I’ll confess, I’m not the most informed guy on the planet when it comes to evaluating potential draftees. My esteemed colleague, Other Rick, is much more knowledgeable than I. So you can take what I’m about to write with a grain of salt.
However, after brushing up on the Penguins’ top pick, Brayden Yager, I kind of wish we’d redrafted Jaromir Jagr instead.
Kidding…sort of.
With man-sized, physically mature talents like Matthew Wood (6’3” 190), Samuel Honzek (6’4” 186) and Quentin Musty (6’2” 200) still available, the Pens once again went small ‘n’ speedy with Yager, a 5’11” 166-pound center out of Moose Jaw in the Western League.
Actually, according to some scouting reports, Yager isn’t all that fast. So we just went small. Just the way coach Mike Sullivan likes ‘em.
Sorry if I sound disappointed. I guess I’m just weary of the Pens’ skill uber alles approach. There are other elements that go into building a competitive hockey team…size, toughness, a willingness and ability to muck it up in the dirty areas. A point driven home with the subtlety of a hammer by this year’s Cup champion Vegas.
For some reason, the Pens never seem to get the memo.
I was so hoping we’d undergo a culture shift under acting GM Kyle Dubas, and we may yet. But for now it’s SOP (Same Ol’ Pens).
Back to our pick. Yager may develop into a good pro. Then again, there seemed to be a lot of question over his potential. Some mock drafts had him listed as high as seventh overall and some as low as 30th. That’s a helluva variance.
While he has a good shot and a shoot-first mentality, Yager regressed as a scorer in junior, dipping from 34 goals in ’21-22 to 28 last season. Nor is he regarded as an especially creative playmaker. Yager does possess a non-stop motor and wins his share of puck battles. And he plays a 200-foot game, patterned after black-and-gold captain Sidney Crosby. Still, I wonder how his lightweight frame will hold up to the rigors of NHL competition.
Again, I wish we would’ve drafted a more physically mature prospect.
Oh well. For now I’ll have to mollify myself with the thought that it couldn’t been worse. After Buffalo snagged the kid we really wanted, Winnipeg’s buzz-saw forward Zach Benson, I was convinced we’d take Gabriel Perreault, highly skilled but panned in a lot of scouting reports (including Other Rick’s).
Still, it grates on me no end that we could’ve had Wood, a big right wing out of UConn who idolizes Evgeni Malkin. Nashville grabbed him with the very next pick. (Honzek went to the Flames with the pick after that.)
If you’re keeping score at home, it’s Barry Trotz 1, Dubas 0.
Sorry for not responding, my response was too long for a common. You can see it on my post. However, great stuff. I am disappointed too.
Just saw an article on Pittsburgh Hockey Now titled, “Sullivan Explains Why Size Isn’t Big Deal for Penguins.”
The title pretty much says it all. But in a nutshell, he still believes the Penguins can win with the style they played during the back-to-back Cup seasons.
Based on our first-round pick, which has Sullivan’s fingerprints all over it, I fear he’s got Dubas drinking his Kool-Aid. I fear this team’s going to be built to Sully’s smurfish specs … 🙁
Rick
Hey all,
My initial reaction was probably a bit knee-jerk, based on my personal preference to take a more physically mature player. EP Rinkside’s eval seems to be the most-level headed assessment I’ve seen of Yager, as follows:
“Yet our scouts, pretty much right across the board, left many of those viewings wanting to see more from Yager. Specifically, we wanted to see a little more diversity in his game. That he could be more than a blunt object, even a very forceful, effective one.
Yager is more willing to pass the puck, but he lacks the creativity or the touch necessary to project to the NHL as an especially productive setup man. A lack of consistent scanning habits means that he’s not prepared to strike with one- or two-touch passing to catch an opposing defence off guard. There’s a distinct lack of problem-solving skills against pressure. On top of it all, there are just too many hope passes.
What you’re getting with Yager at this juncture is more or less the same player that came into the season, at least as it relates to his skills profile. He’s an intelligent, skilled shooter with a decent motor and a willingness to contribute in the defensive zone, but lacking some of the finer elements to project as a really high-end point producer at the next level.
Make no mistake though. This is a player with 30-goal upside, if things break right. A little more physical strength, maybe even an extra step or two as a skater, and Yager can get there.”
Rick