He kind of reminds me of Brandon Sutter. Good shot, good straightline speed. Kind of lacking everywhere else. I think he could potentially make it into the NHL a bit quicker than some are thinking if he's asked to keep it simple playing a bottom 6 role and just using his skating and shooting to get pucks on net.
Eh, I feel its selling him short comparing him to Brandon Sutter. Sutter was 3" taller, obviously a chunk heavier. I'd say was definitely straight line faster, a touch better with edgework by the time I ever got to see him play much as a 19-20 year old for the Canadian program, but a wash everywhere else in skating. People pump Yager's 200-foot, two-way center game a bit more than I ever would at this point and I would say that Sutter played a bit more responsibly in the hockey I saw him play in the U20s and super series games, albeit in a more defensive role.
Offensively, they aren't in the same stratosphere at all. Yager has a better shot, has better much offensive instincts, is a much better heads up passer (from what we've seen at the Jr level vs. Jr level), much more efficient on the power play. In short transition, Yager dishes or drives like its second nature to him, Sutter being maybe a bit more potent off the straight rush, but only due to high-end speed and catching players flat in high transition or on clean exits.
After the eye test, production tells the same story. Sutter never finished higher than 51st in WHL scoring (playing into his draft + 1 year like Yager has), and never finished higher than 69th in WHL points per game. To his credit, barring one season, he played for some anemic teams offensively, but not enough to gap up that Yager has finished 12th in points and 8th in Points per game, and even as a rookie finished higher in PPG than Sutters best and 6 spots worse (at 57) in league scoring than Sutter.
Agreed about playing sooner rather than later if he is asked and is able to keep it simple.
Long story long, I really hope we have a lot more than Brandon Sutter on our hands with Yager here haha.