The Utah Mammoth have experienced ups and downs in their first 4 games, but the 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames at Delta Center is a good sign for things to come. Kailer Yamamoto has seized the opportunity in training camp and been in the starting lineup for the entirety of the short season, but will be out of the lineup for the match against the San Jose Sharks, giving way to Liam O'Brien.
After Utah traded Josh Doan to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the JJ Peterka trade, a depth position became available at forward. Yamamoto has been with the organization since the move to Salt Lake City and played in 12 games last season. The 27-year-old had a strong camp and surprisingly made the opening night roster.
The former first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers has provided speed to a slower bottom six of the Mammoth, and his experience has been beneficial to start the season. Yamamoto has been trusted enough to get minutes on the man advantage, where Doan's absence is still felt.
Through the first 4 games, Yamamoto has not recorded any points but has been impactful in other ways. Head coach Andre Tourigny has had a high level of confidence in the former Seattle Kraken, as he even played 14:02 in Chicago. Averaging over 10 minutes a game, Tourigny seemed to be more comfortable with the Washington native before tonight's healthy scratch.
In 2021, Yamamoto scored 20 goals with the Oilers and 11 goals in 2019. This is a player who has the skillset to play on the top line and the responsibility to play a depth role. He has been useful thus far in the season and felt he was starting to hit his stride.
Tourigny can get too cute with his lineup, and the fact that O'Brien comes into the lineup when the opposition has Ryan Reaves screams desperation to me. Let this lineup cook and especially give Yamamoto a chance to move around the lines and find chemistry.