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

[Peat]

He’s one of the hardest reads for me. I really struggle to rate Yager’s pro potential. I could see so many different outcomes.

Where's the uncertainty for you? I know you're not a big fan of him in general and suspect I can guess your answer, but I like to be sure of these things.

For me, from afar and without having followed close, it feels like Yager has a lot of tools at the "potentially dominant but nothing special if he doesn't keep improving" stage and none at the "absolutely dominant, this is how he'll define himself at the NHL" level. Which leaves everything open from very good AHL player to very good NHL player.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Where's the uncertainty for you? I know you're not a big fan of him in general and suspect I can guess your answer, but I like to be sure of these things.

For me, from afar and without having followed close, it feels like Yager has a lot of tools at the "potentially dominant but nothing special if he doesn't keep improving" stage and none at the "absolutely dominant, this is how he'll define himself at the NHL" level. Which leaves everything open from very good AHL player to very good NHL player.

Yeah pretty much on the bolded. To add, lack of size and a lot of perimeter scoring.

On the other hand he has had success on every team he’s been on between junior and Team Canada. He’s not a bad prospect at all.

Just not sure what I see him as in the league.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Yeah pretty much on the bolded. To add, lack of size and a lot of perimeter scoring.

On the other hand he has had success on every team he’s been on between junior and Team Canada. He’s not a bad prospect at all.

Just not sure what I see him as in the league.

Elite PP sniper with inconsistent 5v5 production. Much richer man's Mike Hoffman. He has more in his bag than Hoffman ever did, which gives him potential to hit 30 goals at an earlier age, but we will see if he can drive play at the pro level, or instead becomes an elite passenger who picks corners.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Elite PP sniper with inconsistent 5v5 production. Much richer man's Mike Hoffman. He has more in his bag than Hoffman ever did, which gives him potential to hit 30 goals at an earlier age, but we will see if he can drive play at the pro level, or instead becomes an elite passenger who picks corners.

Penguin specific but I see shades of Bryan Rust. Average hands, average size, good not great speed, plays north-south, good on the backhand, very good shot when they get it off but release isn’t ridiculous. Attack downhill, not a lot of layers to their game

Yager has a better shot though

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Penguin specific but I see shades of Bryan Rust. Average hands, average size, good not great speed, plays north-south, good on the backhand, very good shot when they get it off but release isn’t ridiculous. Attack downhill, not a lot of layers to their game

Yager has a better shot though

Yager's release is different than most junior players, which gives him something unique. He can take a pass from in his skates to then get a shot off quite quickly.

 

[Peat]

Penguin specific but I see shades of Bryan Rust. Average hands, average size, good not great speed, plays north-south, good on the backhand, very good shot when they get it off but release isn’t ridiculous. Attack downhill, not a lot of layers to their game

Yager has a better shot though

Rust's not perimeter though. Which is why I lean to the McCann comparison more.

But in any case, feels like we're mostly in agreement of where he is and what happens next i.e. just about everything.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

ELC signed!

 

[Caser]

 

[Dominance]

Where does Yager fit into the Jets projected lineup, say, three years from now?

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

This is such a good trade for Winnipeg… there will be zero stress with him and he will gladly spend the time needed in the AHL to become NHL ready.

Unreal trade by Chevy unloading a prospect that didn’t wanna sign in Winnipeg and put in development time in the minors and pick up a stud like Yager

 

[Turin]

He's in the Jost/Krebs territory for me - not saying he's going to bust but he's in the same territory.

Good toolkit but nothing really stands out. He's going to need to improve his skating to move up to a blue-chip prospect imo, as I don't think his hockey IQ is high enough to make up for his skating ability.

Alright I agree with this insane take now. He's a bum.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Half the jokes about Yager are about Jager bombs, the other half are Attack on Titan references.

 

[Jetabre]

Where does Yager fit into the Jets projected lineup, say, three years from now?

Currently have a gaping hole in the lineup at 2C, not sure what the Jets will do short term but the hope is either Yager or Brad Lambert are able to fill that when they're ready I imagine, also Scheifele isn't getting any younger so sooner or later the 1C spot is also gonna open up if either of them develop exceptionally well.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Currently have a gaping hole in the lineup at 2C, not sure what the Jets will do short term but the hope is either Yager or Brad Lambert are able to fill that when they're ready I imagine, also Scheifele isn't getting any younger so sooner or later the 1C spot is also gonna open up if either of them develop exceptionally well.

Yeah I think the swap also makes a lot of sense when you consider team needs as well. The Penguins will obviously need to draft and develop centers for after Crosby and Malkin, but as long as they still have Crosby and Malkin, they don't need a top-6 center. McGroarty can play wing with those guys in the remaining 3 or so years they have left, while Yager can be groomed as a center with Winnipeg.

I'm unsure of how well Yager will stick at C in the NHL, but I definitely think Winnipeg is in a better position to develop him as a center than Pittsburgh.