On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Brayden Yager, their first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, to an entry-level deal.
Yager, 19, is eligible to play one more season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. And for prospects that young and still rounding out their game, that is typically the move that makes sense.
But after registering 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games last season for the Warriors – and leading his team to the Memorial Cup in 2024 – it may be worth at least giving Yager a taste of the show.
Here are three reasons why the Penguins should consider giving Yager a look at the NHL level in 2024-25.
1. The “9-game tryout” rule
Back in 2006, the Penguins selected center Jordan Staal second overall in the NHL Entry Draft. The team had every intention to send Staal back to his junior team – the Peterborough Petes – that season.
But Staal had other plans. He impressed so much in camp and in his “nine-game tryout” – which included three of his seven shorthanded goals on the season – that the Penguins had no choice but to keep him around. And he continued to impress:
This day in #PGHistory: With the Penguins down 4-1, Jordan Staal scores his 7th short-handed goal of the season – an NHL rookie record. (2007)
The goal would spark a comeback for the Pens, who ended up defeating Ottawa 5-4. pic.twitter.com/ELCXWe1eId
— Pittsburgh Clothing Co. (@PGHClothingCo) March 6, 2018
It’s no secret that prospect development in the analytics era is much more calculated. However, what’s the worst that could happen if Yager is given the nine-game trial run?
For some context, junior players can play nine or less games at the NHL level before their entry-level contract officially kicks in. Before the 10-game mark, teams have the choice to send the player back to their junior team, as players from the WHL, QMJHL, or OHL are not eligible for the American Hockey League (AHL) until they are 20 years old.
So if Yager clearly looks underdeveloped and out of place in those nine games? Great, send him back to juniors for another season.
But, let’s just say he doesn’t look out of place. Let’s say, hypothetically, he pots a few goals, looks comfortable next to Sidney Crosby, and helps the Penguins win some early hockey games: Why hold him back?
If he’s someone who can help the Penguins now and in the future – and that future comes a little earlier than expected – great! There’s no reason to hold that against him.
2. The Penguins have an anemic offense
This could be considered a “piggyback” point off of the first one, but there’s no hurt in giving him a look alongside Crosby. The departures of Jake Guentzel and Reilly Smith via trade left a glaring hole in the Penguins’ top-six – which doesn’t bode well for an offense that was – well – already remarkably terrible at finishing last season:
If there was an award for the Deserve-To-Win-O’Meter in hockey, the Penguins would win a whole lot more. But their anemic offense – especially their power play – is quite literally costing them hockey games and playoff spots.
Add a goal-scorer like Yager into the mix? It probably doesn’t help to move the needle enough to make them dangerous, as evidenced by their poor finishing with Guentzel in the fold last season. But it might, at the very least, provide a bit of a boost to an offense, and a power play, that has been dead in the water for a few years now.
Yager is young and dynamic offensively, and the Pens’ finishing couldn’t possibly be worse with him involved in their offensive attack.
3. He’s the best prospect they’ve had in years
At the end of the day, Penguins fans – as well as the organization – know where this team is inevitably headed. A rebuild is on the horizon, and whether or not they manage to stave off a full teardown until Crosby retires or they successfully execute a “soft rebuild” to compete within the next few years remains to be seen.
Fans need something – a future – to look forward to. Yager has a chance to give them that “something” during a tumultuous time for the organization. They haven’t seen a prospect like Yager since the early days of the Crosby era.
And make no mistake: Yager is going to be a good NHL player for the Penguins:
The Penguins are likely headed nowhere fast this season. But giving Yager the chance to show what he can do at the NHL level – even if that chance is short-lived – could provide the spark and injection of youth this team needs to find its footing and start towards a brighter future.
Related: Breaking: Penguins Sign Top Draft Pick to Entry-Level Contract
Related: Five reasons to be optimistic about the Penguins in 2024-25
Related: Upper Deck 2024 NHL Draft Spotlight: Penguins Harrison Brunicke
