Yager is the headliner of the Winnipeg system in terms of players who haven’t made their NHL debut yet, and his first professional season is a reasonable starting point. Nine goals and 24 points in 55 AHL games understates what he’s actually brought to Manitoba on a daily basis – the playmaking instincts and two-way details that made him a lottery pick are showing up even when the scoresheet doesn’t reflect it, and he has been used in a top-line role with power play time. The path from here is straightforward: earn a callup, get real minutes, and don’t get buried. Whether Winnipeg lets that happen in 2026-27 or keeps him waiting another year is the defining question for dynasty managers holding him. Ultimately he probably slots somewhere into the middle six.

Yager will have his first opportunity at the pro level with the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League during the 2025-26 season. One of the Winnipeg Jets’ top prospects will have the opportunity to become a top-six center with power-play usage and penalty kill opportunities with the Moose. There is no need to rush Yager to the NHL, even with a glaring hole at the 2C position in Winnipeg. The Jets will hope that Jonathan Toews can help fill that role during the 2025-26 season, rather than relying on younger prospects in the system to be thrust into a role they are not yet ready for. The acquisition of Toews gives Yager an elite leader to learn from during the 2025 training camp, allowing him to apply that knowledge in his game in the AHL.

At some point, the Jets will have to start getting more of their prospects into the NHL lineup. Should Yager adapt quickly, he will be in line for full-time NHL playing time as early as the 2026-27 season, with an NHL debut possibility in the second half of the 2025-26 campaign. His fantasy value will be minimal until he establishes himself as a full-time NHL player, but when he does, he will have value across the board. While he may not be elite, he will possess all-around value, as he can contribute to goal scoring, assists, faceoff wins, and excel on special teams. Have him rostered and ready in your dynasty leagues for when he steps into the Jets’ lineup in the future.

The Winnipeg Jets recalled Yager on May 2, 2025, before game six of their opening round 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff matchup against the St. Louis Blues from the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, whose season ended on April 30 after getting swept by Gavin McKenna and the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL Western Conference Final. In 16 playoff games with Lethbridge in 2025, Yager had 14 points (eight goals and six assists), averaging .88 points per game with 64 shots on net. The centerman won 166 of 311 faceoffs he took for a 53.4 faceoff percentage. The Winnipeg Jets desperately need a center after losing Mark Scheifele in game five with an injury, but don’t expect Yager to play; he will join the taxi squad.

Yager will play for Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship for the second year in a row, and he was named team captain.