Let's Go Pens! Ru

Пишут, что Дубас пытается обменять Петри.

Smith is known for his two-way game and defensive responsibility, with ample offense. He plays on both special teams, killing penalties and working on the power play. He is 6-foot-1, 182 pounds and excelled in the Vegas transition game and on the rush .

With Benson off the board the draft is now wide open. Although B/R had five players ranked ahead of Yager, they are all in the same tier of value as he is. Yager didn't have the best pre-draft season, but I think the best is yet to come. He's a goal scorer and impressive defensive presence. And he'll presumably have time to ease into an NHL role behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin a few years from now.

Pick Grade: B

Scouting Report:

It wasn't a great season for Brayden Yager.

The much-hyped Moose Jaw Warriors center ranked fifth overall on the September version of B/R's draft rankings. He's taken a fall for reasons that are partially demonstrated by his stat line; 28 goals in 67 games is a downgrade from his 34 in 63 games last season.

I remain a strong believer in his game.

Yager has a wicked release. It's quick off his stick via one-timers and he whips it while shooting off the rush. Though he scores from the circles like most natural goal scorers, he also has a propensity for scoring from the middle of the ice; a not-so-easy skill that requires a fast release.

So what was the problem this season? Simple. The puck didn't go into the net. Yager averaged 3.48 shots on goal per game this season which was a notable tick-up from his 2.98 last season. Yet he scored fewer goals thanks to a sizable dip in shooting percentage.

The tricky part is figuring out which season is the real "Yager." Based on the way he has shown he can shoot the puck, I am inclined to believe this season's subpar total was the result of bad luck leading to a loss in confidence.

Beyond that, Yager did double his assist total. His 78 points only look weak relative to initial expectations; it's still tremendous production in the WHL for a draft-eligible center.

I also love his game off the puck. He's an intelligent forechecker who knows how to—if not himself force a turnover—check the opposition into coughing the puck up to a teammate. Yager is a diligent backchecker who follows his checks tightly, sticks with the play, and forces turnovers.

Another mark in his favor is that he improved his straight-line skating speed.

Even if his goal-scoring returns to his prior form, Yager lacks the dynamism with the puck necessary to be a game-breaker at the NHL level. That's enough to push him well outside the top-five, but scouts shouldn't sour on him too much beyond that. Yager has the upside to become a 25-30 goal-scoring center on an NHL second line. If not, he still plays a strong game that will lend well to a third-line, secondary-scoring role in the ilk of Detroit's Joe Veleno.

Женя, за последние 20 лет только 3 раза Кубок Стенли взял клуб имеющий в составе Некствана. Так что Бедарды, Макдевиды и Кросби это не обязательный ключ к победе. Вон, глянь какие "звездные" центры гоняют у Вегаса. И этого хватает для победы