Prospect Info: 2023 14th Overall - Brayden Yager

[The Old Master]

I don't see that. He can move around the net and in tight. His skating all around would be better served with some improvement, but that's going to come. I personally think he'll be NHL ready in less than 2 years, and should walk right into a top 9 role. He needs to be on the Colby Armstrong WBS diet. Eat 10,000 calories and go to the gym.

i wasn't saying your wrong, just pointing out the gap in what people see. I'm high on the kid. from what I can tell, his skating the mechanics are good, so just by adding strength it should improve both edge work and speed. his attention to defense is good (he even kills penalty's) and with the adding of strength that will improve greatly. his faceoffs are a + and will only improve as yes. he gets stronger. are you seeing a common theme? this was/is a pick that's all about up side.

 

[3074326]

Eat 10,000 calories and go to the gym.

Ah yes, much like my lifestyle. Minus the gym

 

[Offtheboard412]

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.

 

[JTG]

Ah yes, much like my lifestyle. Minus the gym

I had a lipid panel done and had to ask my doctor "How high can triglyceride numbers go?"

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.

Luckily he showed this year that he is willing to work heavily on his deficiencies.

 

[The Old Master]

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.

yeah if he wanted to play wing he would be here soon, but the kid wants to be a center and that will take a little/lot longer.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Absolute rifle of a wrist shot, exciting offensive player. Seems like he's rounded out his game further and while the jump from junior to pro is difficult for all, I am not worried about Yager figuring it out. If he just had a slightly disappointing DY and has figured it out all since, you guys have a gem here.

Good to see that he's signed, and even if he's back to the Dub for one last year, he'll get to play a big big role for Canada at the World Junior. Maybe he gets his 9 game tryout in the NHL before being sent back, who knows.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

I see a lot of McCann in him.

 

[lokomotiv15]

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.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

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.

Yager had 78 points in 67 games in his DY, which was moderately disappointing since people thought he was going to be a top 10 pick going into the 2022-23 season. Sutter had 57 points in 71 games in his DY, which is quite below average for a top prospect in the CHL, but was a standout defensive C. Both came out of the Dub.

Yager is a sniper, Sutter was a shutdown type who could chip in some offense. Yager should be a shot first 2C or could get shifted to 1RW or 2RW.

 

[Offtheboard412]

Yager had 78 points in 67 games in his DY, which was moderately disappointing since people thought he was going to be a top 10 pick going into the 2022-23 season. Sutter had 57 points in 71 games in his DY, which is quite below average for a top prospect in the CHL, but was a standout defensive C. Both came out of the Dub.

Yager is a sniper, Sutter was a shutdown type who could chip in some offense. Yager should be a shot first 2C or could get shifted to 1RW or 2RW.

I said he kind of reminds me of Sutter, in that his best assets were his skating and shot. Not that they were literally identical prospects.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I said he kind of reminds me of Sutter, in that his best assets were his skating and shot. Not that they were literally identical prospects.

In the games I have seen of Yager, not even remotely close. I mean you say shot and skating and then Sutter came to mind? Really? That's such a weird player to think of immediately when you see Yager play. To me he reminded me more of Brayden Point with how he plays than f***ing Sutter of all people.

To me, each time I saw Yager play, he reminded me of a slightly bigger Point, the speed, the shot, his 2-way game being pretty sound as well, also playing bigger than his size and just having a lot more tools to his game than you expected to see when you watched more games. He's a solid prospect, does that mean he will end up like Point? Under Sullivan I have massive doubts, Yager would have to be so insanely motivated like Guentzel was that he would over come the idiocy that is this coach and this team's developmental system, is Yager that player? To me he's insanely motivated to be the best he can be, so I think he has a pretty good shot at being pretty damn close.

If there's one area I would love to see Yager continuously get better at is his foot speed, at his size and his skill, he needs that extra step or at least the strides he has being more purposeful, more power in his first few steps. That can be worked on with the right coach. I wonder if Jessica Campbell still holds her camp, that would be the person for him to work with. Being smaller (6' isn't big or small really), he needs that separation speed. In the Dub, you can get away with his skating but in pro, he will be good in the AHL but it will be noticeable in the NHL. It's why I hope he's worked on it this summer and shows up in camp better in that area and earns that 9 game stint to see where he is at before he heads back to destroy the WHL in his final year.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

That 2023 draft was an odd one for me - I remember Yager was ranked around 20th, I was kind of high on Cristall if the Penguins would do what I figured would be better to do - trade the 1st for Buffalo's two second rounders that were higher up to take Cristall and someone else. Not that I hate where Yager went or anything, just how I saw that draft, it is what it is and I'm happy with what they ended up with, of course the only caveat is that this team and it's developmental methodology thanks to Sullivan is pure shit.

It'd be cool if Sid would just take these lads with him to Nova Scotia and train with him the way Nate did. Nate I recall saying he used to train hard, he thought, until he trained with Crosby and realized he wasn't training that hard at all, lol.

 

[Turin]

I said he kind of reminds me of Sutter, in that his best assets were his skating and shot. Not that they were literally identical prospects.

You said he lacks everywhere else, I don’t think that’s true.

 

[Jacob]

I don’t see Sutter. Sutter wasn’t really even drafted for his skill. I don’t see McCann either. He’s not that up-tempo or shoot-first, more methodical.

I see Kyle Turris the way he skates and shoots, and has a good, but not great overall offensive skillset. Maybe a little bit like Reinhart too, or the Reinhart of a few years ago.

 

[Andy99]

I think the previous comparison to Konecny is apt, assuming he maximizes his abilities

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Don’t see Konecny at all. He doesn’t have that level of grit, aggression, physicality.

Turris is pretty good.

Red Line Report compared him to Burakovsky in his draft year. Not sure I’m there with that.

Never seen McCann too much, who’s bigger with better skating.

Every time I watch him he kind of reminds me of late stage Bryan Rust. Not buzzsaw early career Rust but the higher scoring yet “quieter” Rust.

Best way I can put Yager’s game is he’s productive everywhere but has consistently been quieter than you’d love when you watch him play. Doesn’t control play with the puck on his stick at 5v5 or take over a lot of shifts when his team has possession in the o-zone. He wins more with positioning which is kind of weird for a guy with good skating like him. Not a beast along the walls. He can break open a shift off the rush though. And is really good on the PP, both in his quick game and with his shot.

^ I’ve only watched like 10 games of his over past couple years so take with grain of salt.

 

[Gurglesons]

Don’t see Konecny at all. He doesn’t have that level of grit, aggression, physicality.

Turris is pretty good.

Red Line Report compared him to Burakovsky in his draft year. Not sure I’m there with that.

Never seen McCann too much, who’s bigger with better skating.

Every time I watch him he kind of reminds me of late stage Bryan Rust. Not buzzsaw early career Rust but the higher scoring yet “quieter” Rust.

Best way I can put Yager’s game is he’s productive everywhere but has consistently been quieter than you’d love when you watch him play. Doesn’t control play with the puck on his stick at 5v5 or take over a lot of shifts when his team has possession in the o-zone. He wins more with positioning which is kind of weird for a guy with good skating like him. Not a beast along the walls. He can break open a shift off the rush though. And is really good on the PP, both in his quick game and with his shot.

^ I’ve only watched like 10 games of his over past couple years so take with grain of salt.

Comparable I saw a lot around the time of his draft year was Hoffman.

Not sure I agree with that. I think Yager despite his otherwise unimpressive visual game does have more compete than Hoffman did.