Yager is in a dream situation here, is he not?
Malkin has 2 years left, max, based on his contract and Yager has no real competition for a 2nd line center spot. For that matter, Crosby is 37. Yager will waltz into the top 6 in a couple of years and even the first line. We'll be a bad team, but even bad teams score goals. He'll put up 70+ point seasons as our 1C and be in line for a big payday in RFA, even if he's not actually that good.
Famous last words, but Dubas has way too much riding on Yager to let Sully ruin him. Dubas' 1st pick, with no 1st rounder in 2024. Yager is going to get every opportunity to be a top-6 player here and a key player as soon as 2025.