Edmonton Oilers re-sign Kailer Yamamoto to two-year contract
The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed forward Kailer Yamamoto to a two-year contract carrying a $3.1 million annual cap hit, the club announced Wednesday.
Yamamoto, 23, set new career-high marks with 20 goals, 21 assists, 41 points, and 81 games played with the Oilers during the 2021–22 regular season. He added two goals and seven points in 14 playoff games as the Oilers fell to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
YAMS! 🍠🍠🍠
The #Oilers have signed Kailer Yamamoto to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $3.1 million. The right-winger set new career highs in games played (81), goals (20), assists (21) & points (41) last season.@kailer_yamamoto | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/qNakfpNtIH
Yamamoto and the Oilers were scheduled for a salary arbitration hearing later this month. With this new contract in place, Yamamoto will be eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights again in 2024.
The Oilers originally selected Yamamoto in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. The 5’8″, 153-pound winger debuted with the Oilers in 2017–18 and emerged as an NHL regular down the stretch in 2019–20, scoring 11 goals and 26 points in 27 games with Edmonton that season.
In 186 career NHL regular-season games with the Oilers, Yamamoto has scored 40 goals and 93 points. He’s also racked up eight points (two goals, six assists) in 22 career playoff contests.
With Yamamoto under contract, the Oilers now have just two restricted free agents left to sign this summer: Ryan McLeod and Tyler Benson.