Edmonton Oilers: 2 Breakout Candidates For Next Season

With each season that passes, it seems as though every team has players who improve significantly. They often turn out to be prospects naturally, but players who have some experience in the league also can. In this segment, we will be looking at two potential breakout candidates from each team. We will also be setting a max age limit of 26 years old, so older players are not eligible for discussion.

In our last piece, we looked at the Calgary Flames. Now, let's take a gander at their biggest rival, the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers are definitely hoping for more from their depth players next season. They have two forwards who do have the potential to take their games to higher levels. They each are former first-round picks with a decent amount of experience.

Jesse Puljujärvi RW: Jesse Puljujärvi showed significant improvement this season with the Oilers, as he had 15 goals and 25 points in 55 games. With numbers like that, perhaps the 23-year-old can take that next step and cement himself as a true top-six forward. It appears that spending the 2019-20 season in the Liiga helped him. Keep in mind, during the 2018-19 season, he had just four goals and nine points in 46 games. This is a player with a lot of potential now heading in the right direction.

Kailer Yamamoto RW: Kailer Yamamoto showed how effective he can be during the 2019-20 season with the Oilers. In 27 games, he had 11 goals and 26 points. However, this season was a bump in the road, he had only eight goals and 21 points in 52 games. When seeing as how he had so much success just two seasons ago, it is fair to assume he can jump back to a similar level permanently. This season should be a big one for the 22-year-old winger. Keep a close eye on him.