Brayden Yager isn't yet ready for the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL roster, but he could be very soon.

For the past few seasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been known as an organization that touts a strong pipeline of prospects.

Usually, the Penguins’ system flounders around the bottom of most NHL rankings, but that comes with the territory of always trying to ‘win now.’

As the core group of players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang near the end of their careers in the NHL, the mood surrounding prospects has started to change.

For the second straight draft, and third time five years, the Penguins held on to their first round pick and made a selection to boost the prospect pool.

Following Sam Poulin in 2019 and Owen Pickering in 2022, the Penguins took Brayden Yager 14^th overall in 2023.

While Poulin and Pickering are on their own path in progressing to the NHL, Yager is in a much different lane and could make real noise in the very near future.

The Penguins recently sent Yager back to his junior team, the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, but that was after he made a real name for himself within the organization.

Over the past few weeks, Yaker has been leading the Penguins youngsters in a few different facets.

It all started during the annual Prospect Challenge where Yager picked up a pair of goals and helped the Penguins win two of the three games they took part in.

As the second line center for those contests, Yager was noticeably better than a number of his peers.

Yager’s shot already has outstanding force, and his hands are underrated in terms of ability.

When the Penguins entered training camp, the expectations couldn’t have been that high for the 18-year-old in his first run.

Yager far exceeded whatever was set for him; no matter the situation on the ice, Yager looked comfortable and poised.

While he may not have recorded any goals or points of note during his two exhibition appearances, Yager did show off his shot during the preseason opener.

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Aaron Dell might not be up to snuff with the rest of the NHL netminders, but he has a history in the league and is no slouch between the pipes.

Yager didn’t make much of a move on Dell, but he didn’t have to; just a hard, perfectly placed shot was enough to help seal the win for the Penguins in that game.

Assistant coach Mike Vellucci said that he can see Yager growing more comfortable every day.

The Penguins prospect pool is still fairly shallow, but they are proud and hopeful of the few names they have.

Poulin and Pickering are also highlights, much like goalie Valtteri Puutstinen and goalie Joel Blomqvist, but Yager is on another level.

It isn’t easy predicting when Yager will be ready for the NHL, but if he continues to grow his game this season with Moose Jaw, and he has another outstanding camp next year, there could be a real conversation to be had for the 2024-25 season.

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