentially comes in. Clearing his cap charge off the roster opens up another spot to fill but gives them a bit more flexibility in how they choose to allocate those funds, allowing them to potentially shop for more of an impact player in free agency.
Of course, teams are well aware of Edmonton’s salary cap situation and Yamamoto’s struggles so it’s not as if the Oilers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to the idea of a trade. It’s possible that there could be teams willing to take a flyer on him – particularly one closer to the bottom of the standings hoping that a new team and bigger role could him going – but they’re not going to be offering up big assets to get him. Some might even ask for a sweetener to simply take the contract on, that’s how tight things are going to be cap-wise once again next season.
If a trade doesn’t materialize, then a buyout could be on the table. Yamamoto is young enough that the standard two-thirds cost doesn’t apply here; instead, the cost is one-third. As a result, his cap hit would only be $433K in 2023-24 while they’d add $533K in dead cap space for 2024-25. That would free up a little under $2.7MM in savings for GM Ken Holland to work with, albeit with another roster spot to fill. The buyout window is now open and lasts until June 30th. That then represents a potential deadline for Edmonton to decide the path they’re going to take with Yamamoto.
It’s possible that Holland decides to go a different route entirely, keeping Yamamoto and trying to move out other mid-tier salaries such as Brett Kulak (three years, $2.75MM), Warren Foegele (one year, $2.75MM), or Cody Ceci (two years, $3.25MM). Frankly, it’s not a case of one or the other; it’s quite possible that two or more from this group get shopped. However, none of those players have the cheaper buyout option available and in a market that isn’t likely to look kindly on mid-tier pieces on arguably above-market contracts, it’s hardly a guarantee they’ll be able to move any of those for the value they want either.
Is it a sure bet that Yamamoto’s days in Edmonton are numbered? Not at all. But if the Oilers want to try to add anyone of significance this summer, they’re going to need to free up some money and Yamamoto’s contract is probably the easiest to clear out. Not that long ago, Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi represented hopes for the future for the Oilers as some homegrown, cost-controllable talent. Fast forward to today and Puljujarvi is now in Carolina while Edmonton has already given up the rights to the player they got in return and it feels like there’s a good chance Yamamoto will soon be heading out the door for a similarly underwhelming return, if they’re able to get one at all.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Offer Sheet For Evan Bouchard Could Be Problematic For Oilers With Their Cap Situation
- Postmedia’s Jim Matheson opines that an offer sheet for Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard could really put the team in a bind this summer. The 23-year-old broke out following the trade of Tyson Barrie at the trade deadline and found another gear in the playoffs, leading all blueliners in scoring despite the fact that Edmonton was eliminated in the second round. Edmonton currently only has around $5MM in cap room per CapFriendly with multiple players to sign with that money. They’ll need to get creative to afford a bridge deal let alone a longer-term one which leaves them potentially vulnerable for the time being.
Edmonton Oilers Connected To Jonathan Toews
But if he does choose to continue playing, he could go the way of another famous Blackhawk, Duncan Keith, and choose to play for the Edmonton Oilers. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector connects Toews to the Oilers, writing that “there is some talk” in Edmonton about signing Toews to be the team’s fourth-line center, allowing recent signing Derek Ryan to take a preferred role as a right winger. In scoring 15 goals and 31 points this past season Toews showed he was still very much a valuable NHL player, but the main question for Edmonton would be availability and cost. Regardless, it seems should Toews continue his career the Oilers could be a team interested in acquiring him.
Latest On Klim Kostin
The Edmonton Oilers have some interesting moves to make this offseason as they (once again) look to rebuild a roster that wasn’t good enough to get it done in the playoffs. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have shown they can only carry the group so far in the postseason, meaning the rest need to be more competitive.
One bright spot from this season was the emergence of Klim Kostin, a 2017 first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues who had struggled to make an impact at the NHL level. In Edmonton, he scored 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games, while racking up 157 hits and 66 penalty minutes. That kind of well-rounded depth player is valuable for a club like the Oilers, especially given that he is just 24 years old.
