EDMONTON, AB - Bakersfield Condors Head Coach Jay Woodcroft doesn't need a magnifying glass to point out the finer details in Kailer Yamamoto's game that have made him successful in his recent call-up with the Edmonton Oilers.
They've been there all season in the AHL.
"It's easy for me to say that now, but I would say that Yamo has not only been our best forward, but our best player through the first part of our regular season here in Bakersfield," Woodcroft said in an interview on Monday with 630 CHED Oilers Now Host Bob Stauffer.
The 5-foot-8 winger has posted two goals and an assist in four games for the Oilers since being recalled from the AHL on December 29, providing a different dimension and balance to the club's top-six on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
The attention paid by Yamamoto during the season to make '19-20 a formative year in his career has been just as important as the work put in during the off-season towards recovery and growth.
The 21-year-old underwent wrist surgery back in May and missed the entirety of last season's playoff run to the Pacific Division Final for the Condors, returning in time for the onset of Training Camp and being named an AHL All-Star back on Friday for his exploits of 16 points (8G, 8A) in 23 contests this campaign.
FUTURE WATCH: Woodcroft on Yamamoto's call-up, Benson's consistency
"When his roommate got called up, there was no one happier for Yamo than Benson," Bakersfield Condors Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said