Prospect Info: Brayden Yager

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

That's a rough one. Lucius over Salo - let's hope he's wrong because we need Salo to hit

Lucius is highly regarded. He could easily be our #1 prospect had he not faced one injury after another.

Missing games month after month, season after season has dramatically put a pause to his development path. You can have all the skill in the world, but not playing takes quite the toll on your path.

It’s impressive he’s still seen as a high end prospect after being injured every season since drafted.

 

[Whileee]

Bolded: did you mean ES or ASP?

ES. Thanks for catching that. I'll edit.

 

[Heldig]

Scheif hasn't been a gamebreaker for 6 years...

5 of the last 6 seasons he was ppg. His worst season he scored 42 goals.

He is a #1 C although lower tier.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

There is no way to ensure you get a top 10 center in the NHL. You are more likely to get a Yakupov or kotkaniemi than a McDavid or Mackinnon with a top 5 pick.

It isn't THAT bad. There is enough room between Yak, KK and McD, MacK at the other end to find plenty of 1Cs as well as 2Cs.

Obviously no guarantee but top 5 picks should yield 1st line players more often than not.

 

[surixon]

It isn't THAT bad. There is enough room between Yak, KK and McD, MacK at the other end to find plenty of 1Cs as well as 2Cs.

Obviously no guarantee but top 5 picks should yield 1st line players more often than not.

Yeah, I imagine the median is players like Dubois. He's actually a good player when he feels like it.

Edit: Just went back and looked and centers taken in the top 10 have a strong probability of turning into number 1C. But you absolutely need a top 2 pick to gwt the franchise altering ones since about 2011.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

We don't even need to be completely filled with injuries to bottom out.

It would happen if Helle went down with something long term

Agreed. A loss to JoMo long term would also really hurt.

And counting on Scheif to play at 1C level for 4-5 more years is optimistic. I think 2-3 is more realistic. 3 might even be a stretch.

In 3 years we might be going with two 2Cs in Lambert & Yager while we try to find an upgrade at 1C.

I don't see any chance of Yager NOT being developed as a C at this point. He will need to fail there for that to change.

 

[KingBogo]

And counting on Scheif to play at 1C level for 4-5 more years is optimistic. I think 2-3 is more realistic. 3 might even be a stretch.

In 3 years we might be going with two 2Cs in Lambert & Yager while we try to find an upgrade at 1C.

I don't see any chance of Yager NOT being developed as a C at this point. He will need to fail there for that to change.

Maybe in 3-4 years one of those guys pass Scheifele but it would have to be Lambert. Yager won't even be on the team for 2-3 years. # 1 C generally hold on to their game with a gradual decline as their game doesn't just depend on speed. When they signed Scheifele for 7 years my guess they were expecting to be the top center for 5 of those years. If Lambert or someone else supplants him great he drops down to #2 and is likely effective their for a couple more years. These guys are so well conditioned now, and Scheifele is among the top conditioned athletes they hold onto their games well.

 

[Buffdog]

And counting on Scheif to play at 1C level for 4-5 more years is optimistic. I think 2-3 is more realistic. 3 might even be a stretch.

In 3 years we might be going with two 2Cs in Lambert & Yager while we try to find an upgrade at 1C.

I don't see any chance of Yager NOT being developed as a C at this point. He will need to fail there for that to change.

Chevy specifically referred to Yager as a centre when he had his media comments after the trade (if that means anything)

 

[Daximus]

I think the alternative is to get contributions 1-4. Having scoring throughout the lineup.

If you are the Jets organization you have Scheif locked down, the Oilers could lose both their top centers in the next 2 years, Kopitar is going to HHOF, but you are going to see a Bergeron decline in him...Good chance Bedard and Beniers rise up the ranks. Wyatt Johnston and Robert Thomas might climb up a notch too.

Lambert seems like the future 2C. And they will give him time to develop more this season if he needs to.

Jets have an important decision to make with Lowry, and that likely comes at the end of the season and depends on how it plays out.

Lucius is being developed as a centre. A full development year might give the Jets organization some idea about what they have. Another injury riddled year and I think there is some pressure to develop Yager into a center 2025, to have some depth at the position.

You'd think a guy like Julien is probably 2-3 years from NHL ready. Might only be a 3rd/4th line ceiling.