Unfortunately for general manager Ken Holland, Kostin is also eligible for arbitration, a process that could result in a much higher contract than the $750K he played under this year. With every dollar meaning so much to Edmonton, getting to a hearing might not be ideal.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic suggests that a two-year bridge contract with a cap hit no higher than $1.5MM could be an ideal compromise but also throws some chum in the water for frustrated Oilers fans. The scribe writes there “could be some interest in the 24-year-old winger from KHL teams.”
Given that Holland has already confirmed he will qualify Kostin, the Oilers won’t lose his rights either way. But watching him head to Russia after a breakout season (however limited) would be disappointing. Even if he played ten minutes a night, he made an impact for Edmonton—something not many role players have done over the last few years.
Oilers Notes: Bouchard, Staios, Buyouts, RFAs
The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a very similar position to last offseason: a marginal amount of salary cap space that will immediately be eaten up by re-signing their pending restricted free agents. The highest priority among them is 23-year-old Evan Bouchard, who led all playoff defensemen in scoring with 17 points in just 12 games.
In a sitdown piece with The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman, Oilers general manager Ken Holland said discussions have begun on a new deal for Bouchard, but the team will be “challenged” to get it done. Holland referenced last season’s one-year agreement with Ryan McLeod, and a similar one could make sense for Edmonton and Bouchard. By the time the salary cap returns to its normal year-to-year jump, Bouchard will still be under team control as a restricted free agent.
Holland also mentioned he doesn’t feel pressure to get a deal done with Bouchard by the time unrestricted free agency opens on July 1.
More from Holland on the state of the Oilers:
- As soon as Michael Andlauer entered into a purchase agreement for the Ottawa Senators yesterday, rumors began swirling about the Oilers’ current special assistant to the GM, Steve Staios, being brought in for a higher-ranking position in the Sens’ front office. Staios and Andlauer worked together for many years during their time with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Holland said he hasn’t thought about it yet, but said “it’s hard to hold them back” when rising front office stars get better opportunities elsewhere. Holland didn’t seem particularly interested in putting up a fight to keep Staios, saying he prefers to keep their current assistant GMs in place.
- Holland said he hopes to avoid a buyout this offseason when asked about the possibility but didn’t rule it out. The two most likely candidates would be wingers Kailer Yamamoto and Warren Foegele, who both have one year remaining on their contracts but carry slightly overpriced cap hits for the offense and consistency they provide. Per CapFriendly, buying out Yamamoto would save Edmonton $2.67MM next season and cost them $533,334 in 2024-25. A Foegele buyout doesn’t make as much sense, saving them less than Yamamoto in 2023-24 ($2.167MM) and costing them more in 2024-25 ($1.083MM). The NHL’s first buyout window commences tomorrow, 48 hours after the end of the Stanley Cup Final, and closes June 30 at 4 p.m. CT.
- Lastly, Holland confirmed he would qualify all of Edmonton’s remaining RFAs, save for one: Noah Philp, who Holland revealed has decided to retire after what was a tough year for him personally. Philp, 24, had his first full pro season last year, registering 37 points in 70 games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The University of Alberta product expressed a desire to stay closer to home in Calgary and be with his family.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Derek Ryan To Extension
The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Derek Ryan to a two-year contract extension worth $900,000 per season, the team announced Tuesday.
Ryan, 36, was slated for unrestricted free agency on July 1. The deal, which will be subject to 35+ rules given Ryan’s age, could contain performance bonuses for the veteran forward.
The last game of the 2022-23 regular season was Ryan’s 500th, a remarkable feat for a player who didn’t make his NHL until age 29. He did well enough in a bottom-six role for Edmonton, scoring 13 goals and 20 points in 80 games while adding three points in 11 playoff games.
Ryan was born and developed in Spokane, Washington, where he played his junior hockey with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. His numbers there were solid but never spectacular, though, and given his 5-foot-10 height, his play didn’t warrant a draft selection from most NHL teams in the mid-2000s.
He then played a full four seasons at the University of Alberta, where he did dominate the scoresheet, recording 146 points in 109 games from 2007 to 2011. Upon wrapping up his collegiate career, though, Ryan was already 24 and opted to turn pro in Europe rather than taking a minor-league deal.
It ended up being the best decision of his life, producing well over a point per game in three seasons in Austria’s EBEL league (now the ICEHL) before getting some larger market exposure with SHL team Örebro HK in 2014-15. His 60 points in 55 games there, along with a +18 rating, garnered some interest in the NHL free agent market, where the Carolina Hurricanes snapped him up.
