Will another first-round pick soon be made by the Oilers?

After throwing in the towel in the case of Jesse Polgojärvi earlier this year, the Oilers will likely be preparing to drop another first-round pick, Kyler Yamamoto.

Kailer Yamamoto’s season has been disappointing to say the least on many levels, some of them overlapping. The most important of which is the series of injuries he suffered, especially in the upper body. Some suspect a concussion, while others call it an injury, which isn’t fun. It’s hard to imagine those injuries didn’t have a serious impact on his game.

Yamamoto has a hitting cap of 3.1 million for next season, and by buying out his contract, the Oilers will save $2,666,666 in cap space this season. They’ll drop to just $533,334 next season. It’s a buy I could see the Edmonton Oilers making.

Yamamoto is not a bad player, but his small size, injuries and low production could be enough arguments for the decision to let him go and use the money for other needs.

The first takeover window begins today, Friday, June 16 (48 hours after the end of the playoffs) and ends on June 30.