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Former Spokane Chief Kailer Yamamoto traded from Edmonton to Detroit

Spokane native Kailer Yamamoto, pictured in an April 5 game in Anaheim, was traded to the Detroit Red Wings Thursday after six seasons in Edmonton. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
By Dan Thompson For The Spokesman-Review

Five years and six days after they selected him 22nd overall in the National Hockey League draft, the Edmonton Oilers traded Kailer Yamamoto to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

In a deal that was essentially an attempt to reduce their team salary, the Oilers sent Yamamoto and forward Klim Kostin – also a first-round pick in 2017, by the St. Louis Blues – to Detroit for future considerations.

Yamamoto’s contract calls for him to earn $3.2 million during the 2023-24 season, according to CapFriendly.com.

Yamamoto, a Spokane native, scored 105 regular-season goals over four years playing for his hometown Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. He first earned a call-up with the Oilers during the 2017-18 season. After playing almost equally for the Oilers and the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield (California) Condors over the next two seasons, he joined the Oilers for good in 2020-21.

His best-scoring year came in 2021-22, when he had 20 goals and 21 assists in 81 regular-season games.

But last year his production dropped off, and in 58 games he scored 10 goals while assisting on 15 .

Derek Ryan, another Spokane native who played for the Oilers the past two seasons, signed a two-year extension with Edmonton on June 13 that pays him $900,000 each of the next two years.

Ryan, 36, has played 500 regular-season NHL games, the 13th most by a former Chiefs player.

The 24-year-old Yamamoto, who has 50 goals and 68 regular-season assists, has played in 244 NHL games. He ranks 21st on that list.

Ray Whitney, who retired in 2015, leads the group with 1,330 NHL regular-season games played.

No Chiefs drafted

For the third time in the last 10 years, no Spokane Chiefs players were selected in the NHL draft this week.

Forward Tommaso De Luca, goaltender Cooper Michaluk and defenseman Saige Weinstein were listed as potential selections on many predraft lists, but none was picked. There were 33 WHL players selected – including Regina’s Connor Bedard, the first-overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks – in this year’s draft.

In 2022, San Jose selected Chiefs goalie Mason Beaupit in the fourth round and Nashville took defenseman Graham Sward in the fifth.

The Chiefs have had two players taken in the first round over the past decade, including Yamamoto in 2017 and defenseman Ty Smith in 2018 (17th, New Jersey). Eleven Chiefs players have been selected during that span, including Post Falls native Bear Hughes (148th overall) by the Washington Capitals in 2020.

Chiefs schedule released

The WHL released its 2023-24 schedule on Wednesday, with the Chiefs opening their regular season on Sept. 22 at Kamloops.

Spokane’s home opener at Spokane Arena will be Sept. 30 against the rival Tri-City Americans, the first of 10 matchups between the two next season.

The Chiefs will also play the Wenatchee Wild, their new U.S. Division opponent, eight times, starting in Spokane on Nov. 18. They will play each of the other three U.S. teams – the Everett Silvertips, the Portland Winterhawks and the Seattle Thunderbirds – six times.

The annual Teddy Bear Toss is scheduled for Dec. 2 against Prince George.

For the first time since 2019-20, the Chiefs will host the five teams from the WHL’s East Division: the Brandon Wheat Kings (Oct. 14), the Prince Albert Raiders (Nov. 10), the Saskatoon Blades (Nov. 29), the Regina Pats (Feb. 23) and the Moose Jaw Warriors (Feb. 24).