Expectations Set for Penguins Newest Top Prospect

The ceiling is pretty high for the newest Pittsburgh Penguins prospect, Rutger McGroarty.

Jul 7, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Rutger Mcgroarty shakes hands with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected as the number fourteen overall pick to the Winnepeg Jets in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets added to an unusually busy August when they swapped top prospects in a one-for-one trade. Penguins’ top prospect Brayden Yager was dealt to the Jets in exchange for their top prospect, Rutger McGroarty.

Considering how highly the Penguins thought of Yager in, it was a surprise to see him traded away, but the organization believes they got a better, more NHL ready player.

“We had a difficult decision to make with this trade because we hold Brayden Yager in such a high regard as a person and prospect. After much consideration,” Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas said. “We decided that the opportunity to add Rutger McGroarty was ultimately in the best interest of the Penguins.”

The Penguins are in a weird position as a franchise. They want to continue fighting for a Stanley Cup with their core veterans around, but also need to focus on building the future. Part of their goal was to find young players that can help the lineup now and down the line, and that’s exactly what McGroarty can do.

More so than Yager, McGroarty is a 20-year-old winger who can fight for an NHL role this year. Best case scenario for Yager is he would have gotten a brief stint at the NHL level, but nothing full-time.

The Penguins didn’t waste any time in signing McGroarty to his entry-level contract and they are ready to see what he can bring to the table.

"Rutger possesses the combination of ability, leadership and competitiveness that the Penguins need to achieve our goals in the short and long run.”

The Penguins made a lateral move in terms of improving their overall prospect pool, but McGroarty is and projects to be the overall better player.

McGroarty ranks 33rd on The Athletic’s prospect ranking and was praised for his versatility. Yager ranked 58th and was described as more of a one-dimensional player.

The Penguins were targeting a specific style to add to their organization, and they got it with McGroarty. Not only can he fill into the lineup right now, but he could pretty quickly play next to a name like Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

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