Prospect Info: 2023 14th Overall - Brayden Yager

[Peat]

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

Scouting Report: Brayden Yager - Smaht Scouting

Smaht Scouting’s Josh Tessler takes an in-depth look at 2023 NHL Draft prospect Brayden Yager (C, Moose Jaw).

smahtscouting.com

Getting to know the Pens’ pick, Brayden Yager

The Pens’ first round pick didn’t have the best draft year, but Pittsburgh didn’t seem to mind

www.pensburgh.com

Brayden Yager | Brayden Yager Profile | Brayden Yager Scouting Report 2023

Brayden Yager scouting report for NHL Draft. Profile contains Brayden Yager stats, videos and written bios

www.mynhldraft.com

Brayden Yager - 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

Brayden Yager is one of the top North American forwards available in the 2023 NHL Draft due to his scoring abilities.

thehockeywriters.com

Brayden Yager Scouting Report: 2023 NHL Draft #21

The 2023 NHL Draft is loaded. Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli headline the top. Meanwhile, Brayden Yager is a guy who can fly under the radar.

lastwordonsports.com

What's Up With Brayden Yager? 2023 NHL Draft Player Profile - Recruit Scouting

D.O.B: JAN 3 2005 Place Of Birth: Saskatoon, SK, CAN DY Team: Moose Jaw Warriors ( WHL ) Position: C Height: 6’0″ / 183 cm Weight: 165 lbs / 75 kg Handness: Right I think when it comes to this year’s NHL draft class, no one is more polarizing than Moose Jaw forward, Brayden Yager. […]

www.recruitscouting.com

Brayden Yager 2023 NHL Draft Profile - Pittsburgh Penguins #14 Pick - The Win Column

2023 NHL Draft prospect profile for Brayden Yager, including stats, strengths, weaknesses, and comparable players.

thewincolumn.ca

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.

 

[SomeDude]

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

Scouting Report: Brayden Yager - Smaht Scouting

Smaht Scouting’s Josh Tessler takes an in-depth look at 2023 NHL Draft prospect Brayden Yager (C, Moose Jaw).

smahtscouting.com

Getting to know the Pens’ pick, Brayden Yager

The Pens’ first round pick didn’t have the best draft year, but Pittsburgh didn’t seem to mind

www.pensburgh.com

Brayden Yager | Brayden Yager Profile | Brayden Yager Scouting Report 2023

Brayden Yager scouting report for NHL Draft. Profile contains Brayden Yager stats, videos and written bios

www.mynhldraft.com

Brayden Yager - 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

Brayden Yager is one of the top North American forwards available in the 2023 NHL Draft due to his scoring abilities.

thehockeywriters.com

Brayden Yager Scouting Report: 2023 NHL Draft #21

The 2023 NHL Draft is loaded. Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli headline the top. Meanwhile, Brayden Yager is a guy who can fly under the radar.

lastwordonsports.com

What's Up With Brayden Yager? 2023 NHL Draft Player Profile - Recruit Scouting

D.O.B: JAN 3 2005 Place Of Birth: Saskatoon, SK, CAN DY Team: Moose Jaw Warriors ( WHL ) Position: C Height: 6’0″ / 183 cm Weight: 165 lbs / 75 kg Handness: Right I think when it comes to this year’s NHL draft class, no one is more polarizing than Moose Jaw forward, Brayden Yager. […]

www.recruitscouting.com

Brayden Yager 2023 NHL Draft Profile - Pittsburgh Penguins #14 Pick - The Win Column

2023 NHL Draft prospect profile for Brayden Yager, including stats, strengths, weaknesses, and comparable players.

thewincolumn.ca

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.

That’s good and all, but I’ll base my emotions on HF posters who totally have a friend that saw him play before.

 

[Peat]

That’s good and all, but I’ll base my emotions on HF posters who totally have a friend that saw him play before.

You have mastered the way; we have no more to teach you.

 

[Gurglesons]

That’s good and all, but I’ll base my emotions on HF posters who totally have a friend that saw him play before.

I am actually Brayden Yager.

 

[SomeDude]

I am actually Brayden Yager.

I’ve done my research and you suck. Please just retire now and save us all the trouble.

 

[Gurglesons]

I’ve done my research and you suck. Please just retire now and save us all the trouble.

Sorry, I lied. I am Tristan Broz.

 

[SomeDude]

Sorry, I lied. I am Tristan Broz.

You were drafted like 2 years ago and don’t have 50 games played yet. You still suck.

 

[Sorry]

Well HF Pens board, we got the guy we mostly voted for. It's judgment time.

 

[Peat]

Sorry, I lied. I am Tristan Broz.

