Penguins Top Prospect Brayden Yager Signs Entry Level Contract
Photo Credit: thehockeynews.com
The Penguins and President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas have signed their top project, Brayden Yager, to a three-year entry-level contract. Yager, drafted 14th overall in the 2023 draft, is a bright spot in a rebuilding farm system in Pittsburgh.
The contract will begin when Yager turns pro or plays 10 or more NHL games this season. At 19 years old, standing at 5'11" and 173 pounds, it's unlikely Yager will join the Penguins this year. Yager still has to put on some more weight and further develop his game. He will most likely go back to junior with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL. Yager wowed a lot of personnel in the Penguins organization at development camp earlier this summer. If he stands out in training camp, it wouldn't be shocking if he made the NHL roster. Crazier things have happened.
This past year, Yager made huge strides in his game. He took over games and was a difference-maker for the Moose Jaw Warriors. In the 2022–23 season with Moose Jaw in 67 games, he had 28 goals and 50 assists for 78 points. These are solid numbers, but for a first-round draft pick, the Penguins would want to see more out of him. And they sure did, as this season in the WHL, Yager had career highs in assists, goals, and points. In 57 games played, Yager had 35 goals, 60 assists, and 95 points. Yager also played great where it mattered most, en route to the WHL championship. In 20 games in the postseason, Yager ranked 3rd in goals with 11, 4th in assists with 16, and 3rd in points with 27.
Playing the hypothetical game, say Yager has an out-of-world training camp and makes the Penguin's opening night roster, where do you put him? The answer is on Sidney Crosby's wing. It has been clear that Dubas has been looking for Crosby's left wing this offseason, as they prefer Drew O’Connor in a third-line role. Maybe the answer is within the organization. Sid loves playing with fast players, and with Yager's young legs and wicked shot, this would be a line to watch with Bryan Rust on the right wing. If the Penguins give Yager a shot in the NHL, it has to be in a top-6 role; that's where he could excel the most. Playing with Evgeni Malkin or Crosby will make Yager the best player he can be. The Penguins see Yager as a centerman, but he's not ready for that role. Let him learn from Crosby and gain NHL experience on the wing before making him a centerman.
Penguins training camp just got a lot more exciting, as Yager will most definitely get some playing time with Sid and Malkin. Yager will look to prove himself as a player who belongs in Pittsburgh and at the NHL level.