Prospect Info: 2023 14th Overall - Brayden Yager

[deakka]

Why wasnt he playing the U18? Injured? Or just didn't make the team?

 

[cygnus47]

Brayden Yager sounds like a NASCAR driver.

Brayden Yager sound like what Biden would say when he forgot someones actual name mid sentence.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Was hoping Dvorský would fall a few more places and I still think Yager is undersized, but hey here’s hoping. At least the logic of the pick is clear.

 

[Ulf5]

Braden Yager trains with Shane Endicott lmfao

Yager named Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year

Stellar season for Warriors standout lands highest honour among first-year players from across major junior hockey

www.moosejawtoday.com

A- how the hell is Shane Endicott as a trainer a thing?
B- oh ffs fire Dubas then

 

[HandshakeLine]

It's crazy to realize that if we'd just leaned a little harder into the skid for a few games, we could have possibly ended up with Michkov.

Not looking a gift horse in the mouth or anything, just emphasizing how truly dumb last year was.

That said, we should get Yager to whoever Ovechkin uses as a primary care physician for some special medicine asap.

 

[Ulf5]

Well obviously because he drafted them.

Of players available

 

[cygnus47]

So here's a bunch of scouting reports (or collations) on him
...

Couldn't build a profile on this guy that all of them agree on. Sounds like he's been real inconsistent and divisive (which yeah not news but bears repeating).

I feel like the one fairly consistent weakness I'd love to see addressed is hands under pressure. That I think will be a big difference maker in makes it or not.

Having a look it seems like:
1) Fantastic shot, great on the rush or with space, uses his teammates a lot (too much) but isn't particularly creative. Great on the powerplay. Good accuracy on passes but doesn't use them creatively.
2) Great speed but doesn't always use it to full effect, doesn't use changes of speed very well, other than straight up accelerating, and doesn't use his edges as well as he should be capable of based on his mechanics. Can be beaten by more elusive guys on defense.
3) Plays safe with the puck in his own zone, makes smart passes, but isn't great under pressure with the puck. Good at outlet passes but sucks at gaining the zone.
4) Defensively hit and miss. Makes mistakes with his closing speed, making him seem lackadaisical. Also chases the play a bit. Pretty good at closing down his guy if he's with them and they get a pass, does have games where he's tough to beat defensively.

Sounds like a complimentary top 6 winger with a double plus shot or a 3rd line center that doesn't produce for "mysterious" reasons even though he has the tools. Not gonna be a play driver in the NHL but could help facilitate better players. Probably not gonna be great in transition but can make good passes if they're there or take advantage of defenders that miss a step or underestimate his speed. If he's lacking creativity in juniors its probably not gonna come, but he can fix his effort and edges to make him a + defensively at wing. Probs will have to learn how to PK to make the big leagues and will end up somewhere between Brandon Sutter and Jared McCann.

I am now the HF boards expert at scouting.

 

[stardog]

I am actually Brayden Yager.

And I... am your father.







I guess calling me Dad is okay too?

Not for the rest of you....I mean, as far as I know....Mr. Yager will suffice.


Ok, for realzzz tho, is it pronounced Yay-GRRR like a cheerleader who happens to be a pirate?
Or like Jaromir Jagr? Cuz there was an article claiming the latter but I thought Dubie, Dubie, Dubas pronounced it like the former?

Sorry, I lied. I am Tristan Broz.

Dammit... I guess I'm not your father.


I think.

 

[eXile3]

I usually look for if the pick was a reach. With this it’s hard to tell. A lot of rankings had him around 14. Central Scouting had him at 11.

Other lists though have him as a late 1st rounder. Not sure what to think.

 

[deakka]

The excitement when the BEST case scenario is a mix between Sutter and Mccann... So much for adding that much needed talent....

 

[Lust for Life]

"Make no mistake though. This is a player with 30-goal upside, if things break right. A little more physical strength, maybe even an extra step or two as a skater, and Yager can get there."

From the EliteProspects Draft Guide.

 

[Pens1566]

At least we know his goals will be called Yager-bombs.

 

[vikingGoalie]

we almost got benson, oh well. cya in a few years when you might make an impact Yager..
(please prove me wrong in a good way Yager)

 

[OtherThingsILike]

If you search for 'Yager' on here, the fans of other teams are either bummed that they missed out on him or are LOLing at the pick.
It's mostly the former than the latter.
I don't know if it's like that for every other player, but I thought it was funny that all of the reactions were so extreme.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Any chance he makes the team this year? 3rd C is kinda open, no?

 

[orby]

A skilled 2 way center seems like a good choice. This organization has very bad depth at center. After Crosby and Malkin (and who knows how long that will last?) there is really no one capable of playing top 6 center at all; none of the existing prospects strike me as viable candidate. This kid is probably a couple years out at least, but it's better than not having anyone in the pipeline.

 

[deakka]

A skilled 2 way center seems like a good choice. This organization has very bad depth at center. After Crosby and Malkin (and who knows how long that will last?) there is really no one capable of playing top 6 center at all; none of the existing prospects strike me as viable candidate. This kid is probably a couple years out at least, but it's better than not having anyone in the pipeline.

I have my doubts about the skill part. Nothing in the highlights scream "skilled player". Go watch the Benson highlights for comparison and you'll see what i mean.

I know Benson wasn't available, but that's just to show the difference between a "skilled" player and Yager.

 

[The Old Master]

Having watched a bit more, I think I see both of your points.

