The Buffalo Sabres have an interesting PTO candidate in this skilled winger.
The Buffalo Sabres have made several additions to their roster this offseason on offense. Their newcomers include Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker, Sam Lafferty, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Beck Malenstyn.
While the Sabres have made multiple additions to their roster this offseason, it would not hurt for them to bring in another skilled forward before the start of next season. Although most of the big-name free agents from this year’s class have found new homes, some interesting players are still available on the market. One specific player who could be worth looking at on a PTO is Kailer Yamamoto.
Yamamoto, 25, is coming off a tough season with the Seattle Kraken, posting eight goals, eight assists, and a minus-9 rating in 59 games. While it was a down year for the 2017 first-round pick, there is some reason to believe that he could bounce back if given another shot in the NHL.
During his time with the Edmonton Oilers, Yamamoto showed he possesses the potential to be a decent middle-six winger. Before posting a 10-goal and 25-point campaign with the Oilers in 2022-23, he set career highs with 20 goals, 21 assists, and 41 points in 81 games in 2021-22. Thus, he has the potential to provide some solid secondary scoring when playing at his best.
Yamamoto would not be the answer for the Sabres’ top-six winger hole, but he could be a solid depth forward to have around if he bounced back. With the Sabres needing more skill, taking a flier on him with a PTO would not hurt.