Guys like Gustafsson and Kupari make their living as special teams contributors.

The futures of Ehlers and Connor and how the Jets invest in their core while developing their prospective wingers will also have some influence on Yager's future you would think.

I don't think there is any direction organizationally to bottom out, but an off year, injury filled, can happen to any team.

None of them scream surefire 1C which is something we are going to need if we want to be competitive enough to make deep runs. Depth is great but gamebreakers win Cups. We have a lot of really solid forward pieces that much hasn't changed with the trade. We just need a surefire 1C that can lead this team post-Scheifele.

We don't even need to be completely filled with injuries to bottom out.

It would happen if Helle went down with something long term

Agreed. A loss to JoMo long term would also really hurt.

Yeah it can happen all kinds of ways. It's going to be very tough to bottom out with Helle though.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Maybe in 3-4 years one of those guys pass Scheifele but it would have to be Lambert. Yager won't even be on the team for 2-3 years. # 1 C generally hold on to their game with a gradual decline as their game doesn't just depend on speed. When they signed Scheifele for 7 years my guess they were expecting to be the top center for 5 of those years. If Lambert or someone else supplants him great he drops down to #2 and is likely effective their for a couple more years. These guys are so well conditioned now, and Scheifele is among the top conditioned athletes they hold onto their games well.

I think you are being optimistic about Scheif and pessimistic about Yager. IF we had a stronger C prospect I could even see him playing RW in 3 years. But we don't so that only happens if one of Lambert or Yager exceeds expectations - by quite a bit. But I don't think he will really still be playing at a 1C level for more than 3 years even if he is still holding that position.

I expect Lambert in the NHL either this year or next with Yager 1 year behind. It remains to be seen how well they will play in the NHL and whether or not they will succeed at C.

 

[KingBogo]

I think you are being optimistic about Scheif and pessimistic about Yager. IF we had a stronger C prospect I could even see him playing RW in 3 years. But we don't so that only happens if one of Lambert or Yager exceeds expectations - by quite a bit. But I don't think he will really still be playing at a 1C level for more than 3 years even if he is still holding that position.

I expect Lambert in the NHL either this year or next with Yager 1 year behind. It remains to be seen how well they will play in the NHL and whether or not they will succeed at C.

Schiefele is an exceptionally conditioned player. Every year he is in the top of the conditioning tests in camp. He has also been relatively free from any type of progressive injury problems that shorten careers. Expecting him to age well seems pretty reasonable since his game doesn't rely solely on speed. I'm guessing he ages far better than Ehlers for example who has suffered many impactful injuries and relies on pure speed as a big part of his game. I'm very hopeful about Lambert and Yager, but also trying to be realistic where their games are at now, I think Lambert can enter now in a sheltered #3 C role that will take a few years before we can even hope he can take on #1 C duties. Yager will need another junior year and at least 1 AHL season and then 2-3 NHL years before we can even talk about him being in that 1 - 2 center range.

 

[surixon]

To turn this back into Yager. I have now watched 3 full games of him in the memorial cup against the top opposition of his peer group. Here are my thoughts:

-He reads the play at a high level and is more often then not in the correct position and on the right side of the puck defending.

-He has real strong offensive instincts and knows where and when to go places in the offensive zone.

-Is a strong skater, especially once he gets going and is able to spot and hit holes quickly.

-Has an NHL caliber shot and release already that will likely translate to well above league average once he gets to the NHL.

-Has very good vision and passing skills.

-His puck skills while good are likely the weakest aspect of his offensive arsenal. He very rarely carries the puck through the nz and when he has it on his stick in the ozone wants to play the give and go game with his teammates. He doesn't like to posses it that much himself.

Outside of getting stronger and quicker, the biggest things he needs to work on are his assertiveness, both with and without the puck. He has the tools and skills the be more of a driver, as the top dog on the team next year I expect that to develop. He needs to me more selfish, especially with that shot. He is a gifted passes but kept trying to force passes when in prime shooting spots. Without the the puck I found he was a bit passive at times, and by that I mean he prioritized staying in his position then trying to force the issue. This very well could be a coaching/systems thing though. Is also like to see him really focus on his play with the puck through the nz.

 

[KingBogo]

To turn this back into Yager. I have now watched 3 full games of him in the memorial cup against the top opposition of his peer group. Here are my thoughts:

-He reads the play at a high level and is more often then not in the correct position and on the right side of the puck defending.

