Prospect Info: 2023 14th Overall - Brayden Yager

[Ryder71]

Could be worse

Could be a lot better

 

[Gurglesons]

Could be a lot better

You wanted us to keep the 1st. Accept your latest bad decision.

 

[Turin]

For context, for those worrying about a stupid projections chart by grifters, 99% of prospects are in the red in terms of projections to be a star or NHL player.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Regardless anyone who was looking for the Penguins to pick up a skilled forward in this draft that tends more towards finishing than playmaking with bonus points towards an already-developed two-way game, a good work ethic and being a RH center should be happy. Certainly question marks like anyone from this spot in the draft and hell I still wanted them to trade the damned thing but a pretty good result IMO.

 

[Sorry]

Shame Levon Helm isn't alive to give him a stick of Beemans.

Definitely calling him Chuck as a fan.

 

[Ryder71]

You wanted us to keep the 1st. Accept your latest bad decision.

I'm not going to accept a damn thing, because we don't conclusively know how this pick will turn out. I'm not thrilled about it, nor am I panicked about it. I would say slightly disappointed, but we're not going to conclusively know how this turns out for two or three years. But I sure as hell wouldn't want to just throw it away in hopes that we're going to make another playoff run with our current lineup.

 

[Peat]

Tested well at the draft combine according to DK too

 

[SomeDude]

Tested well at the draft combine according to DK too

That'll come in handy when the NHL turns OT into a pushup contest.

 

[pistolpete11]

Looks and sounds more like a winger. I bet he's one of those guys that gets labeled as a C for the rest of his career, but ends up as a winger....if he ever makes it that is.

 

[Ryder71]

Tested well at the draft combine according to DK too

Doesn't look all that dominant in any particular way. Seems good all around though, I guess we'll see. But I'm not overly excited to be honest.

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm not going to accept a damn thing, because we don't conclusively know how this pick will turn out. I'm not thrilled about it, nor am I panicked about it. I would say slightly disappointed, but we're not going to conclusively know how this turns out for two or three years. But I sure as hell wouldn't want to just throw it away in hopes that we're going to make another playoff run with our current lineup.

Yager could be a very good player. He could not. That's the thing with a 14th overall.

Chances are he's a nothing burger.

 

[Josey Wales]

Doesn't look all that dominant in any particular way. Seems good all around though, I guess we'll see. But I'm not overly excited to be honest.

Yes because worrying about 17 year old kids who aren't going to be in the NHL for at least 3 years is so sound mentally & emotionally

 

[canadianguy77]

Looks and sounds more like a winger. I bet he's one of those guys that gets labeled as a C for the rest of his career, but ends up as a winger....if he ever makes it that is.

That kid has NHL player written all over him. Barring injury, he'll make it. How high his ceiling is, who knows?

 

[Gurglesons]

Yes because worrying about 17 year old kids who aren't going to be in the NHL for at least 3 years is so sound mentally & emotionally

What's it like to spend all day talking on a forum where nobody replies or cares what you say?

 

[Ryder71]

Yager could be a very good player. He could not. That's the thing with a 14th overall.

Chances are he's a nothing burger.

To be completely honest (as I always strive to be) I wanted Benson in the worst way. If We Were Somehow to have achieved that I would be pretty smitten right now. This was a big let down for yours truly, that is not an indictment on this player I don't know all that much about him to be honest, but I did believe that Benson was the sixth most talented player in this draft, and that would have been an unbelievable value pick for the Pittsburgh penguins. Now, we're left with someone who was anywhere from 12 to maybe 21 as far as a prospect. I don't necessarily equate him to being a reach, but I wouldn't say we extracted Great Value here. And I love extracting value. I live for extracting value.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I'm not going to accept a damn thing, because we don't conclusively know how this pick will turn out. I'm not thrilled about it, nor am I panicked about it. I would say slightly disappointed, but we're not going to conclusively know how this turns out for two or three years. But I sure as hell wouldn't want to just throw it away in hopes that we're going to make another playoff run with our current lineup.

There is nothing to be concerned about imo, regardless of who was chosen.
In what year is this kid supposed to make a difference for the Penguins? There's like 2 more years of vying for a playoff spot, and then a good chunk of years where they won't be qualifying.
By the time they're ready to make it in again, this kid could be like 26 or older, with his ELC years behind him. At that point you can probably find someone similar in free agency, at the same kinda cap hit. He may not even wanna be a Penguin anymore at that time.

