Prospect Info: Brayden Yager

[10Ducky10]

KFC sitting on the bench?

Those were just lines that I would like to see the coaches try.
Wasn't meant to be a lineup.

 

[Snowboy]

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.

It appears this is the year draft and develop process has to produce.

 

[MelikeJets]

It appears this is the year draft and develop process has to produce.

It's a process.

 

[AlaskaJet]

It's a process.

When’s the earliest you see this process yielding a product in a numbered Jets Jersey?

 

[Buffdog]

When’s the earliest you see this process yielding a product in a numbered Jets Jersey?

Earliest guess for me would be 2026/27

This year in the WHL then at least one year on the Moose

 

[KingBogo]

Earliest guess for me would be 2026/27

This year in the WHL then at least one year on the Moose

Agreed, that seem a likely timeline for Yager. Really important for him to have a monster D+2 year in the CHL and ideally a big performance at the World Juniors, where he will likely be one of the go to top forwards.

 

[Eyeseeing]

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.

Scheifele doesn’t scream leader/winner to me YMMV.
We need someone who can or has the potential to be the next franchise center.
Scheifele doesn’t make too many top 20 lists in #1 Center a.

 

[KingBogo]

Scheifele doesn’t scream leader/winner to me YMMV.
We need someone who can or has the potential to be the next franchise center.
Scheifele doesn’t make too many top 20 lists in #1 Center a.

But that is just an opinion. By all indications he is highly regarded by his team mates and he has taken Perfetti under his wing who has spoken very highly of him. You can debate where he stands among the top centers in the league, but he he is definitely still among the top 20 or so. Dax earlier made a pretty convincing argument that he was in the top 1/2 of the Western Conference centers. Great if we some how land a better franchise center, but we have no one even close at this moment and I doubt we will have one anytime soon. So you can either shit on him or hope he finds the best version of himself over the next few years as we will need it.

 

[Eyeseeing]

I am so undecided about Mark
I think he has another gear
Path not yet taken

 

[KingBogo]

I am so undecided about Mark
I think he has another gear
Path not yet taken

IMO we have always missed having another skilled center on the team to balance things out. While there have been a few temporary solutions, but rarely have we ever been able to run a real 1 - 2 down the middle. The best of teams have the luxury of doing so.

 

[Eyeseeing]

IMO we have always missed having another skilled center on the team to balance things out. While there have been a few temporary solutions, but rarely have we ever been able to run a real 1 - 2 down the middle. The best of teams have the luxury of doing so.

Ok I agree with this a lot.
I’m not saying Scheifele isn’t a good player I’m like you.
We need a capable center who stands out in some way and a second center who can pick up the slack

 

[KingBogo]

Ok I agree with this a lot.
I’m not saying Scheifele isn’t a good player I’m like you.
We need a capable center who stands out in some way and a second center who can pick up the slack

In a perfect world we have a center ready to take the #1 reigns in 3-4 years or so and have Scheifele drop down to #2 with easier usage. Maybe that is Lambert or Yager, maybe not, but those are our 2 best hopes at the moment.

 

[FlappyGiraffe]

In a perfect world we have a center ready to take the #1 reigns in 3-4 years or so and have Scheifele drop down to #2 with easier usage. Maybe that is Lambert or Yager, maybe not, but those are our 2 best hopes at the moment.

I'm dreaming of Lambert having a Barzal like rookie season for us with Connor or Ehlers.

Barzal is kind of the top end comparable I have in my head for him, similar builds and toolsets

 

[10Ducky10]

Lambert should have some size on his wing(s).
Nino Lambo Volare?
KFC Lambo Volare?

 

[ello]

If Scheifele's your 1C, you'd need someone on a similar level as a 2C if you want to be competitive imo.

A true 1C should be a near automatic match-up winner. If you're a ppg 1C you also need to be elite defensively. Scheif hasn't been either in years.

 

[GaryPoppins]

I am so undecided about Mark
I think he has another gear
Path not yet taken

IMO, Scheifele is what he is at this point.

He’d be the perfect support guy for THE guy.

Outside of JMO and Helle, we’re pretty lean on game breaking talent in general

 

[Buffdog]

IMO, Scheifele is what he is at this point.

He’d be the perfect support guy for THE guy.

Outside of JMO and Helle, we’re pretty lean on game breaking talent in general

I've said before that schief is a top 20-30 centre in the league. To win with rhat you either need another one of those or at least a top 30-40 guy

 

[Skidooboy]

Scheifele doesn’t scream leader/winner to me YMMV.
We need someone who can or has the potential to be the next franchise center.
Scheifele doesn’t make too many top 20 lists in #1 Center a.

unless you look at points.
since 2019/20? #13th scoring Centre in the league
since 2017/18? #14
since 13/14 when he became a full time starter? #10 centre in the NHL in points.

 

[Buffdog]

unless you look at points.
since 2019/20? #13th scoring Centre in the league
since 2017/18? #14
since 13/14 when he became a full time starter? #10 centre in the NHL in points.

2023/24: 23rd
2022/23: 31st
2021/22: 23rd

 

[DRW204]

unless you look at points.
since 2019/20? #13th scoring Centre in the league
since 2017/18? #14
since 13/14 when he became a full time starter? #10 centre in the NHL in points.

not sure if looking like 10+ years ago is a good mechanism. draisaitl, mackinnon, matthews, EP, mcdavid, point, aho. r.thomas, a bunch of others weren't in the league or rookies in mackinon's case. and then you players like JT Miller that have overtaken him over the last few years

look at recent history, he's closer to the lower-end offensively as the post above shows. if he was putting up great defensive numbers/play i think there'd be less of a discussion since his all around game would be considered better, despite the lower rank in point scoring.

 

[Thechozen1]

hmm, I thought this thread was about Yager. Seems to have morphed into more of a Scheifele discussion.

 

[Buffdog]

hmm, I thought this thread was about Yager. Seems to have morphed into more of a Scheifele discussion.

It definitely pertains to Yager IMHO.

Chevy has gone out of his way to mention that he sees him as a C, so trying to figure out where he'll land on the depth chart (and when) is on topic. In order to do so, we need to try to figure out who else in the org will be playing C by the time he likely hits and how productive that player will be at the time

 

[gojetsgo]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833911692792864799

 

[KingBogo]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833911692792864799

I find it interesting the organization is letting him wear his likely NHL number over the random mid 40s number usually given to prospects at their first time skating with the team.

 

[MelikeJets]

I find it interesting the organization is letting him wear his likely NHL number over the random mid 40s number usually given to prospects at their first time skating with the team.

Interesting indeed.