How was meeting with Brian Burke?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

@Sidney the Kidney is probably annoyed we took another “safe” one.

Depends what is considered "safe". I don't mind taking guys who don't necessarily project to being high scorers, I just don't like it when the player has almost zero top six upside.

I just don't want them taking guys who project to replace Teddy Blueger or Brock McGinn's roles. If a guy's got Philip Danault or Anthony Cirelli upside, that's fine.

 

[tom_servo]

Before anyone gets impatient with this kid btw, it took Guentzel 4 years to make the NHL. Took Rust 5, and he didn't really stick until year 6.

We'd be crazy lucky if this kid even becomes as good as either. It'll take a bit to get him here. At least 3, maybe 4 years.

I'm confronted with my own mortality every draft season.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Well HF Pens board, we got the guy we mostly voted for. It's judgment time.

Please tell me the team isn't doing research based on our takes lol

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Please tell me the team isn't doing research based on our takes lol

It's undeniable at this point.
Your welcome, by the way.

 

[KareemTrustfund]

Does this kids name sound familiar to you? It should. Very similar to an old Penguins legend. Brayden Yagers first name rhymes with the first name of our sixth round draft pick in 2014, Jaden Lindo.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Brayden Yager sounds like a NASCAR driver.

 

[Gurglesons]

View attachment 723324
It's undeniable at this point.
Your welcome, by the way.

Proposal: - VGK - PIT

Bryan Rust + for Riley Smith or Marchessault PIT gets a refresh on the wing and Vegas saves cap for a comparable player and gets either a 2nd round pick or a prospect from PIT.

forums.hfboards.com

I advocated for Smith in 2020!

Salary Cap: - Penguins Salary Cap Thread: We suck again summer edition

Zucker played like shit here for years until his contract year. Let some other team regret signing him. Yeah I know he was battling injuries while he was playing like shit. Don’t care.

forums.hfboards.com

Here are some buy low targets I'd be into from cap strapped teams.

VGK - Riley Smith
CGY - Kylington, Dube
DAL - Faksa
LAK - Iafallo, Arvidsson
FLA - Duclair
WPG - Appleton
SJS - Lebanc
BOS - Gryz, Clifton, Coyle

 

[tom_servo]

I think Yager's a suitably intriguing player with the finishing ability you like to see at that spot. He's a bit of a slider you could say but that could only mean people saw something in him early.

 

[Zbynek]

Is the Hextall draft team story true?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Does this kids name sound familiar to you? It should. Very similar to an old Penguins legend. Brayden Yagers first name rhymes with the first name of our sixth round draft pick in 2014, Jaden Lindo.

It's very similar to a popular anime's main character's name. So the younger demographic of our fanbase will appreciate that.

 

[deakka]

I just don't see the offensive upside. Looks vanilla at best. Ofc that might have to do with watching Benson highlights before that looks fkn electric in comparison...

And while working on his playmaking ability is nice. Its ULTRA concerning he only had 28 goals this season for someone supposed to have a "great shot". seems like now he's neither a playmaker (he never will be) or a finisher...
This feels like a pretty standard safe 2-way pick.

lots of more intruging players I'd rather have had

 

[DearDiary]

Very disappointed with this pick. Would rather had Dubas have trade the 1st than draft Yager

 

[deakka]

Very disappointed with this pick. Would rather had Dubas have trade the 1st than draft Yager

Think i had prefered to either draft Perreault or traded down (could still have gotten Perreault depending on how far down).
Could really have done with an extra 2nd round pick idlf we moved down. Get Heidt maybe with it

 

[Peat]

I like the measured take in the midst of all the jubilation.

I'll say this... from the highlights the vast majority of his goals look a bit... well... junior-level. Dunno how many of those are actually NHL goals. But that means very little based off of just some 5 minute video and I'm far from well-versed on these guys.

Personally I see a lot of NHL-style goals in his highlights. Predictable but the NHL is predictable. Not a lot of “skate through everyone” or “stand in front of the net for 25 seconds unmolested.” It’s pouncing on a turnover, attacking on the rush, getting a bit of a lane, mid-range shot, quick release, goal. Use D as a screen from top of the circle, etc. Not high percentage but not low percentage. Chances you get in tight NHL games. He gets a step and uses it but he doesn’t try to do more than is needed.

Not enough in-tight, shovel-it-in garbage goals or tips but that’s probably an easy one to work on. Get him to go to the net more when he doesn’t have the puck, just fly-bys or being the 2nd wave, and pick up some loose change.

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.

 

[Pengu]

the pens picked him so he'll be another Poulin as the scouts are garbage...
With Barlow and Moore still there it was a poor pick

 

[The Greatest 101]

Better or worse than poulin?