F Brayden Yager - Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL (2023, 14th, PIT; traded to WPG)

[PanniniClaus]

Yager was pretty good.

 

[landy92mack29]

He did start slow but so did everyone really in a defensive role. Kept getting better but Cameron did his best to kill every players abilities

 

[57special]

He did start slow but so did everyone really in a defensive role. Kept getting better but Cameron did his best to kill every players abilities

I don't agree with Yager being the best forward, but he did improve as the tourney went on. Did like(not love) George and Molendyk.

 

[Turin]

Yager was pretty good.

I really don’t think he was. He had like 3 ES shifts where he was being impactful.

 

[PanniniClaus]

I really don’t think he was. He had like 3 ES shifts where he was being impactful.

That's fine, your opinion.

Was named one of Canada's top 3, a list I agreed with. Low bar but he was solid, no glaring weaknesses.

 

[Turin]

That's fine, your opinion.

Was named one of Canada's top 3, a list I agreed with. Low bar but he was solid, no glaring weaknesses.

One particular weakness in how he was playing was being unable to make passes at even strength.

 

[johnnystormcgy]

One particular weakness in how he was playing was being unable to make passes at even strength.

I didn't watch all of the games, but I seen a lot of speed up the wing and shoot into the goalies chest, which looks like low hockey IQ to me.

He was very good on the PK and defensive side from what I saw.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I didn't watch all of the games, but I seen a lot of speed up the wing and shoot into the goalies chest, which looks like low hockey IQ to me.

He was very good on the PK and defensive side from what I saw.

I got shit from this from some other Penguins fans for this claim (specifically when some Penguins fans were mad about the Yager-McGroarty trade), but I said that Yager gives me hardcore Brandon Sutter vibes. Your post fits exactly with what Sutter was.

I think the 2C/3C in the mold of Sutter is a pretty realistic guess for what he ends up in the NHL. Not a bad player at all but the lack of playmaking and vision will cap his upside.

 

[Turin]

I didn't watch all of the games, but I seen a lot of speed up the wing and shoot into the goalies chest, which looks like low hockey IQ to me.

He was very good on the PK and defensive side from what I saw.

Yea he looks like a middle six winger or 3rd line C

 

[wetcoast]

I didn't watch all of the games, but I seen a lot of speed up the wing and shoot into the goalies chest, which looks like low hockey IQ to me.

He was very good on the PK and defensive side from what I saw.

Frankly some of the shine has gone off him since his draft year kind of like how it did for Matt Savoie.

I really wonder how he adjusts to the AHL next year.

 

[Bender Duster]

Frankly some of the shine has gone off him since his draft year kind of like how it did for Matt Savoie.

I really wonder how he adjusts to the AHL next year.

I see him as a much more cerebral player than a guy like Savoie.

Savoie is all about speed and forecheck. Yager is more puck distribution and 200 foot game. He might not crack more than 60-70 points but Yags will have a long NHL career.

 

[wetcoast]

I see him as a much more cerebral player than a guy like Savoie.

Savoie is all about speed and forecheck. Yager is more puck distribution and 200 foot game. He might not crack more than 60-70 points but Yags will have a long NHL career.

Yager is better defensively for sure but Savoie was the much more dynamic prospect while Yager looked like a more north south direct shooter type.

I don't know what's happened to Savoie but my gut is that Yager won't turn out as well as expected.

Who knows though.

 

[Heldig]

One particular weakness in how he was playing was being unable to make passes at even strength.

??? my view he was the best passer among the forwards.

 

[Turin]

??? my view he was the best passer among the forwards.

I don't know how that's possible unless you only watched him on the powerplay.

 

[johnnyonthspot]

He did start slow but so did everyone really in a defensive role. Kept getting better but Cameron did his best to kill every players abilities

Imagine if they had picked Easton Cowan as one of the top 3 players! Th reaction to it would have been priceless.

 

[Heldig]

I don't know how that's possible unless you only watched him on the powerplay.

Or maybe you have a jaded view of him.

Maybe Catton was better?

 

[Turin]

Or maybe you have a jaded view of him.

Maybe Catton was better?

Why would it be jaded? He was seriously underwhelming for a D+2 returning player.

Or maybe you have a jaded view of him.

Maybe Catton was better?

Why would it be jaded? He was seriously underwhelming for a D+2 returning player.

 

[Heldig]

Why would it be jaded? He was seriously underwhelming for a D+2 returning player.


Why would it be jaded? He was seriously underwhelming for a D+2 returning player.

You are the one that said he only made 3 even strength passes all tournament. Clear hyperbole to show you think he was terrible.

 

[Offtheboard412]

I got shit from this from some other Penguins fans for this claim (specifically when some Penguins fans were mad about the Yager-McGroarty trade), but I said that Yager gives me hardcore Brandon Sutter vibes. Your post fits exactly with what Sutter was.

I think the 2C/3C in the mold of Sutter is a pretty realistic guess for what he ends up in the NHL. Not a bad player at all but the lack of playmaking and vision will cap his upside.

Wow finally someone else who made that comparison. Glad I'm not the only one who sees it. I'm not saying he can't turn out better than Sutter but there are some striking similarities in their games.

 

[Weezeric]

Wow finally someone else who made that comparison. Glad I'm not the only one who sees it. I'm not saying he can't turn out better than Sutter but there are some striking similarities in their games.

Sutter never scored 60 points in a season in junior. They’re not at all comparable offensively.

 

[Offtheboard412]

Sutter never scored 60 points in a season in junior. They’re not at all comparable offensively.

We'll see how it translates in the NHL. Plenty of guys who put up big numbers in juniors who ended up being outscored by guys who were "not at all comparable offensively." And there are similarities in their game, so I disagree that they're not at all comparable offensively. Yager may just turn out to be a better version of Sutter.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Sutter never scored 60 points in a season in junior. They’re not at all comparable offensively.

Sutter never played on a team that was nearly as stacked as Yager.

His team in the last year of juniors went 18-47-7 and had these top scorers:

Not exactly an apples to apples comparison when Yager was playing with guys like Savoie, Firkus, Mateychuk and such.

 

[Turin]

You are the one that said he only made 3 even strength passes all tournament. Clear hyperbole to show you think he was terrible.

His passing was terrible. Especially for a center. Saying I’m bias against him somehow is not a rebuttal. I was very surprised at how ineffective he was at controlling play despite being a returning player who was better last year.

 

[landy92mack29]

Sutter never played on a team that was nearly as stacked as Yager.

His team in the last year of juniors went 18-47-7 and had these top scorers:

View attachment 959039

Not exactly an apples to apples comparison when Yager was playing with guys like Savoie, Firkus, Mateychuk and such.

This being Yagers last year you might want to see what he had to play with on the last place Moose Jaw team he had 30 pts in 21 games for lol. Yager is a top prospect and the Pens got fleeced in the trade

 

[Empoleon8771]

This being Yagers last year you might want to see what he had to play with on the last place Moose Jaw team he had 30 pts in 21 games for lol. Yager is a top prospect and the Pens got fleeced in the trade

Okay? I was talking about Sutter there. Sutter never hit 60 points in juniors because his teams were horrid and he made the NHL in his draft+2 year.

I think it's stupid to call Yager a "top prospect" and the Penguins got fleeced but you do you. McGroarty and Yager are about equal prospects with similar upsides, hence why they were traded straight up for each other.