Brayden Yager’s season of ascent continues with WHL championship

It’s been a tremendous Draft+1 season for Pittsburgh first round pick Brayden Yager

The Penguins can use feel good stories these days at any level of their organization, and 2023 first round pick Brayden Yager’s tremendous 2023-24 season is providing one. Yager and the Moose Jaw Warriors clinched the WHL championship last night and will move onto the Memorial Cup.

This season has been one of ascension for Yager, including:

• A strong showing at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo which opened the door to be featured at NHL training camp
• A shootout goal in his first NHL preseason game, drawing praise from Mike Vellucci on the NHL the coaching staff. “My impression is that he’s gotten better every day…For me, I love to see what he’s done at the rookie games…He just seems more comfortable every game.”
• Being one of Team Canada’s top forwards at the WJC U-20 tournament (Yager’s five points in five games were second on the team, behind only presumptive 2024 number one overall pick Macklin Celebrini)
• Ripping up the WHL with 95 points (35G+60A) in 57 games, good for a 14th place finish in scoring, despite missing 11 games
• Helping lead Moose Jaw to the WHL championship, finishing third in playoff scoring with an impressive 27 points (11G+16A) in 20 games

Thanks to that production, Yager’s stock is soaring. As represented by Dobber Hockey’s PNHLe model:

Yager, 19, has taken all the steps to stand out and show that his future is bright as a top junior level player. From comments by Kyle Dubas at the end of the year, the Penguins are open to young players forcing their way onto the NHL roster, but it might yet be a little soon for someone as young as Yager (who is still listed officially at 166 pounds) to be physically ready to make the massive step up the ladder to the NHL level in the near future, even if signs are showing that he is rapidly advancing his game towards being a factor sooner than later.

While patience will still be in play, the story of this season isn’t over yet. The Memorial Cup and a chance for a perfect ending to this season for Yager is ahead. It should be a titanic battle since all three champions of the Canadian Hockey League won their final series in convincing fashions via sweeps.

Moose Jaw will compete against perennial power of the London Knights (OHL), Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) and host city Saginaw (OHL) in the round robin tournament starting on May 24th. The championship game for that will be on June 2nd.