The Detroit Red Wings have acquired forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for future considerations, the clubs announced Thursday morning.
Yamamoto, 24, collected 10 goals and 25 points in 58 games with the Oilers during the 2022–23 regular season. The five-foot-eight winger added a goal and four points in 12 games with the team in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Kostin, 24, racked up 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games with the Oilers in 2022–23. The six-foot-three forward scored an additional three goals and five points in the playoffs as the Oilers fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
Yamamoto has one year left on his contract at a $3.1 million cap hit. Kostin is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and recent reports indicated the Oilers were leery of taking him to arbitration.
The Oilers originally selected Yamamoto in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. The Spokane, Washington product made his NHL debut with the Oilers in the 2017–18 season.
Yamamoto scored 20 goals with the Oilers in 2021–22 but took a step back last year. The Oilers needed to move his cap hit to free up space to sign top RFAs Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod this summer.
Kostin was found money for the Oilers after they acquired him from the St. Louis Blues for defensive prospect Dmitri Samorukov right at the start of the 2022–23 season. Kostin quickly established himself as a fan favorite in Edmonton and could be in line for a decent payday with the Red Wings as a restricted free agent.
Through 103 career NHL games over parts of four seasons with the Blues and Oilers, Kostin has racked up 16 goals and 32 points. Yamamoto has amassed 118 points (50 goals, 68 assists) in 244 career games with the Oilers over six NHL seasons.
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