"I think obviously there's a lot of expectations from people, but I don't really pay attention to that," Yager said on the latest episode of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "If I just come in every game, take it day by day, then I'd kind of set myself up for success. I try not to put too much pressure on myself."
Yager (5-foot-10, 166 pounds) is No. 5 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking presented by BioSteel. The 18-year-old center has 66 points (24 goals, 42 assists) in 58 games for Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League this season.
Helping him deal with the pressure are two teammates who were chosen in the 2022 NHL Draft, defenseman Denton Mateychuk, who was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round (No. 12), and forward Jagger Firkus, who went to the Seattle Kraken in the second round (No. 35).
"They just said to enjoy it most of all," he said. "I've kind of just tried to take it day by day and have fun with it.
"Especially with 'Dents,' he was a pretty high pick, I don't think he really felt a whole lot of pressure. He was pretty good at handling it all and did all of his talking in games."
Yager also discussed how rough the battles with his older brother, Connor, were growing up; his goals for the rest of the season; and the current NHL star whose stick hangs in his house.
The podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts. It also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
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Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class
