Penguins, Jets Pull off Rare Win-Win Trade

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets pulled off an extremely rare trade where both organizations benefit equally.

Michigan forward Rutger McGroarty (2) practice as they prepare for the semifinal game against Boston College at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

This has been one of the busiest and most exciting NHL off-seasons in recent memory, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets just added to it. They announced a shocking trade where the Jets sent forward prospect Rutger McGroarty to the Penguins for forward prospect Brayden Yager.

The Jets have been looking for a trade partner for McGroarty since he formally requested a trade several months ago, but no one expected the Penguins to be the other team involved or the return to be another prospect. When a big move like this goes down, there are winners and losers declared immediately. This situation, however, is the rare case of both teams winning a trade.

The Penguins are getting the better player in this deal, giving their organization a huge win. They've starved for a young player with top of the lineup potential to join Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin before the legendary duo retires. Yager is an excellent prospect with top-six potential, but the outlook on McGroarty is notably higher. He's scored 91 points in 75 games over two seasons the University of Michigan, and is coming off of a fantastic sophomore campaign where he netted 16 goals and added 36 assists for 52 points over 36 games.

Meanwhile, the Jets receive another high-quality prospect to add to an already impressive group. If McGroarty is an elite prospect, Yager is a very good one. He'll be in the NHL one day, and his two-way game projects to fit in quite well in the Jets' system and structure. It isn't equal value in return for McGroarty, but they lacked leverage. He wasn't going to sign an entry-level contract with the organization and the Jets still avoided a lopsided trade for one of the game's better young players.

It also paves the way for several other Jets' prospects to make a larger impact on the NHL roster sooner. The team has players like Cole Perfetti, Brad Lambert, Colby Barlow, and Nikita Chibrikov all battling for a bigger role with or a spot in the Jets' lineup. They can't be happy about losing McGroarty, but it does clarify which players the organization's prioritizing for the future.

The case on this trade won't be shut for years to come, as both players establish their NHL careers. This could end up being a one-sided deal in a few seasons, or it could be the rare example when two teams came together for a trade that both sides can confidently and honestly say they won.

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