Kailer Yamamoto Is Grateful For Another Chance

When Kailer Yamamoto got the phone call from general manager Bill Armstrong, he said it meant everything to him.

It meant everything that he would get another chance after struggling to find a consistent rhythm in Seattle last season.

Now Yamamoto is hoping to pay the faith Armstrong and the Utah Hockey Club have in him as training camp opened Thursday at the Olympic Oval.

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When asked what he wants to contribute, Yamamoto said he wants to be solid defensively and to use his speed to create plays in the offensive zone.

He will certainly have the chance to do that, as there's plenty of speed to burn with Logan Cooley, Josh Doan, and Clayton Keller by his side in training camp.

But there's also the veteran presence of Mikhail Sergachev, Ian Cole, and Kevin Stenlund, all Stanley Cup winners that Yamamoto hasn't had a chance to learn from yet.

Related: Josh Doan And Clayton Keller Ready To Learn Again In Training Camp

It's what he hopes will be a springboard back to his high level of play in Edmonton, where he scored a career-high 20 goals and 41 points for the Oilers in 2021-22.

"I'm not going to take this for granted," he said. "I'm going to give it everything I've got and use everything I can to try to make this team."