Just when things seemed to get quiet, Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM and POHO Kyle Dubas made a move in the trade market last week to acquire forward Cody Glass.
And on Thursday, he made arguably one of the biggest trades of the NHL offseason.
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet Canada, the Winnipeg Jets have traded top prospect Rutger McGroarty to Pittsburgh.
Working on more, but hearing Rutger McGroarty is being traded from Winnipeg to Pittsburgh
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 22, 2024
Also, according to Puckpedia, McGroarty has already signed an entry-level contract with the Penguins:
There has not yet been an official announcement from either team, so the exact package involved is still unclear. However – according to Friedman – it appears that the return for Winnipeg involves Penguins’ top prospect Brayden Yager.
McGroarty, 20, spent the last two seasons playing for the University of Michigan. Over those two seasons, he registered 34 goals and 91 points in 75 games. He also played in the World Junior Classic both years, putting up a combined six goals and 16 points in 14 games.
In June, the Jets’ 14th overall pick in 2022 requested a trade out of Winnipeg after some tension grew between his camp and the Jets’ organization. Apparently, McGroarty believed he was NHL-ready and requested guarantees for NHL playing time that the Jets could not give.
In Pittsburgh, the door is open for McGroarty to make the roster out of camp. The 6-foot, 200-pound, physical forward has top-six upside, has few holes in his game, and has an opportunity to get minutes alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin this season – or, at the very least – see extended time in the Penguins’ bottom-six.
WELCOME TO PITTSBURGH RUTGER MCGROARTY ! 🐧
McGroarty is a 6’1 200 right winger who captained team USA at the WJC last year.
NCAA :
36 GP – 16 Goals – 52 Points
WJC-20:
7 GP – 5 Goals – 9 Points pic.twitter.com/vBsULHFXOa— Mario LeCrosGoat (@MarioLeGoat) August 22, 2024
Also a 14th overall pick (2023), Yager, 19, was labeled as the Penguins’ top prospect. For the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) last season, he recorded 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games.
Although a highly regarded prospect within the Penguins’ organization, his trajectory seemed headed toward another year of development in junior hockey, especially given the logjam at the forward position on the team’s current NHL roster.
In other news, Dubas and the Penguins also signed defensem
It remains to be seen whether or not Dubas will make any more moves to clear cap space and bolster the NHL roster in the coming days.
Related: BREAKING: Penguins Acquire Center Cody Glass from Nashville
Related: Penguins Prospects Who Could Make Their NHL Debuts in 2024 ft. Brayden Yager
Related: Penguins Dubas Should Go All-In for Rutger McGroarty
