The Pittsburgh Penguins made a splash Thursday afternoon when they acquired Jets top prospect Rutger McGroarty in exchange for their own top prospect in forward Brayden Yager.
Working on more, but hearing Rutger McGroarty is being traded from Winnipeg to Pittsburgh
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 22, 2024
McGroarty is a year older than Yager at 20 and could find his way into a prominent role with the Penguins next season. The Michigan Wolverine had expressed discomfort with the Jets organization as he felt he should be at the next level in the NHL.
Winnipeg felt differently as they were contending for a playoff spot and the two parties had a divide between them. A trade was inevitable and lead to the trade to the Penguins. This could provide an opening for McGroarty and give him the ice time he’s been looking for.
The Penguins are fairly wide open the only lock for lines being captain Sidney Crosby being paired up with winger Bryan Rust. The rest of the lineup could be moved around and McGroarty could make an impact.
His physical style of play reminds fans of the days when Hockey was a more physical sport. McGroarty has made his presence felt on almost every stage from the college spotlight at Michigan to the International stage with Team USA.
The Penguins to make the playoffs is currently listed at +125 on Bet365 and could be a solid play as of right now. We advise that you should monitor this bet for the time being to see what McGroarty’s impact could be as he could take off and the Penguins won’t look back.
McGroarty was a difference maker with the Michigan Wolverines as he recorded 34 goals and 57 assists for 91 points in 75 games over three seasons.
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