Prospect Info: Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects Thread: 2023-2024 Edition

[Gurglesons]

Well gosh, what if it's 5-8 minutes? What then? What about 4-7 minutes! Egads, what about 3-6 minutes! We better resign Harkins, Carter, and see if Craig Adams still has the fire to do 25 minutes a night!

Thank you for your continued efforts in helping to encourage thoughtful discussion on this forum.

I know it's hard for some Penguins fans to understand how to properly develop a 1st round pick given we've had so few of them.

Unless Yager comes in and is lighting up camp to the point where he's earned a top six role, it makes no sense for us to play him in the NHL. He's too young, he needs development and he simply doesn't have a spot where he can excel on the roster.

Zach Benson was immediately afforded a top nine role with the Sabres due to injury this year. If we have a similar situation, I can see the idea of letting Yager cook a little bit, but at this time our top nine is pretty well fleshed out unless we make significant moves and using Yager in a 3C hole would make little sense given Sullivan's penchant for usage in that position.

 

[Darren McCord]

Utilizing Yager for 6-9 minutes a night in a bottom six role is an easy way to ruin his development.

WHL is way more advantageous if it is that or NHL.

is it? He goes back to a team that will be bad after winning the championship. It’s an easy way to get content and have bad habits.

If he has a good camp put rakell on line 3 to start the year.

Doc - sid - rust
bunting - geno - yager
Raks - ufa/trade - puustinen
Poulin/pono - eller - accari
JP

Run it 9 games then send him to the WHL if it goes bad

 

[Gurglesons]

is it? He goes back to a team that will be bad after winning the championship. It’s an easy way to get content and have bad habits.

If he has a good camp put rakell on line 3 to start the year.

Doc - sid - rust
bunting - geno - yager
Raks - ufa/trade - puustinen
Poulin/pono - eller - accari
JP

Not really. He'll be the # 1 guy and then traded to another team at the deadline.

It would give us more visibility into what exactly Yager can do on his own which would be valuable from the team's perspective given he likely isn't coming up until Malkin is retired.

 

[Darren McCord]

Not really. He'll be the # 1 guy and then traded to another team at the deadline.

It would give us more visibility into what exactly Yager can do on his own which would be valuable from the team's perspective given he likely isn't coming up until Malkin is retired.

meh give him the look then go from there

 

[Gurglesons]

meh give him the look then go from there

I don't get the obsession of throwing a 19 year old into the NHL..

But, I mean if he's ready, sure.

 

[Ryder71]

I don't get the obsession of throwing a 19 year old into the NHL..

But, I mean if he's ready, sure.

A year away. 25-26 For Koivunen and Yager.



Pono however will make the team out of camp if he's healthy.

 

[Darren McCord]

I don't get the obsession of throwing a 19 year old into the NHL..

But, I mean if he's ready, sure.

I mean part of it is reaction to the years deprived of prospects and excitement of an actual good one.

Part of it is his inability to go to the AHL.

I think wanting him to get 9 games if he has a strong camp is reasonable. But this team shouldn’t pencil him in as a solution. He would be a bonus. They still need to move smith and get another top 9 forward or two.

 

[chethejet]

pens building the farm and Yager is better off with 2 years of maturing and getting seasoning as is the LW form the Jake deal. Bunting serves his purpose as a top 6 LW. I keep Rakell as his cost and play is very favorable if healthy. Said it numerous times, Pens move Smith for a nice pick and bring in Stephenson, and Pens have 13 million to 14 m15 million to add. Puustinen has to get stronger for 3rd line wing. I also think Dubas believes Jarry, Graves improved play, a healthy Rakell and full season of Bunting and a couple nice adds and Pens can be a tough out this year.

 

[Gurglesons]

I mean part of it is reaction to the years deprived of prospects and excitement of an actual good one.

Part of it is his inability to go to the AHL.

I think wanting him to get 9 games if he has a strong camp is reasonable. But this team shouldn’t pencil him in as a solution. He would be a bonus. They still need to move smith and get another top 9 forward or two.

He could potentially be in the AHL, which as I said is my goal with him.

That being said, I wouldn't mind at all if he goes back to the WHL and proves he can lead a top line despite not being surrounded by other similar or better propsects. Would go a long way to reassure us that he can drive on his own.

 

[lokomotiv15]

Not that my opinion matters, but I think a perfect trajectory, which might also be the most plausible for Yager next season is he comes in, is he shows enough at camp to get his 9 game stint. Plays 7 or 8, give him an idea of where he needs to get to to play in the league. Then he is sent down, he plays 15 or so for Moose Jaw before going to represent Canada at the WJC in a much more prominent role for a month or so. Back to the WHL after that where he is traded to a contender, hopefully goes on a run and if it ends a bit early he finishes his year in the AHL where he is finally eligible.

