It has been a busy past couple months for Jets prospect Brayden Yager. The 20-year-old was traded to a new WHL team and he recently had the honour to represent Canada as their captain at this year’s World Junior Championship. So, let’s take a deep dive into how the young star has been performing this season.

Brayden Yager, 20, just returned back to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL after representing Team Canada as their captain at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Despite the brutal tournament Canada had, Yager did not have a horrible tournament. Although he did not score, he recorded 3 assists with a plus 1 rating. These numbers may not be mind boggling, but, keep in mind that Canada only scored 13 goals in 5 games at this tournament—a shocking statistic. Additionally, Yager also wasn’t playing that many minutes either which was questionable from Canada’s head coach Dave Cameron, especially, if he’s your captain, and is supposed to lead your group, and he can’t do that if he’s getting more bench time than ice time.

Before the Saskatoon native was traded from the Moose Jaw Warriors to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Yager had scored 11 goals and recorded 19 assists for a total of 30 points in 21 games played. Now, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, he has scored 2 goals and has 6 assists, producing 8 points in just 4 games played so far. With the Hurricanes, he’s averaging 2 points a game—an impressive start, to say the least.

Yager was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, selected 14th overall in the first round. The Jets acquired him in a one-for-one trade, sending prospect Rutger McGroarty to the Penguins in exchange for the talented center.

Looking ahead to the remainder of this season, I have high expectations for Yager. This isn’t just based on his raw talent, but on what I’ve seen him do on the ice. Whenever he gets the puck and is in a position to shoot, his release is lightning-fast. The puck almost explodes off his stick, reminding me of Steven Stamkos’ iconic one-timer, or Connor Bedard’s quick release. With his offensive weapons, I expect Yager to score at least 30 goals this season, if not more. He’s settling into his new team quite nicely, and is in the final year of his junior career, so why not go out with a bang?

The Winnipeg Jets have been searching for solid center depth ever since Paul Stastny’s departure. While they’ve picked up temporary pieces like Kevin Hayes in 2019 and Sean Monahan in 2024, no one has yet been able to lock down that crucial role on a permanent basis. I firmly believe Brayden Yager has the potential to step into that No. 2 center spot the Jets have been seeking for years. With his elite shot, exceptional playmaking ability, and leadership qualities, this dream could very well become a reality. The so-called “Yager Bomb” is real, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets his shot to prove what he’s capable of in the NHL,