Pittsburgh Penguins select Brayden Yager with No. 14 pick in 2023 NHL Draft

The Pittsburgh Penguins have selected forward Brayden Yager with the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Yager is a slight, slippery playmaker who had a bit of an up-and-down draft year with the Moose Jaw Warriors. He finished the 2022–23 season very strong and had a solid playoff run, but he disappeared for stretches during the year. He was also one of Team Canada’s top players at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The six-foot center collected 28 goals and 78 points in 67 games with Moose Jaw during the 2022–23 WHL season. He added six goals and 10 assists in 10 playoff contests with the Warriors.

Yager is the latest addition to a Penguins prospect pool that also includes Owen Pickering, Zam Plante and more. The Penguins used their 2022 first-round selection on Pickering in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Pittsburgh does not possess another pick in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Barring any additional moves, the Penguins will be back on the clock with the No. 90 pick in the third round.

Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis ranked Yager as the No. 24 prospect available in this year’s draft. Here’s what he had to say about Yager in his final 2023 NHL Draft Rankings:

“Statistically, 78 points in a draft year is solid,” Ellis said. “He had 50 assists and showed he can be a highlight-reel machine. But there have been enough off-games to get some scouts concerned. He can play all situations, but he rarely engages physically and most scouts wanted to see more goals out of him. I like him as a complementary winger more than a center down the road.”

The Penguins finished the 2022–23 regular season with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points in 82 games, enough to finish 5th in the x Division and 19th in the league. They ultimately missed the playoffs.