Unless he's cracking Sullivan's Penguins VERY SOON, he's nothing more than a potential trade chip after he develops.

 

[Ryder71]

Yes because worrying about 17 year old kids who aren't going to be in the NHL for at least 3 years is so sound mentally & emotionally

Here's the thing, I predicate my opinion on this team largely in how they draft and if they're able to extract value at the position that they pick. That's the only way this team is ever going to win again, so I find it extremely important to derive the best value possible in the scenarios. Time will tell, but I'm not overly optimistic we achieved that objective. That's not to say he won't be a good player, but I thought at 14 there were other players that might have been a little bit more attractive.

There is nothing to be concerned about imo, regardless of who was chosen.
In what year is this kid supposed to make a difference for the Penguins? There's like 2 more years of vying for a playoff spot, and then a good chunk of years where they won't be qualifying.
By the time they're ready to make it in again, this kid could be like 26 or older, with his ELC years behind him. At that point you can probably find someone similar in free agency, at the same kinda cap hit. He may not even wanna be a Penguin anymore at that time.

Unless he's cracking Sullivan's Penguins VERY SOON, he's nothing more than a potential trade chip after he develops.

Disagree completely, I don't think in the next two years will do jack s***! Wasting time with the Dinosaurs we have will be an exercise in futility. I'm more worried about the future so how he pans out in three or four years matters a lot to me. I don't expect us to contend in any significant way till the end of the decade. And I'm hoping that this pic will be part of that at least in some form or fashion. I'm okay to wait three or four years for this player. I just hope he actually will be part of the future penguins.

 

[Gurglesons]

To be completely honest (as I always strive to be) I wanted Benson in the worst way. If We Were Somehow to have achieved that I would be pretty smitten right now. This was a big let down for yours truly, that is not an indictment on this player I don't know all that much about him to be honest, but I did believe that Benson was the sixth most talented player in this draft, and that would have been an unbelievable value pick for the Pittsburgh penguins. Now, we're left with someone who was anywhere from 12 to maybe 21 as far as a prospect. I don't necessarily equate him to being a reach, but I wouldn't say we extracted Great Value here. And I love extracting value. I live for extracting value.

Yager was at the top of Dubas' board reportedly.

 

[Ryder71]

Yager was at the top of Dubas' board reportedly.

Well obviously because he drafted them.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Hilarious to think that this team would have just accepted any kind of tank job with Crosby still around. There were no realistic options to start the rebuild. Nobody ever addresses this point. Because they can't.

 

[Gurglesons]

Hilarious to think that this team would have just accepted any kind of tank job with Crosby still around. There were no realistic options to start the rebuild. Nobody ever addresses this point. Because they can't.

At least we can half ass that we are competitive to sell tickets and half ass that we are rebuilding to please FSG.

But Dubas is doing it “smarter”.

 

[Ryder71]

Hilarious to think that this team would have just accepted any kind of tank job with Crosby still around. There were no realistic options to start the rebuild. Nobody ever addresses this point. Because they can't.

No, they're not going to intentionally tank, but look what happened last year they're two best players played every game and they couldn't even make the playoffs. Lol they couldn't beat Chicago when their playoff lives depended on it. It's not about tanking, it's simply about just not being good enough anymore!

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

No, they're not going to intentionally tank, but look what happened last year they're two best players played every game and they couldn't even make the playoffs. Lol they couldn't beat Chicago when their playoff lives depended on it. It's not about tanking, it's simply about just not being good enough anymore!

Then what are you kicking rocks around for? What's your amazing alternative?

 

[SomeDude]

Let’s see..

-Buds with Shane Endicott
-1st round pick of the Penguins
-Out of the WHL

Brayden Yager D -1 and draft year stats:
63GP 34G 25A
67GP 28G 50A

Colby Armstrong D -1 and draft year stats:
72GP 36G 42A
64GP 27G 41A


Coincidence?

 

[Ryder71]

At least we can half ass that we are competitive to sell tickets and half ass that we are rebuilding to please FSG.

But Dubas is doing it “smarter”.

Well, I thought he extracted great value in the Riley Smith deal. Now, people will say that Vegas had to get rid of salary, well then that would mean that he was opportunistic and took advantage of of a team that was up against it. Well to me that's what you do. I love the deal, love it!