NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With the 14th overall selection in the 2023 NHL draft, the Penguins on Wednesday night picked forward Brayden Yager.
Yager is a standout forward for Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League.
Yager is a right-handed center listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds. He scored 62 goals with 75 assists over the last two seasons with the Warriors.
When the Penguins picked Yager midway through the first round Wednesday night, it was the highest the franchise had selected a player since 2012, when they took Derrick Pouliot with the eighth pick they acquired via trade.
Yager, who was named the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player this season, was the first player drafted by new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas.
Dubas said Friday that he would only trade that pick if he could acquire a young, impact NHL player who would help in both the present and the future. That sort of deal never materialized before it was time for Pittsburgh to pick.
So Dubas gladly grabbed Yager, adding the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native to a prospect pool that lacks star power and depth at all positions, particularly up front.
The NHL draft will resume Thursday morning at Bridgestone Arena. The Penguins have five more selections: a third-round draft pick (90th overall), one fifth (142nd), one sixth (174th) and two more in the seventh (217th and 223rd).
The Penguins made another move hours before the draft, acquiring winger Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2024 third-round pick.
