Yamamoto, Kostin on the way out as Oilers' Holland looks to build Cup-winning team

See ya later, Kailer Yamamoto. 

Nice knowin’ ya, Klim Kostin. 

Ken Holland did not offer up many nuggets during his pre-draft address to the media in Nashville, but it was the ease with which he fielded a question on Yamamoto that tells us all we need to know. 

Has he spoken with Yamamoto, a player who is being shopped across the National Hockey League and has very favourable buy-out terms? 

“I have not spoken to Kailer yet,” Holland said. “I'm still working the phones, and I’ve got to see what transpires.” 

Asked later on — not specific to Yamamoto — about whether his team would go the buy-out route if need be, Holland gave reporters the rare one-word answer: “Yes.” 

Our take: 

Yamamoto’s buy-out terms are very favourable, at $533,334 for this season and next. 

So if Holland can find a team to trade Yamamoto to, he’s not going to retain more than around $750,000 this season, on Yamamoto’s $3.1 million AAV. And whatever draft pick or asset he would attach to Yamamoto to facilitate a trade, it can not exceed the buy-out cost — which means it won’t be much. 

So, as Holland heads into free agency with a clear and present need to add a defenceman, shore up his bottom six and perhaps find a right-winger, it is obvious beyond a doubt that barring something unforeseen, the 22^nd overall selection from the 2017 draft has played his last game in Oilers silks. 

We liked everything about the game little winger, other than the 30 points, $3.1 million salary, and inability to withstand the rigours of playoff hockey due to his small stature (five-foot-eight, 155 lbs.). You’ve got to break a few eggs, as they say, to make an omelette, and Yamamoto is a piece that will not survive the building of a championship team — should Holland find his way to that goal. 

As for Kostin, who wouldn’t love to have him back as fourth-liner who can score, hit and fight? But in Edmonton’s salary structure, as Holland focuses down on his bottom six, fourth-line players simply can not make more than about $1 million. 

He likes his bottom six at the end of last season, “but (Nick) Bjugstad) was at $450,000 Kostin was at $750,000. McLeod was at $800,000. They're not playing for those figures (this season), and the cap’s only going up $1 million. 

“(Stu) Skinner’s going up almost $2 million. It was $750,000 last year. Bouchard wants a raise…” 

Bjugstad can choose to chase a Stanley Cup in Edmonton, or get paid more elsewhere and put his money on a longshot to fulfill his career dream of hoisting old Stanley. McLeod has been qualified. He’s the third-line centre in Edmonton and a relatively big part of this project. Bouchard will get his raise. 

As for Kostin, he’s at the back of a long line, and using that old Russian trope of a KHL gig as leverage. Frankly, if I have a player who will choose the KHL over a shot at a Stanley Cup, I’m asking myself how badly I want him on my roster anyhow. 

“I’m not sure what I'm doing on Kostin,” Holland admitted. “The reason being, being a Russian player he's had conversations with the KHL. So I’ve got to decide here over the next three or four days what we're doing.” 

When a team reaches the point the Oilers have reached — close to the top with all of their core pieces signed — the fringe players become more transient. 

Have a good year on Edmonton’s fourth line at $800,000? Now, let’s see if I can turn that into a three-year, $4.5 million deal somewhere else. The Oilers then fill those holes with players who are willing to sign cheaper, one-year deals that will improve their marketability the following summer. 

You can’t fall in love with a player, even though both Yamamoto and Kostin were both loveable in their own way. 

Holland also promised a long training camp look for Rafael Lavoie, who will need waivers to go down this season. The organization is cheering for him in a big way, to become that drafted, inexpensive player who emerges from the system and helps while on his second professional contract at something less than $1 million per. 

And Philip Broberg? 

Well, Holland referenced how Bouchard grew when given the chance. 

We read that to mean, if Holland can’t find the upgrade on his blue line, they are looking for, then Broberg will be given the chance to become that upgrade. And if Broberg hasn’t shown huge improvement by the Trade Deadline, they’ll go to market and find somebody better.