There's definitely a huge bias to "streak down the ice and snap it" in his goals without many examples of finding the soft coverage, or getting the second chance, or the tip but as Jacob says, those are NHL goals. We all recognise them from Phil/Kappy/McCann highlight reels. Whether Yager will have the talent to translate that to the next level, or whether he's a junior level hero who'll find he can't do that against men, is unknown but some of those goals were downright filthy. There also seems to be an awareness of how to exploit the goalie mentally at points.

Tbh, after watching a few vids, and with the Kappy example in mind and knowing his pedigree, Yager feels like a guy who's never really had to struggle to be amazing at hockey and who has decided to expand what he's doing before the next step up, and is hitting teething problems. Obviously he's doing the right thing there which is encouraging but it makes him a really intriguing if not bizarre prospect to evaluate.

Like take the whole is he a C or a W thing? Guys with that sort of defensive skillset at that age are usually Cs. Guys with that sort of attacking skillset are usually Ws. He's made himself into this sort of oddity and I hope his junior coach is reminding him that guys who can shot at 18% in the WHL in their D-2 have a very obvious calling card for the big show and he should use it. Being well-rounded is great but so is being freaky effective at a thing.

At this point I'm mainly just fascinated to see what he is next.

I think that his biggest need is to get stronger. (Should be easy to do, if he's not a petts) and if he can do that, you'll see an improvement across the board.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I usually look for if the pick was a reach. With this it’s hard to tell. A lot of rankings had him around 14. Central Scouting had him at 11.

Other lists though have him as a late 1st rounder. Not sure what to think.

It's a situation where the tools are there but the development isn't quite on par with it, I think. He could be a 3rd line C as someone mentioned. If he puts it all together he could be a steal. I think it's probably a pretty safe pick, I'm just a bit wary of smaller, undersized guys who have all the tools and yet can't put it all together.

 

[The Old Master]

we almost got benson, oh well. cya in a few years when you might make an impact Yager..
(please prove me wrong in a good way Yager)

and the year before we almost got miro. i think i'm seeing a pattern.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Any chance he makes the team this year? 3rd C is kinda open, no?

if this kid nails Carter with a perfectly placed slapshot in camp and LTIRs him for the year, we're hanging Yager's jersey in the rafters, IMO.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Any truth to the idea Dubas let the prior staff make the pick?

 

[Empoleon8771]

It has probably been mentioned, but Yager won CHL rookie of the year in 2021-2022 and that was why he was projected as a top-5 pick for the 2023 draft entering the year. He just didn't progress like he was expected to in his rookie year.

This pick feels a bit weird to me, because it simultaneously feels like a safer pick while also having the potential to boom. He legitimately seems like he can be anything from a Sutter caliber 3C to a McCann caliber top-6 winger, and he has the potential to boom to beyond a McCann caliber player.

I hope his playoff performance in the 2023 playoffs carries over to next year, he had 6 goals and 16 points in 10 games and I think he'll really shoot up the prospect rankings if he can continue that next year. Either way, really nice add to the prospect pool and the pool is looking a lot nicer with him and Pickering at the top.

Now if only one of Hextall's other picks could look halfway decent.

 

[HuskerTornado]

Any truth to the idea Dubas let the prior staff make the pick?

My understanding is that if Yager ends up being a good pick, it was Dubas' call. If not, it was the Hextall staff's pick.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Pronman on the Yager pick:

14. Pittsburgh Penguins: Brayden Yager, C, MOOSE JAW (WHL)
January 3, 2005 | 5′ 11″ | 170 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player

Player comparable: Travis Konecny

Background: Yager was an important all-situations center for Moose Jaw this season. He scored 34 goals in 63 WHL games as a 16-year-old being named CHL Rookie of the Year. He also scored 18 points in 24 WHL games as a 15-year-old. He was the best player at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, leading Canada to gold. Yager was the third pick in his WHL Bantam Draft.

Analysis: Yager is a player with a pro-style game. He plays with a lot of speed and energy, showing the ability to carry pucks up the ice and make skilled plays with pace. He’s not the biggest center, but Yager plays hard, showing a commitment to making plays without the puck and winning a lot of battles even though he’s not overly physical. His main offensive weapon is his shot, which is high end due to his great technique and accuracy, but he does have the slick hands and vision to beat defenses in other ways. He didn’t score goals this season like I thought he would with his shot, but I believe he will in future seasons. At his size there will be questions about whether he’s an actual NHL center despite his skating and effort. My comparable for him is an NHL wing, reflecting the risk in his projection at that position, but I see a reality where he turns into a Vincent Trocheck type.

Thoughts on the pick: Yager is an excellent two-way center despite his lack of size. He plays with NHL pace, he has an excellent shot and he has good skill. He may not be the most dynamic small player you’ll ever see, but he has pro traits. The question is whether he will be an NHL center or wing at his size but he can be a top six forward for the Penguins in a few years.

I think the Konecny comparison makes a ton of sense. Konecny is a similar size and I believe he's well known to have a very strong defensive game for a winger, which stems from the fact that he was drafted as a center.

Read this scouting report on Konecny from 2015 and see how similar it is to reports on Yager now:

“A talented scoring forward that can play either as a center or on the wing; plays with the bite and intensity of a guy who is willing to do anything to win a game. Possesses dynamic skating ability that allows him to accelerate rapidly with each step, incredible hockey sense, electrifying puckhandling skills, and a lightning release on his shot; when you put this skillset together with hard-nosed determination, proactiveness in all three zones, and a physical willingness to grind and persevere, you get a game-changer who can be extremely difficult to play against.”