 

[Jacob]

Not that my opinion matters, but I think a perfect trajectory, which might also be the most plausible for Yager next season is he comes in, is he shows enough at camp to get his 9 game stint. Plays 7 or 8, give him an idea of where he needs to get to to play in the league. Then he is sent down, he plays 15 or so for Moose Jaw before going to represent Canada at the WJC in a much more prominent role for a month or so. Back to the WHL after that where he is traded to a contender, hopefully goes on a run and if it ends a bit early he finishes his year in the AHL where he is finally eligible.

I think if AHL isn’t an option this is a fine path. It does seem likely he’ll be traded.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Penguins training camp is an absolute farce every year for a while, now.

Yager could come in and blow the doors off and he wouldn't make the cut. Some thrice-rewarmed journeyman will impress Sullivan with his utter inability to score and mediocre penalty killing and lock down that spot.

Honestly would people really even want a very young, raw Yager on a Sullivan team? What's he gonna do? Play 5 minutes every three games with like... Matt Nieto and Jansen Harkins?

 

[SomeDude]

What's he gonna do? Play 5 minutes every three games with like... Matt Nieto and Jansen Harkins?

No way.

Harkins is getting way more than 5 minutes a night.

 

[Ryder71]

Penguins training camp is an absolute farce every year for a while, now.

Yager could come in and blow the doors off and he wouldn't make the cut. Some thrice-rewarmed journeyman will impress Sullivan with his utter inability to score and mediocre penalty killing and lock down that spot.

Honestly would people really even want a very young, raw Yager on a Sullivan team? What's he gonna do? Play 5 minutes every three games with like... Matt Nieto and Jansen Harkins?

It's a shame you're brainwashed in believing that is true. I hate when people deal in lies and half truths.

No way.

Harkins is getting way more than 5 minutes a night.

He's not even signed. Doubt he's even here next season.

 

[Gurglesons]

Moose Jaw getting their asses handed to them.

 

[Jacob]

3+3 in 4 games for our guy so I’m not sweating it.

 

[The Old Master]

3+3 in 4 games for our guy so I’m not sweating it.

his team just gave up 6 goals and he's still even,,,,,,not bad at all

 

[Gurglesons]

3+3 in 4 games for our guy so I’m not sweating it.

Not either.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think people are far too dismissive on the idea of Yager making the NHL next year. They only have 3 real top-6 wingers right now with Rust, Bunting and Rakell, and it's not like Rakell had that great of a year last year anyway.

The big question I have is how comfortable he can be on the wing. If he can fit fine on LW, I can absolutely see him making the NHL out of camp. If he can't mesh well immediately, he'll probably go to the AHL or juniors.

 

[Ryder71]

He embarrassed us tonight.

 

[HandshakeLine]

"Us". lol

 

[The Old Master]

He embarrassed us tonight.

how so?

 

[eXile3]

I think people are far too dismissive on the idea of Yager making the NHL next year. They only have 3 real top-6 wingers right now with Rust, Bunting and Rakell, and it's not like Rakell had that great of a year last year anyway.

The big question I have is how comfortable he can be on the wing. If he can fit fine on LW, I can absolutely see him making the NHL out of camp. If he can't mesh well immediately, he'll probably go to the AHL or juniors.

I hope not. People really underestimate how hard it is for young players to adjust to the NHL. Even top 5 picks struggle mightily for years to be productive.

It’s short sighted to ruin a prospects development to fill a roster spot.

 

[chethejet]

He may just be a better player here and can play in the NHL next year. I prefer more seasoning to be a better player in a couple years as he matures. Pens have Sid, Geno and Eller and the younger centers for next year.

 

[Andy99]

I hope not. People really underestimate how hard it is for young players to adjust to the NHL. Even top 5 picks struggle mightily for years to be productive.

It’s short sighted to ruin a prospects development to fill a roster spot.

Sure, just look at Lafreniere putting it together now…but he still played in the NHL since being drafted…people put too much mysticism into playing in the NHL lol…and I’ll include Sullivan in that…he doesn’t have to be huge and perfect his game to play…if he’s a better player than what we currently have to play in the top nine, then he should play, even if he has a lot of growing to do, both personally and in his game…and by better than what we have, that doesn’t mean signing some 28+ year old UFA to a large multi year deal…the Pens aren’t one top six player from contention and shouldn’t be signing those big contracts for players with lots of tread on their tires