Penguins select center Yager in first round of NHL Draft
The Pittsburgh Penguins selected Brayden Yager in the first round of Wednesday night鈥檚 NHL Draft held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The promising 18-year-old center, who was the 14th overall pick, starred for Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League this past season when he amassed 78 points with 28 goals and 50 assists in 67 games.
In the past two years with Moose Jaw he has a combined 62 goals and 75 assists.
Reports on his size varied but Yager is approximately 5-foot-11, 170 pounds and is a right-hand shot. He was born on Jan. 3, 2005 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Yager is the first draft pick made by the Penguins new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas.
Dubas and the Penguins made five more picks on Thursday, all of which are left-handed shots.
Pittsburgh selected 6-2, 175-pound defenseman Emil Pieniniemi in the third round (91st overall); 6-0, 181-pound forward Mikhail Llyin in the fifth round (142nd overall); 5-11, 172-pound forward Cooper Foster in the sixth round (174th overall); 5-10, 167-pound forward Emil Jarventie in the seventh round (217th overall); and finished up with 6-4, 205-pound defenseman Kalle Kangas in the seventh round (223rd overall).