-He has real strong offensive instincts and knows where and when to go places in the offensive zone.

-Is a strong skater, especially once he gets going and is able to spot and hit holes quickly.

-Has an NHL caliber shot and release already that will likely translate to well above league average once he gets to the NHL.

-Has very good vision and passing skills.

-His puck skills while good are likely the weakest aspect of his offensive arsenal. He very rarely carries the puck through the nz and when he has it on his stick in the ozone wants to play the give and go game with his teammates. He doesn't like to posses it that much himself.

Outside of getting stronger and quicker, the biggest things he needs to work on are his assertiveness, both with and without the puck. He has the tools and skills the be more of a driver, as the top dog on the team next year I expect that to develop. He needs to me more selfish, especially with that shot. He is a gifted passes but kept trying to force passes when in prime shooting spots. Without the the puck I found he was a bit passive at times, and by that I mean he prioritized staying in his position then trying to force the issue. This very well could be a coaching/systems thing though. Is also like to see him really focus on his play with the puck through the nz.

I think there will be many of us watching his next season very closely. For all those watch junior games regularly please post as much as possible.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Schiefele is an exceptionally conditioned player. Every year he is in the top of the conditioning tests in camp. He has also been relatively free from any type of progressive injury problems that shorten careers. Expecting him to age well seems pretty reasonable since his game doesn't rely solely on speed. I'm guessing he ages far better than Ehlers for example who has suffered many impactful injuries and relies on pure speed as a big part of his game. I'm very hopeful about Lambert and Yager, but also trying to be realistic where their games are at now, I think Lambert can enter now in a sheltered #3 C role that will take a few years before we can even hope he can take on #1 C duties. Yager will need another junior year and at least 1 AHL season and then 2-3 NHL years before we can even talk about him being in that 1 - 2 center range.

True, it is reasonable to expect Scheifele to be one of those with a longer career. I tend to err on the conservative side. I'm counting on less and if he stretches it out further its a bonus.

The only way Lambert (or Yager, or anyone else) gets 3C is if Lowry continues to be the defacto 2C. I don't think playing that shutdown line as the 2nd line is a winning strategy. But I agree that the young guys need a season to adapt to the NHL before we see them assume their eventual roles.

I don't expect either Lambert or Yager to be 1C's. I said earlier that I can see us going with two 2C's, unfortunately. One of them would be centring the 1st line. Scheifele might still be playing well, as you predict, but at RW.

 

[Flair Hay]

Chevy specifically referred to Yager as a centre when he had his media comments after the trade (if that means anything)

Totally. I get the sense Yager is a center no matter what.

While Lambert is developing better playing center but is more 50/50 to play center or wing in the NHL?

 

[Thechozen1]

To turn this back into Yager. I have now watched 3 full games of him in the memorial cup against the top opposition of his peer group. Here are my thoughts:

-He reads the play at a high level and is more often then not in the correct position and on the right side of the puck defending.

-He has real strong offensive instincts and knows where and when to go places in the offensive zone.

-Is a strong skater, especially once he gets going and is able to spot and hit holes quickly.

-Has an NHL caliber shot and release already that will likely translate to well above league average once he gets to the NHL.

-Has very good vision and passing skills.

-His puck skills while good are likely the weakest aspect of his offensive arsenal. He very rarely carries the puck through the nz and when he has it on his stick in the ozone wants to play the give and go game with his teammates. He doesn't like to posses it that much himself.

Outside of getting stronger and quicker, the biggest things he needs to work on are his assertiveness, both with and without the puck. He has the tools and skills the be more of a driver, as the top dog on the team next year I expect that to develop. He needs to me more selfish, especially with that shot. He is a gifted passes but kept trying to force passes when in prime shooting spots. Without the the puck I found he was a bit passive at times, and by that I mean he prioritized staying in his position then trying to force the issue. This very well could be a coaching/systems thing though. Is also like to see him really focus on his play with the puck through the nz.

Great analysis! I get some Brad Richards vibes from him. As you stated, just needs to develop his game as a line driver a bit more.

 

[10Ducky10]

I'd like to see Yager between Ehlers and Volare in traing camp.
Some size from Volare and speed from Ehlers.

Things I would try in TC...

