Oilers select Kailer Yamamoto with No. 22 overall pick at NHL Draft

Kailer Yamamoto joins Tara Slone to talk about being selected by the Edmonton Oilers at the 2017 NHL Draft.

The Edmonton Oilers have selected forward Kailer Yamamoto with the 22nd-overall pick at the 2017 NHL Draft.

Yamamoto is one of the more exciting players to watch in this year’s draft class. The undersized winger is creative in his play-making ability and has earned comparisons to other small forwards like Tyler Johnson, Johnny Gaudreau and Patrick Kane thanks to his speed, skill and vision.

The right-shot 18-year-old grew up skating with Johnson, as the Lightning forward’s mom was his skating coach as a child as both players grew up in Spokane.

The 5-foot-8, 153-lb led the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs in goals (42), assists (57), and points (99) in 2016-17 and finished in sixth place league-wide in total points. All three totals were career-highs.

The Oilers have quickly become an offensive powerhouse, and Yamamoto gives them a dynamic edge on the wing to add some more grit and quickness to an already-potent forward corps.

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