Ryan was then immediately named captain of their AHL affiliate at the time, the Charlotte Checkers, and led them in scoring in his first season there with 55 points in 70 contests. Ryan was then called up to the team full-time early into the 2016-17 campaign and hasn’t looked back since, becoming one of the more stable bottom-six, two-way forwards in the league.
Ryan would have surely found a home on the open market had Edmonton opted not to re-sign him, but he’s one of the most complete and consistent players the Oilers have on their third and fourth lines. Locked in until he’s 38 years old, though, this is likely Ryan’s last NHL contract.
Oilers Have Inquired About Travis Konecny
The Oilers are among the teams that have inquired about the availability of Flyers winger Travis Konecny, reports Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. It’s expected that Edmonton will shop around to try to find a forward upgrade but fitting in Konecny’s contract, one that has two years left on it at $5.5MM, would be tricky given their own cap situation. The 26-year-old tied his career high in points this season with 61 despite missing 22 games down the stretch due to an upper-body injury. With Philadelphia appearing to be heading for a rebuild, it stands to reason that GM Daniel Briere will be fielding plenty of calls about his leading scorer in the coming weeks.
Raphael Lavoie Could Push For Roster Spot In 2023-24
- With Edmonton almost certainly needing to rely on several cheap players to round out its roster next season, Postmedia’s Robert Tychkowski suggests that prospect Raphael Lavoie could push for a spot in the lineup in 2023-24. The 22-year-old was a second-round pick back in 2019 (39th overall) but has yet to see NHL action over his first three professional seasons. However, Lavoie bounced back from an early injury to have a strong second half, allowing him to post 25 goals and 20 assists in 61 games with AHL Bakersfield. A pending restricted free agent, Lavoie will likely be asked to sign for below his qualifying offer to increase his chances of breaking camp with the Oilers. If he doesn’t make the team though, Lavoie would have to pass through waivers to get back to the Condors next season.
NHL Announces 2023 King Clancy Trophy Finalists
In just under three weeks from today, the 2023 NHL Awards show will take place at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators. Most of the award finalists have been announced up to this point, however; there are still some to get through.
This afternoon, the NHL announced the three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually awarded to the player that “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community“. This season, the three finalists will be Mikael Backlund (Calgary Flames), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), and Darnell Nurse (Edmonton Oilers).
As in the description, this award is heavily weighted in humanitarian work off the ice, and these three players have no shortage of that. In Backlund’s case, he and his wife have raised over $400K for the ALS Society of Alberta, a disease that his wife’s mother passed away from. Aside from that, Backlund has also been heavily involved with The Kids Cancer Care, Special Olympics Calgary, and Parachutes for Pets.
For Lee, the current captain of the Islanders, the veteran forward has become involved with a non-profit called “Jam Kancer in the Kan”, which is dedicated to helping families and children dealing with cancer. Since Lee’s involvement, the company has raised well over $2MM for families dealing with the disease. Additionally, Lee has been helping college students with academic scholarships over the last several years.
Nurse’s involvement with the community has been primarily focused on diversity and inclusion in athletics. Working for “Free Play for Kids”, Nurse has helped underprivileged communities in Canada gain access to sports in a safe and accessible way. Nurse also has a scholarship of his own, setting up the Excellence Scholarship in 2021, which is given to two students pursuing post-secondary education, annually.
Regardless of who wins this award, these three players, among others, have helped their communities in pretty incredible ways. The winner will receive a $25K donation to a charity of their choice, while the other two finalists will receive a $5K donation each.
No Unexpected Cap Increase Likely Cements Bridge Deal For Bouchard
- Gary Bettman’s recent confirmation that the Upper Limit of the salary cap is only set to go up by $1MM isn’t ideal for most teams but Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal argues that it at least gives the Oilers some certainty as it pertains to defenseman Evan Bouchard. The 23-year-old is coming off his second straight season of at least 40 points and was quite productive in the playoffs, notching 17 points in 12 games; he still leads all playoff blueliners in scoring despite being ousted in the second round. With Edmonton’s cap situation, they’re basically stuck doing a bridge contract with Bouchard, an outcome that’s basically cemented with the recent cap confirmation.