Perfetti Scheif Lambert
Ehlers Yager Volare
Nino Lowry Chibs
Barlow Scheif Loosh

JMo Salmon
Heinola DD
Sammy Miller
JMo Pionk (I know I know)

Make sure the rookie goalies see as many shots as they can. and from shooters like Scheif, Volare, KC, Ehlers, etc...

 

[Jet]

It would be lovely to see a couple of surprise performers at camp. We have a plethora of players that could end up forcing their way into the lineup or up the lineup.

Lambert, Chibrikov, Salmo, Kupari, Fleury, just to name a few.

I think the Jets need a player or two to step up this year if we are to compete for the Central this year. Of course, we also need the coaching staff to actually reward performance instead of tenure.

 

[surixon]

It would be lovely to see a couple of surprise performers at camp. We have a plethora of players that could end up forcing their way into the lineup or up the lineup.

Lambert, Chibrikov, Salmo, Kupari, Fleury, just to name a few.

I think the Jets need a player or two to step up this year if we are to compete for the Central this year. Of course, we also need the coaching staff to actually reward performance instead of tenure.

Unfortunately contracts will make it hard to incorporate more then a couple of young guys. My guess is Ville is in and Lambert is 50/50 to make the team at this point.

 

[KingBogo]

Unfortunately contracts will make it hard to incorporate more then a couple of young guys. My guess is Ville is in and Lambert is 50/50 to make the team at this point.

It looks like Villie is a lock with Dillon and Schmidt gone. Maybe Fleury hangs around if the go with 8 defenseman. My guess is Lambert is in competition with Kupari and Axel for the 13th forward, but only makes the team if he has earned a position further up the lineup than 4th line or PB duty. I don't think the organization takes a chance on losing any of the other forwards to waivers. This is of course not counting injury replacements which are unknowable at this point in time.

 

[Bob E]

I'd like to see Yager between Ehlers and Volare in traing camp.
Some size from Volare and speed from Ehlers.

Things I would try in TC...

Perfetti Scheif Lambert
Ehlers Yager Volare
Nino Lowry Chibs
Barlow Scheif Loosh

JMo Salmon
Heinola DD
Sammy Miller
JMo Pionk (I know I know)

Make sure the rookie goalies see as many shots as they can. and from shooters like Scheif, Volare, KC, Ehlers, etc...

KFC sitting on the bench?

 

[KingBogo]

KFC sitting on the bench?

I think @10Ducky10 is talking about interesting lineups he'd like to see for preseason games, not the actual starting lineup.

 

[Flair Hay]

Still feels too early for Brad and Elias. Maybe only half a year too soon. But still too soon. They are both close, but I think they may need a bit more time given we are expecting them to be top half of the lineup players.

If anything, Chibrikov seems like the closest to finished product of our prospects? Has the type of game that can fit on any line. New coach and a clean slate for everyone has me thinking he has a great shot to start on the roster.

 

[Bob E]

I think @10Ducky10 is talking about interesting lineups he'd like to see for preseason games, not the actual starting lineup.

Ahhhhh.

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

I think you are being optimistic about Scheif and pessimistic about Yager. IF we had a stronger C prospect I could even see him playing RW in 3 years. But we don't so that only happens if one of Lambert or Yager exceeds expectations - by quite a bit. But I don't think he will really still be playing at a 1C level for more than 3 years even if he is still holding that position.

I expect Lambert in the NHL either this year or next with Yager 1 year behind. It remains to be seen how well they will play in the NHL and whether or not they will succeed at C.

Centre prospects often move to wing due to inability to elevate their defensive game at the NHL level.

Even the best high end centre prospects rely on their pure skill to adapt to NHL hockey.

Unlike the traditional junior level centre, Yager is devoted to playing defensive brand hockey;

"Yager has put it all together, scoring at an impressive pace – he’s currently got 22 goals in 35 games – while continuing to focus on the defensive aspect of his game."Carson Gates @ nhl.com

“I think one thing is definitely just communication in the D-zone, I think just making sure I’m taking care of the D-zone first, and then just letting the skill take over going the other way. I think just cleaning up the D-zone, being hard to play against, and using my skating ability to disrupt plays and stuff like that.” Brayden Yager

and does so while scoring at imprissive rates.

In five years time I think there's better chance of Yager being an NHL centre than Lambert, but certainly hope both succeed.