On Aug. 22, 2024, the Rutger McGroarty sweepstakes finally came to a close two months after the 20-year-old’s trade request from the Winnipeg Jets first came to light. The Pittsburgh Penguins received the young, promising forward for prospect Brayden Yager.
Penguins Build on the Fly
It’s no secret that the once revered Penguins are now starting to fall off of the map. For the first time since 2006-07, they are entering a campaign following back-to-back postseason misses despite 37-year-old captain Sidney Crosby’s best efforts to keep his team afloat. Their core is old and their prospect pool is one of the worst in hockey as it stands—there hasn’t been much to look forward to for them.
But McGroarty is an exciting piece. Selected 14th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he has lived up to that and more with 39 points in 39 games in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2022-23 and 52 points in 36 games in the NCAA in his previous outing. For one reason or another, he wanted out of Winnipeg and the Jets had to comply. After two months of speculation, the Michigan Wolverines forward finally has a home.
McGroarty can immediately join the Penguins and make an impact if he impresses enough at training camp. Losing Jake Guentzel and Reilly Smith from the start of their 2023-24 campaign to now, Pittsburgh needed to fill a hole on the wing both in the present and in the future. Not only does the 20-year-old help solve this problem, but he brings a wildcard factor that could be just what the Penguins need.
Related: Rutger McGroarty – 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
If McGroarty makes the team and plays with Crosby, for example, those two could click right away and be what the team needs to return to the playoffs. As well, he could be a legitimate upgrade on Yager and prove to be the right player for the short and long term. There are some big possibilities here, but we can only wait to see how things shake out when the season begins.
Jets End McGroarty Saga & Get a Center
The silver lining for the Jets here is that the drama is finally over. Getting this monkey off of their back encourages a better culture and simply allows them to move on. But, also, they got a player back: a 19-year-old Yager.
Related: Brayden Yager – 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
Yager, ironically drafted 14th overall in 2023, is a promising centerman who seems poised to make the NHL someday. He put up 95 points in 57 contests in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2023-24 and was all but unanimously seen as Pittsburgh’s top prospect. There’s some middle-six potential here and room for a lot more.
The Jets are a competitive team with a solid group of young players. They didn’t necessarily add to it from a technical standpoint, but the future of the roster is nonetheless intriguing. Centers come at a very expensive cost in today’s league, so getting one for a player who didn’t want to be in Winnipeg seems like a win from their perspective. He likely won’t play in the NHL this upcoming season, but don’t be surprised if he works his way there in the near future.
At this point, it’s only natural for the career paths of both McGroarty and Yager to be compared until they choose to hang up the skates. Hopefully, they both carve out successful NHL tenures and make a future comparison a worthy debate.